Kolhapuri lal thecha (red chilli-garlic thecha)
Vegetarian
लाल ठेचा · lāl ṭhecā
Fresh ripe red chillies pounded coarsely with garlic and salt, then sealed with a sizzling oil tadka of cumin and asafoetida. A fiery, fruity Kolhapuri relish for bhakri, misal and anything that needs fire.
Kolhapuri lal thecha (red chilli-garlic thecha) is an Indian condiment, ready in about 17 minutes and made with fresh red chilli and garlic. It serves 12 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 2 min
- Total
- 17 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 30
Method
Step 1
Wash the chillies and dry them thoroughly on a cloth; any water left on them makes the thecha spoil. Snip off the stems and chop roughly.
Food safety: Wear gloves or oil your hands when cutting this many chillies, and do not touch your eyes.
Step 2
Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) with the salt in a mortar (khalbatta) to a rough paste. Add the chillies and peanuts, if using, a handful at a time, and pound to a coarse, wet-looking crush with pieces of skin and seed still visible. A few 1-second pulses in a small grinder also work; do not make it smooth.
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels Step 3
Transfer to a heatproof bowl or clean jar. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is close to smoking. Add the cumin and let it crackle for 5–10 seconds, add the asafoetida (opens in a new tab), then pour the hot oil straight over the thecha.
- 2 min
- medium-high heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
- Glass jar with lid (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: The hot oil hisses and splutters when it hits the wet chillies; pour from a little height, away from you.
Step 4
Stir, add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) if using, and let it cool. Press it down in the jar so a thin layer of oil covers the top.
About this dish
- Origin
- Kolhapur and southern Maharashtra, Maharashtra, India · Commonly attributedMade in winter when fresh red chillies are in the markets of Kolhapur and Sangli. Some homes blister the chillies first like green thecha; this is the commonly described raw-pounded version with a hot oil tadka.More food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- Raw, Sautéed
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, fruity, salty
- Diet
- Vegan · Dairy-free · Keto-style · Low-carbWith the listed swaps: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb - Good for
- Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- Fresh red chilli · Garlic · Peanut oil · Cumin seeds · Asafoetida
- Techniques
- Sautéing
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts, peanut oil
- May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
- May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
30 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 17 g · recipe makes 12
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 5%
- Carbohydrate 26%
- Fat 69%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 30 kcal | 178 kcal |
| Protein | 0.4 g | 2.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2 g | 12 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 1.7 g | 10.5 g |
| Sugars | 0.7 g | 4.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 2.4 g | 14.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.4 g | 2.4 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 260 mg | 1561 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.7 g | 3.9 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 53 mg
- Calcium
- 8 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 6 µg
- Vitamin C
- 19 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 3 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Optional ingredients are not included: roasted peanuts, lemon juice.
- Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): asafoetida.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- The hot oil lightly cooks the surface and mellows the raw garlic; for a gentler thecha, sauté the pounded mixture in the oil for 2–3 minutes instead.
- A little goes a long way: serve a teaspoon per person.
Common mistakes
- Using chillies that are still wet after washing.
- Grinding it to a smooth sauce: thecha means 'crushed'.
Serve with
- Serve with jowar or bajra bhakri and a raw onion, with pithla-bhakri, misal pav, kolhapuri chicken or tambda rassa, or a plain varan-bhaat.
Food safety
- Garlic kept in oil can support botulism at room temperature; keep the chutney refrigerated and use it within the stated time.
- Wear gloves or oil your hands when cutting this many chillies, and do not touch your eyes.
- Contains peanuts if you add them.
Storage
- Refrigerate in a clean, dry jar under a film of oil for up to 1 week.
Variations
- Hirvi mirchi thecha: The green version, with blistered green chillies and peanuts.
- Sautéed lal thecha: Fry the crushed chillies and garlic in the oil over low heat for 3–4 minutes; milder, and keeps a few days longer.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Goes with
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Fresh red chilli, fresh ripe long red chillies, washed, dried completely, stemmed and roughly chopped150 g
- Garlic, peeled (about 8 cloves)30 g
- Roasted peanuts, skins rubbed off (optional)20 g
Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.
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