Kashmiri chilli is a mild, wrinkled, deep-red Capsicum annuum chilli from Kashmir, used whole or ground across India to give dishes such as rogan josh and tandoori a vivid colour without much heat.
What it is¶
Kashmiri chilli is a Capsicum annuum chilli grown in the Kashmir valley, known dried: short to medium-length (5–10 cm), broad, deeply wrinkled pods of a deep, almost burgundy red. Its reputation rests on colour. Ground, it gives dishes a rich red colour with only mild heat, typically quoted at around 1,000–2,000 SHU, so cooks can add a generous amount for colour without making a dish fiery.
True Kashmiri chilli is grown in modest quantities, and much sold under the name, especially as "Kashmiri chilli powder" outside India, is a Kashmiri-type chilli or blend from elsewhere, often the Byadgi chilli of Karnataka, which is similarly wrinkled, red and mild. These make good substitutes, but heat and colour vary between brands.
Origins and history¶
Chillies reached India in the sixteenth century through the Portuguese, and different regions developed their own varieties. In Kashmir, the local chilli became central to the red, aromatic dishes of both Kashmiri Pandit (Hindu) and Kashmiri Muslim cooking, including the great feast, the wazwan. In Kashmir the chillies were traditionally sun-dried and strung on houses in autumn, and they are still sold whole in markets.
Because colour sells, chilli powder has been a target for adulteration with brick dust and synthetic dyes. In 2005, a large recall in the UK followed the discovery of Sudan I, an industrial dye banned in food, in chilli powder used in hundreds of products. Kashmiri-type powders, valued for colour, are particularly vulnerable. See spice adulteration.
Flavour and aroma¶
Kashmiri chilli is mild and warm rather than hot, with a gentle sweetness, a light fruity and slightly smoky note, and none of the sharpness of hot Indian chilli powders. The colour is its chief contribution: it colours oil a deep red when fried in it, and that red oil floating on a curry is a sign of a well-cooked dish in much of northern India.
In the kitchen¶
- Rogan josh: the Kashmiri lamb curry whose red colour comes from Kashmiri chilli (and in some versions the flowers of the cockscomb, mawal). Kashmiri Pandit versions use no onion or garlic, relying on fennel, dried ginger, asafoetida and yoghurt.
- Tandoori and tikka: Kashmiri chilli colours tandoori marinades naturally, without the dye once common in restaurants. See tandoori masala.
- Goan vindaloo and recheado: Goan cooks use Kashmiri chillies soaked in vinegar for the red, tangy paste.
- Tadka: a whole Kashmiri chilli or two fried in ghee with cumin and mustard seeds for dal; see tempering spices.
- Everywhere: as a general-purpose mild red chilli powder. Many Indian recipes specify part Kashmiri, part hot chilli powder to balance colour and heat.
💡 Colour without bitterness
Add ground Kashmiri chilli to the pan after the onions and ginger-garlic paste have cooked, then fry it for no more than 30 seconds before adding tomatoes or liquid. Over-fried chilli powder turns brown and bitter; a splash of water stops it scorching.
As a guide, 1–2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder colours a curry for four with gentle warmth.
Buying and storing¶
Buy whole chillies or powder from a reputable brand; deep-red, slightly oily powder is fresh, brick-red dusty powder is old or cut with other material. Keep airtight away from light, which bleaches the colour, and use powder within six months. Whole chillies keep for about a year.
Substitutes¶
- Byadgi or other mild Kashmiri-type Indian chillies.
- Mild or sweet paprika for colour, plus a pinch of cayenne for warmth: about 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne is a common approximation.
- Guajillo chillies in whole form.
- Aleppo pepper in dishes where its oiliness and salt are welcome.
Pairs well with¶
Yoghurt, ginger, garlic, fennel seed, cumin, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, asafoetida, lamb, chicken, paneer, lentils and ghee.
Growing your own¶
Kashmiri-type chillies are grown like other C. annuum chillies. Sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C, grow on in pots and keep under cover in cool summers. Let pods ripen fully red and begin to wrinkle on the plant before picking, then dry them strung in a warm, sunny window or airy room. Seed is available from specialist chilli suppliers. See growing chillies.