Thecha (Maharashtrian green chilli and garlic relish)

Name: Thecha (Maharashtrian green chilli and garlic relish)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 100 g green chilli, stemmed (about 16 medium chillies); 8 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 30 g roasted peanuts, skins rubbed off; 10 g coriander leaves, chopped; ¾ tsp salt; 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Vegetarian

ठेचा · ṭhecā

Green chillies and garlic blistered in a hot pan, then crushed coarsely with roasted peanuts, coriander and salt. A rugged, very hot Maharashtrian relish eaten with bhakri.

Thecha (Maharashtrian green chilli and garlic relish) is an Indian condiment, ready in about 13 minutes and made with green chilli and garlic. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 13 min
Serves: 8
Level: Easy
Calories: 49

Ingredients

8 servings (about 1 tbsp)

100 g Green chilli (opens in a new tab), stemmed (about 16 medium chillies)
8 cloves (32 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), peeled
1 tbsp (14 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)Swap: Peanut oil
½ tsp (1 g) Cumin seeds (opens in a new tab)
30 g Roasted peanuts (opens in a new tab), skins rubbed offOptional in some homes; they soften the heat.Swap: Sesame seeds (Toasted, for a peanut-free thecha.)Contains peanuts
10 g Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), chopped
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (5 g) Lemon juice (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan, add the chillies and garlic (opens in a new tab) and cook, turning, until the chillies are blistered and spotted black in places and the garlic is soft and golden. Add the cumin seeds (opens in a new tab) for the last 30 seconds.
- 7 min
- medium-high heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Blistering chillies release eye-stinging fumes; ventilate the kitchen and keep your face back.
2
Step 2
Tip into a mortar with the peanuts, coriander and salt and pound to a coarse, rough paste — it should not be smooth. A few pulses of a small grinder also work.
- 5 min
- Mortar and pestle (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), if using, taste and serve.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Maharashtra, India · Well documentedMore food from India
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method: Pan-fried, Raw
Taste: spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, smoky, nutty
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with: Green chilli · Garlic · Cumin seeds · Roasted peanuts · Coriander leaves
Techniques: Pan-frying

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts

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

49 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 20 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

Protein 12%
Carbohydrate 26%
Fat 62%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	49 kcal	244 kcal
Protein	1.5 g	7.3 g
Carbohydrate	3.4 g	17 g
Net carbohydrate	2.8 g	13.9 g
Sugars	0.9 g	4.4 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.6 g	3.2 g
Fat	3.6 g	18.2 g
Saturated fat	0.4 g	2.1 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	221 mg	1105 mg
Salt equivalent	0.6 g	2.8 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 91 mg
Calcium: 14 mg
Iron: 0.4 mg
Magnesium: 12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 12 µg
Vitamin C: 32 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 7 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: lemon juice.
“—” 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

Wear gloves or oil your hands when handling this many chillies.

Common mistakes

Grinding it smooth — thecha should be rough and crushed, with visible pieces of chilli and garlic.

Serve with

Serve with jowar or bajra bhakri, pithla, zunka, or a plain vegetarian thali; a little goes a long way.

Food safety

Contains garlic in oil; keep it refrigerated.

Storage

Refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 5 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. 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

Green chilli, stemmed (about 16 medium chillies)100 g
Garlic, peeled8 clove · 32 g
Roasted peanuts, skins rubbed off30 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

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Reviews & corrections

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