Mirchi (Chili Peppers)

[Suvir Saran]

Mirchi ( Chile Peppers )

While certainly from the New World have become an Indian cuisine staple.

What chiles do you use in your cooking?

How do you use them?

When do you add them to your recipes?

What makes you decide what chiles to use in a certain recipe?

Any chile stories?

[Simon Majumdar]

I love the idea of " any chili stories"  Once upon a time, there were two chili's etc......

I am going to go back to my Bengali experiences here.  Chili is used predominately as a backnote rather than as a producer of heat.  Although to many western tongues, Bengali food may be spicy, compared to most regions of India, it is quite mild.

I find when I am making many dishes, a cautious use of chili brings all the flavours to the fore.  I describe it as turning on the ignition.

For choice, I find using one or two of the small but potent birds eye chili ( from Thailand, I think ) to be the best and I prefer to use the seeds, but some people do not.

I find in Dhal a single chili can lift the whole dish and compliments the lemony flavour of mushu ( never know how to spell that ) dhal.

I also have a recipe for river fish which involved rubbing the inside and out of the fish with a chili, oil and turmeric paste which has been fried to take off the rawness.  I wrap the fish in foil with slices of lime and bake for 20 or so minutes it makes a great taste and a superb jhol.

fianlly, I think that my tastes are now so attuned to chili, that I cannot make many things without them.  Again for the ignition qualities rather than the heat.  I use them as an undernote in soups, stews even in Boston baked beans.

One of, if not the most essential items in my larder.

S

[Hopleaf]

Here's a hot topic!!  (love the pun)  First of all, can we clarify, the use of the word 'chili' can refer to chili the dish as well.  I prefer specifying chili peppers or chili powder and even more precise would be the name of the chili pepper in question.  It's the editor in me I guess.

I've recently become a chili pepper afficianodo and really find the moderate use of ground cayenne pepper in consort with salt and pepper in most savory dishes can improve the overall taste-ability of different flavors...sort of as if the cayenne works to open up the taste buds (along the lines of Simon's "turning on the ignition.")  Additionally, I make a chipotle mayonnaise by adding one or two peppers (fork mashed) and some adobe sauce to a cup or two (all of this is to taste, so experiment with what works for you) of either homemade or store bought mayonnaise.  The results are great with quesadillas, pizza slices dipped in it, or as a condiment for sandwiches.  

The serrano is by far my favorite everyday pepper as it imparts a bit of heat but a really nice citrusy undertone.  Add them sliced to fresh green salads or eat with quesadillas.  

I'm venturing into the habenero realm, though cautiously.  Several friends have given me hot sauces that feature this hottest of the hot peppers (rating around 350,000 scoville units).  I was wary at first, but found that I had built up enough tolerance to handle small quantities with food, though the heat does sneek up on you so have some cheese handy.  The taste is really interesting; an almost sweet, meat-like flavor lays just beneath the heat.  

My only chili pepper story was when I was a wee little tyke and my dad dared me to eat a jalepeño (a mere jalepeño!) and I did.  My mouth was on FIRE!!!!!  I thought my tounge was about to fall off and my eyes were gushing with tears.  and of course we didn't know any better and I drank water.  Eventually it subsided, but it was quite some time before I was ever brave enough to try another hot pepper.

[Jinmyo]

Actually, the convention is "chili" for the American stew, "chile" for the peppers.

[Jinmyo]

Suvir, what do you think of the use of American chiles such as chilhuacle negro, chipotle in Indian dishes?

They have a depth of flavours (especially smoked chiles) that Asian chiles (which of course all derived from American chiles) just don't have.

I have to admit I sometimes use tomatillos in curries and such as well.

Am I a bad person?

[Suvir Saran]

Interesting... very interesting Jinmyo.

Maybe others can share with you their thoughts on this topic... And I will wait to see what everyone else says.  I would hate to say much before we can hear the other perspective on this.

You maybe onto something very crucial here.

I love cooking with tomatillos as well.

[Suvir Saran]

Jinmyo,

I think it would be very difficult if not impossible for you to be called a bad person.

Your generosity of self and spirit is ever so evident around this site through all your posts.

At least the Jinmyo that we egulleteers know.

I am sure the curries with tomatillos are tasty...

Keeo enjoying them and sharing  your curry stories with us.

[Suvir Saran]

Jinmyo  you are right.

If you see I have made the correction.

Thanks for correcting my error.

[Suvir Saran]

Jinmyo, you are right about some of these chiles having more flavor and depth of flavor than other chiles.

In fact, some have a very strong flavor that in my book takes away from the spice combination.

I love chipotles but not with Indian food.  It just does not to well with me.

But if you study Indian cooking closely, one can easily understand why Indians will always fry the dry red chilies in oil.  It gives the oil a nice smoked chili flavor and little hear that way.

In India we get several chiles  that I just have not seen here yet.

Jinmyo, how do you use these peppers in Indian cooking?

What do you make with them?

[Jinmyo]

Suvir, chipotles are too intensely smoky for most applications although they are interesting as a component in some chutneys such as mango for use with naan or onion bhaji. Although dried chipotle powder can work quite well, especially in a lamb curry.

chilhacle negro seems less smoky and works well in dal.

[Suvir Saran]

Jinmyo, I have never worked with chilhacle negro, I will make sure I go get some.

I love chilies in my daals.  I use a lot of who dried red chilies in the daal. Both during the cooking and in the Tadka (tempered oil).

The dry chiles get filled with juice as they cook with the lentils and if you squeeze the juice out into the rice or bread as you find them, you can taste the wonderful chile flavor.  I love t hat in lentils.

You are so very smart Jinmyo.  Your experiences are fascinating.

What kinds of daals do you make>?

[Jinmyo]

Oh, they're not real Indian daals, Suvir. I just do the standard lentil thing along with onion, sometimes tomato. Toast in clarified butter some cumin seeds, sometimes coriander seeds, sometimes lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chiles and add that. Finish with some lime juice, fresh coriander, and perhaps scallion threads. Perhaps garnish with a swirl of yogurt, kefir, or cream.

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

Ive been using red pepper flakes to add a nice little bite to my Marinara sauces...in conjunction with coarse chopped calamatas (no sulfites) and rinsed capers.

Right now I m munching a fried chicken breast I seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, chili powder, a bit of paprika, and then flour dredged, egg washed, and pecan crusted.  Going for something kinda cajun perhaps.  Its not got a real bite, but a pleasant little tingle from the chili powder.  It also adds a nice little flavor to it.

[gastrotex]

Actually, the convention is "chili" for the American stew, "chile" for the peppers.

Perhaps because "chili" is English, and "chile" Spanish?

[Suvir Saran]

NYFPC - When you say Chili Powder do you mean Cayenne?  Or the powder of any particular Chile?  

Also what is granulated Garlic?  Is it the powder one can buy in jars?  Do people use that stuff?  I have never used it, had no clue that one would use that as a substitute for garlic.  How does it work and taste?

Both the marinara and the fried chicken taste great.  I love the heat of chile in stuff.  Even a very little sprinkling can bring out the deeper flavors present in a dish.  It adds a great contrast to a dish.  In Marianara it highlights the sweetness and the acidity of the tomatoes in a very subtle manner.  I love making pasta sauces with Chile.  Most of my guests never realize I have used Chile and are always wondering why the marinara has so much flavor.  When I mention it, even the most Chile sensitive ones are amazed at how good they found the sauce.

A little drizzle of cayenne can be magical in some things.

[CindyG111]

I'm with Hopleaf - I think Serrano's are wonderful little peppers and can be added to salads, sandwiches and sauces.

I really like dryed Ancho peppers and have made the chili and the beef pot roast using the Ancho paste all described in Rick Bayless completely awesome Mexican cookbook.  His book got me started on my pepper adventure.

I'd like to hear more about Cayenne.  I also like cajun cooking and now will be happy to experiment adding this spice.

Cindy G.

[Suvir Saran]

What would you like to know about Cayenne CindyG111?

What recipes do you use from Rick Bayless's book?  Have you been to his restaurant?

[Miss J]

My pepper of the moment is the facing heaven chile - rounded, red, and with a clean "tea-flavoured" heat (as it's described on the site where I buy it, and I agree).

It smells really nice when it's quickly turned in some hot oil, too. And it makes a lovely bright-red jar of chile oil.

Miss J

[Toby]

I buy African bird cayenne powder at the African market on 9th Avenue, around 39th Street. It is very hot. I use it in gumbos, jambalayas, etoufees, and a little bit as seasoning when dredging fish or chicken in flour, along with the salt and peppers. In San Francisco I got a super hot variety of this pepper -- one time, I got a little on my hand and it literally burnt my skin.

My nephew is a farmer who grows over 100 varieties of chile peppers (as well as heirloom tomatoes). We sell the peppers at the farmers' market in the fall. Chiles are so beautiful and so fragrant that people stop just to marvel at the colors. Among my favorites are fatalli -- a beautiful, lemon yellow pepper in the scotch bonnet family, that is very hot and goes very well with fruit or fish. Grenada seasoning pepper is a pretty yellow pepper with scotch bonnet flavor but with very mild heat. We have all kinds of thai peppers and some slightly bigger green peppers that Indian customers recognize from home. We have peppers from South America, including the tiny wiri wiri from Guyana, and all over the West Indies, as well as some European varieties that are bigger and mildly hot. One of the best parts of being at the market for me is seeing people's faces light up when they see a pepper from home that they haven't seen in the U.S. before. It makes you realize how much food is wrapped up in who we are.

Another pepper I love isn't a chile pepper but a sweet pepper -- it's shaped something like a pasilla and is scarlet colored -- called a Nardello. They're wonderful sauteed, or grilled.

I make a lot of hot sauces (pepper sauces) with the different scotch bonnets and seasoning peppers combined with spices and fruit and sometimes, rum. I made a mild sauce with several kinds of Turkish and Asian red cayenne peppers combined with pomegranate molasses that I use in stews with vegetables or with chicken or lamb. The West Indian combination of fresh chiles with nutmeg, cloves, pimento leaves, allspice seems very influenced by Indian cooking; I know there are many Indians living in the different islands and in Guyana.

[Suvir Saran]

How long does the pepper season last?

Could you connect me to your nephew? Each year I pickle close to 40 or more pounds of chiles into pickles of many different kinds. I never seem to find enough. And I only buy these from the Union Square Market. I would never pickle commercial produce.

I love the chile stand in the farmers market. And yes I too see faces light up across the demographic as people see those peppers t hat they grew up with. It is a beautiful moment.

[=Mark]

The veggie being spelled as "chile" seems a new world phenom. In much of Asia, Austrailia and Africa they seem to gravitate to "chili" or "chilli." I've learned not to take issue with it as long as we know we are referring to the fire little pods us Chileheads like to refer to generally as "El Grande!"

My current fave, while not strictly a variety is the smoke dried jalapeno or Chipotle. I use it to give a round smokey flavor to sauces and marinades I use when grilling meat.

I was at a "Hotluck" last week, a physical gathering of online Chileheads and served this Satay:

Thai Beef Satay

1 Lb. Beef sirloin, cut into 1/2 by 2 inch strips

Marinade:

1/2 cup good soy sauce

1 oz. rice wine vinegar

few drops of toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chile powder (Cayenne, red pepper flakes, etc. this version I used chipotle) or to taste

1 inch nub of ginger, peeled and finely minced

3 or 4 cloves of garlic minced

a bunch of green onions chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Mix it up!

Dipping sauce:

3/4 cup creamy all natural peanut butter

1/2 to 1 oz soy sauce to desired consistency

a splash of rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

splash of sesame oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp chipotle powder (or to taste)

Store this at room temperature or it will solidify like paste. The peanut oil will tend to separate, but it's no big deal, just mix it up before serving (The chile powders will actually add an enticing reddish tinge to the oil, when swirled around!).

The meat, marinade and dipping sauce can be prepared ahead of time.

In a non reactive container (Ziplock bags are great for this) add the marinade to the beef, Refrigerate for one hour.

If using wooden skewers, soak them for a couple hours, and use 2 skewers for each kebab to avoid the "Spinning Food" syndrome. I got me a set of great steel double skewers for this. Make sure the bits of chopped veggie in the marinade are incorporated into the skewered beef.

Grill, turning every couple minutes while drizzling with reserved marinade (Don't forget those chopped veggie bits!)

Remove when done (You know when!), remove from skewers and serve with the dipping sauce

Best when served paired with a good chilled Pilsner Urquell.

[=Mark]

How long does the pepper season last?

Could you connect me to your nephew?  Each year I pickle close to 40 or more pounds of chiles into pickles of many different kinds.  I never seem to find enough.  And I only buy these from the Union Square Market.  I would never pickle commercial produce.

I love the chile stand in the farmers market.  And yes I too see faces light up across the demographic as people see those peppers t hat they grew up with.  It is a beautiful moment.

Any of you folks go to the Bowers Chile Festival in Pa. in September? It is sponsored by a Mennonite Farm that specializes in heirloom tomatoes, chiles and herbs. They do some great chile themed needlework and quilts too!

Here's a shot of one of the vendor stands:

You mentioned you like to pickle peppers?

I can honestly say it makes for a wonderful day!

[Toby]

Mark, those are my nephew's peppers in the pictures. The farm is called Eckerton Hill Farms. We did the Bowers festival for a few years, but not 2001. I'm glad you posted them -- the former co-manager of the farm is visiting in NY this weekend, and I had seen these pictures on the internet (I think your website) and wanted to find them for her. There was another picture that she was in, waiting on a customer (Bowers Festival 99). We packed that bottle full of peppers -- I think there were over 1500 peppers in it. It was a total production involving a lot of people and the jar was extremely heavy and difficult to transport. It was pretty funny.

Pepper season starts in late August, early September and lasts until frost, usually sometime in October.

[=Mark]

The link to my images of the 99 (and other years) Bowers Festivals is Here.

[Suvir Saran]

Thank you Markstevens and Toby!

I will try and see if I can post a picture of my stuffed pepper pickle.

These are great pics and such good information. Thanks!