Indian cuisine often attempts to blend a few of the six different tastes, which are also called Rasas – sweet, sour, salty, hot, bitter and astringent – into a single dish. As an Indian restaurant in Edinburgh, we know that a way of accomplishing this is by using chilli peppers to achieve the desired result.
And although chilli peppers are used around the world in a lot of different cuisines, they have become a staple of Indian cooking. A large variety of chillies are used in hundreds of dishes, each representing a different level of flavour and heat, and they can be found in nearly all Indian recipes, from chutneys and curries to pickles and cold drinks.
Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
One of the chillies used in Indian food is the Kashmiri, which is easy to distinguish from others because of their long, deep red colour and wrinkled texture. If dried, the chilli looks even darker. Kashmiri is great to add bright orange colour to dishes, as well as offering a low to a mild level of heat, and it also has a distinctive flavour.
Green Chilli Peppers
These types of chilli peppers are usually macerated or puréed and added to chutneys or stews, although they can also be eaten raw since they provide a strong, herbal flavour to the dish. This pepper can be added to hot oil to infuse it with heat and flavour, either whole or segmented, depending on the amount of heat you prefer.
Gundu Chilli Peppers
These chillies look like dried cherry tomatoes. They’re round and small, and with shiny skin, and they’re commonly used in recipes in the south of India, especially in sambar. They can also have quite a lot of heat.
Reshampatti Chilli Peppers
These short and broad chillies have thick skin and are of medium heat. Although it’s more popular on the west coast, it’s used for most types of food in India, including to make stuffed pickles. Its colour is usually dark maroon, although that doesn’t seep into the food, so it’s not the best choice if you want a lot of colour in your dish.
Naga Chilli
One of the hottest chillies in the world is grown in India. Also known as Bhoot Jolokia, this chilli can be used for making weapons as well! This is the literal example of “Chhota packet, bada dhamaka!”
Jwala Chilli
This chilli is primarily grown in Gujarat, now it is grown throughout the country. Initially green, it later turns of red. One of the most staple chillies to be used in Indian Cuisine. Heat level: 3 times hotter than jalapeno!!!
Chilli peppers can spice up any recipe, and if you’re curious to know how, why not check us out? Our menu is vast and it will surely leave you wanting more! you can also enjoy our food at your home by using our Indian takeaway and delivery. If you’re planning on visiting during the weekend or if you want to arrange a large booking, it’s safer to get a reservation.
very nice post thank you
Good quality food. Nice staff. Nice presentation.
What a great article to offer us! We were eating Indian food, north of San Francisco…and wondering how the flavor can be so great, and what peppers were used for the full, spicy sauces. Finding this article tells so much, thank you for such a wonderful description of the peppers and their characteristics!