How to Use Green Thecha in Everyday Meals

The chutney made from green chilli is one of the condiments capable of turning even a simple meal around.

Green chilli thecha, a traditional Maharashtrian condiment, is prepared using green chillies, garlic and peanuts. The ingredients are roasted on a pan until they are lightly charred and are then manually ground to produce a thick and highly flavoured mixture.

It does not have the smooth texture of a chutney or sauce and instead keeps its texture; it provides the heat of the green chillies, the sharpness of the garlic, the nuttiness of the roasted peanuts and a slightly smoky flavour from the charring.

The preparation of our Green Chilli Theccha is completed using peanut oil, which acts to combine the ingredients and results in the sauce having a rich and unified texture; it also serves to transmit the flavours of the roasted chillies, the garlic and the peanuts throughout each spoonful.

It has usually been served together with bhakri and simple Maharashtrian food, but techa is in fact much more versatile than it at first seems. The following are some simple methods of incorporating it into your daily cooking.

Use Green Thecha as a Spread

A simple method of using the cha is to use it as a spread.

Whenever you wish to enjoy a sharp burst of spice and flavour, simply add a thin layer to your toast, sandwiches, wraps or rolls. As the cha is rather hot, you can also combine it with mayonnaise, butter, cream cheese, hung curd or labneh to produce a milder spread.

It is particularly effective in the case of vegetable sandwiches, paneer rolls, grilled cheese sandwiches and wraps that contain leftover chicken or kebabs.

Serve It With Cheelas, Parathas and Dosas

Thecha goes well with Indian breakfasts and snacks.

It can be served together with besan cheelas, moong dal cheelas, parathas or rotis and you can also put a small amount of the filling inside a dosa before adding the filling.

The flavours derived from garlic, chilli and roasted peanuts give depth to dishes which would otherwise be quite simple, so thecha serves as a useful alternative to ordinary green chutney, pickle or podi.

Turn It Into a Quick Dip

Green Chilli thecha can be made into a dip by simply mixing it with a creamy base.

Add a spoonful to the yoghurt if you want a quick dip to go with chips, crackers, vegetable sticks, kebabs or pakoras. Alternatively, combine it with mayonnaise to make a spicy dip which is suitable for fries, sandwiches and grilled foods.

The creaminess counteracts the heat at the same time as keeping the smoky, garlicky taste of the thecha noticeable.

Marinate Fish With Green Thecha

One of the ways that I like to use our Grreen chilli thecha is to make it into a marinade for fish.

Cover the fish with thecha, and if necessary add a little salt and lemon juice, then let it marinate. After that, pan-fry the fish until it is fully cooked and has a lightly crisp exterior.

The garlic and chilli produce a strong crust, while the peanuts contribute a crunchy texture and a nutty flavour. This is an easy method of making a tasty fish dish without requiring a long list of spices.

Use It as a Chicken Marinade

Green chilli thecha is also a good marinade for chicken.

Put in some yoghurt, lemon juice or oil, coat the chicken well and then place it in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, you can roast it in the oven, cook it in an air fryer or grill it on a pan.

The chicken ends up being spicy, garlicky and very flavourful, requiring only a small amount of preparation. It can be served with rice, flatbreads, salad or be used as a filling for wraps and sandwiches.

Spoon It Over Eggs

A combination of green chilli, thecha and eggs is especially good.

Mix it into fried eggs, scrambled eggs or an omelette. Alternatively, spread it on toast and then add the eggs on top to make a quick breakfast.

The egg adds to the dish by reducing the sharpness of the chillies, while the garlic and the peanuts make it seem much more filling.

A Condiment for More Than Traditional Meals

Although green chilli thecha might have origins in Maharashtrian cooking it needn't be confined to traditional combinations.

You can use it as a spread, as a dip, as a marinade or as a cooking ingredient; add it to your breakfast, scoop it over the eggs, mix it into the rice or use it to give fish and chicken a strong, spicy flavour.

It is intense, thick, smoky and unapologetically spicy—and precisely because of that it is such a useful condiment to have in the kitchen.