Thecha Recipe | Mirchi Thecha Chutney (2024)

By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: November 12, 2022

Gluten Free, Vegan
5 from 3 votes • 11 Comments

Thecharecipe with step by step photos. Thecha is a side condiment that perks up any meal, especially if the dishes are bland. It is a spicy condiment from the Maharashtrian cuisine and usually made of green or red chillies with the addition of garlic, some herbs or spices and even coconut. My recipe features hot green chillies, crunchy peanuts and pungent garlic all coming together to create a spicy and the most flavorful thecha.

There are many variations of making Thecha. The most popular are thecha made with green chillies and red chillies. Like I have mentioned above, in this post I am sharing thecha made with peanuts and green chillies.

Basically this thecha chutney recipe is a coarsely pounded mixture made with peanuts, garlic and green chilies.

You can also call this thecha as peanut green chilli thecha orpeanut thecha or shengdanayacha thecha as it is called in the Marathi language.

I make thecha two ways. One is the extra spicy and hot green chilli thecha made with only green chillies and the other is this version with a mix of green chillies and peanuts.

My mom would make thecha often with onion pakoda or aloo pakora or vada pav. Sometimes we would simply have it with some chapati or jowar bhakri (sorghum flat bread) or bajra bhakri (pearl millet flat bread). I also accompany it with paratha and even everyday simple dal and rice.

We also prefer thecha with two of our favorite Maharashtrian dishes – zunka bhakri (a thick gram flour preparation served with jowar bhakri) and bharli vangi (stuffed brinjal curry).

This peanut mirchithecha is not too spicy or hot and goes well with any Indian meal. I make small quantities and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

While making thecha i prefer to pound everything in a mortar-pestle. I have observed that the taste of thecha done in a mortar-pestle is much much better than the one done in a grinder or mixer. Somehow the grinder made one does not taste as good as the one made in the mortar-pestle.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Thecha Recipe

1. Heat oil and then add the garlic and green chilies and sauté for some seconds on low heat. You need not make the garlic or green chillies brown. Just a light sautéing of the garlic and green chillies will do.

Then add the peanuts and sauté stirring often till they become crunchy. Set aside the thecha mixture to cool.

2. Once the mixture cools, take all of it in a mortar. Season with salt. Pound the mixture with the pestle till you get a semi coarse consistency.

You can opt to grind the sautéed thecha ingredients in a small grinder or blender. Do not grind at a stretch. Grind in intervals of some seconds to get coarse texture.

Transfer the thecha to a bowl. Cover with lid and refrigerate. Use within 2 to 3 days. Serve thethecha as a side condiment or with jowar roti or bajrarotior parathaor even with zunka bhakri or vada pav.

Few more tasty recipes for you!

• Peanut chutney
• Ginger chutney
• Schezwan sauce
• Coconut chutney

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Thecha recipe post from the archives, first published on January 2014 has been republished and updated on November 2022.