Topic: Taste Variation

[meggeth]

So, if I a recipe states half a tsp of chilli, and I wanted to try using deggi mirch instead, would I add the half a tsp, or increase the amount?

[spiceyokooko]

Hotter???    You must've had a hot batch because generally its mild to medium. I would place it in between Kashmiri and chilli powders for heat levels.

I agree.

Deggi Mirch is a combination of ground dried capiscums (paprika basically) and ground dried red Kashmiri chilli peppers. It's generally pretty mild and used as much for colour as flavour and heat.

Kashmiri Mirch is just dried ground red Kashmiri chilli peppers and is also pretty mild and used mostly for colouring as well as flavour.

I grind up my own chilli powder from a combination of whole dried Kashmiri chilli peppers, standard red chilli peppers and dried red birds eye chilli peppers. I find this gives me the heat level I want as well as the colouring.

I never use bought ground chilli powder as I don't know what chilli's are in it.

[spiceyokooko]

So, if I a recipe states half a tsp of chilli, and I wanted to try using deggi mirch instead, would I add the half a tsp, or increase the amount?

I think you just need to experiment with it. I'd start off with twice that amount (if it asks for 1/2 tsp, try 1 tsp) and taste the dish towards the end of cooking. If you want it hotter add in some of your usual chilli powder and cook it in for 10 mins or so.

I also think it's worth experimenting with simple freshly ground black pepper either alone or in combination with milder chilli powders as it increases heat but also introduces another flavour profile.

[chonk]

I'm pretty sure that most of the kashmiri/deggi-powders don't contain any kashmiri chilis at all. I heard it's the Byadagi chili pepper and other, red varieties. But who knows for sure? Got the kashmiri chili and the deggi mirch powder from MDH, and to me, it even looks like the deggi has more colour (and it shouldn't). There was a topic around, with two pictures comparing both powders, and mine look exactly like these, but switched around. But the deggi isn't as hot as cayenne pepper, at least when it comes to my taste.

Greetings!

[Peripatetic Phil]

Chilli powder as we, wannabe curry chefs, understand it on here Phil. The likes of which are produced by mssrs East End, Rahja, TRS etc.  I don't think i've come across a recipe yet that says "1/2 tsp of ground chillis.  It normally just say "1/2 tsp chilli powder" 

Well, I think exactly the opposite !  I was surprised the first time "chilli powder" was mentioned in this thread, believing it to be used solely in Mexican-style cuisine"; for me, the normal term for what we use is "ground chillies", and I would be very surprised if more than 5% of the recipes on this site used the term "chilli powder".  However, research suggests I am wrong : the site search facility returns 36 pages of "chilli powder" and only one of "ground chillies" (most of which are by me), so perhaps I am unusual in my preferred term. Off to the spice cupboard to see if I can find any unopened packets to learn what the manufacturers call the stuff ...

So, just one pack of the generic stuff, by Rajah, and that is called "Chilli powder (chillipulver)", so on that basis it would seem you are correct.  But I shall continue to refer to it as "ground chillies", because I think that to do otherwise is likely to cause confusion for first-time BIR chefs who might then think that (e.g.,) Schwartz Chilli Powder is what is intended, which would be a serious error (ingredients : Chilli Pepper, Cumin, Salt, Oregano, Garlic, Anti-caking Agent (Silicon Dioxide), Cayenne Pepper (20%)).

** Phil.

[spiceyokooko]

Well, I think exactly the opposite !  I was surprised the first time "chilli powder" was mentioned in this thread, believing it to be used solely in Mexican-style cuisine";

This is actually what prompted me to stop buying pre-ground shop bought Chilli powder as a few years ago having bought a jar of this stuff I was rather shocked to find when reading the ingredients label that as well as containing ground chilli peppers it also contained ground cumin, salt and some anti-caking agent. I was not impressed. This was not labelled or marketed as Chilli powder for Chilli Con carne, but simply Medium Chilli Powder.

From then onwards I've simply ground up my own from whole dried red chilli peppers as I simply don't trust what they put in it.

[Secret Santa]

So, just one pack of the generic stuff, by Rajah, and that is called "Chilli powder (chillipulver)", so on that basis it would seem you are correct.  But I shall continue to refer to it as "ground chillies"

Leave it to you to create confusion Phil!

No one, apart from you it seems, refers to chilli powder as ground chillies and your use of the term is what is confusing. Chilli powder is what it is - finely ground, dried chillies that form a powder - no confusion possible. Your term - ground chillies - could be a powder or it could be a paste - confusion.

Why, when presented with the obvious evidence of the correct terminology, must you insist on going your own way and embedding confusion into the site?

[Peripatetic Phil]

No one, apart from you it seems, refers to chilli powder as ground chillies and your use of the term is what is confusing. Chilli powder is what it is - finely ground, dried chillies that form a powder - no confusion possible.

That may be how you understand it, Santa : it is not how Mr Schwartz understands it, and he makes the stuff.

Your term - ground chillies - could be a powder or it could be a paste - confusion.

It might suggest a paste to you, Santa : most people, however, would probably expect to find the term "paste" used to describe a paste (cf. "tomato paste", "Shippam's sardine and tomato paste", "wallpaper paste" and so on).  Can you suggest any context in which the term "ground X", for any X, is used to refer to a paste ?

Why, when presented with the obvious evidence of the correct terminology, must you insist on going your own way and embedding confusion into the site?

There is no "correct" terminology : Rajah used "Chilli powder" to refer to pure ground chillies, Schwartz to refer to a mixture of spices (including ground chillies) that is intended for use in Mexican cuisine.  To my mind, the best way to avoid this risk of confusion is to use the term that is unambiguous and clear : "ground chillies".

** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

You really are a pig-headed individual Phil. I'll leave you to wallow in your own self importance.  :

[Stephen Lindsay]

My own take on chilli powder is that it varies in how hot it is. I usually benchmark a new packet of chill powder by cooking a Madras. Sometimes the batch is spot on and sometimes it is too hot. I never pay attention to whether the packet says "hot" or "extra hot" because I find they vary so much between brands. One man's hot is another man's extra hot and so on.

Compared with my current batch of chilli powder I find deggi mirch (MDH) to be milder. I've never yet had it hotter than chilli powder but I have at times noticed no difference.