CHILLIES

Chillies are related to the capsicum plant. They range from mild and sweet varieties to fiery hot that make
the palate tingle and the eyes water. They are available in assorted shapes, sizes, colours and shapes. The
colours range from green, red and orange to purple, brown and black or even pale yellow or creamy
white. Usually smaller the chilli the hotter it is, however unripe chillies are less fiery than ripe ones. The
heat of the chillies is caused by the presence of a volatile oil called capsaicin, which can burn the skin and
eyes. This is present in the whole of the chilli but is very concentrated in the seeds and pith that
surrounds the seeds. Chillies are used in all types of savoury foods, from soups, sauces, fish, meat and
poultry dishes, to chutneys, pickles and dips as well as for garnishes. The different types of chillies are:

Anaheim Also known as California chillies. These chillies can be either red or green. The red
Anaheim is sweeter than the green. The flavour can be improved by roasting. These chillies can be
stuffed and cooked whole, or used sliced for any recipe where moderate amount of spiciness is
required.

Ethiopian It is a long thin chilli, which is pale red when young and becomes redder as it grows. It
is used very sparingly in sauces, curries and rice dishes.

Jalapeno This is the most commonly used chilli. They are either green or when ripe yellow or red,
all having thick plump flesh, very fat and juicy. These chillies when dried and smoked are known as
chipotles. The taste of these chillies vary according to their colour, green chillies have a distinctive
vegetable flavour whereas the ripe chillies are slightly sweeter. These chillies are ideal for salsas,
soups, casseroles, sauces, dips, stuffing or pickles.

Habanero These chillies vary from green and yellow to red and reddish-purple. These extremely
fiery, lantern-shaped chillies have a wonderful fruity flavour and a surprisingly delicate aroma. They
are ideal in salsas, marinades, chutneys and bottled sauces. These chillies are used in Mexican and
Caribbean dishes where intense spiciness is required.

Ancho These are small, pepper-shaped chillies that can be green or red. They are mild but have a
pleasant sweet flavour. They are used in Thai or Indian curries or mildly spiced salsas and sauces.

Poblano These chillies are small and are available red or green in colour. They are thick fleshed
with a medium to hot heat. The green poblano is always cooked prior to eating. Roasting green and
red poblano gives a full earthy flavour. These chillies are grown in central Mexico and California.
These chillies can be served whole roasted or broiled. They are also used for sauces, stuffing, stews
and tamales.

Serrano These chillies are long and slender, are red or green. The red Serrano is slightly sweeter
than its green counterpart. These chillies are fiery hot in taste. Serrano are the classic Mexican green
chillies and are an important ingredient in guacamole. These chillies are grown in Mexico and the
south-west of America. These chillies are ideal for stir-fries and salsas.

Scotch Bonnet These chillies are pale yellow, green, orange or red with an extremely hot fruity
yet smoky flavour. These chillies are confused with habaneros, which they resemble very closely.
These chillies are the hottest chillies of all. These chillies should be used with great caution. It is
advisable to de-seed them and remove the pith where most of the capsaicin resides before use.
These chillies are ideal for jerk sauces, condiment sauces and Caribbean curries.

Birds Eye These are small long thin red chillies with bright glossy skins. They are also known as
piquin in some places. These chillies are thin-fleshed with many seeds and are fiery hot. These
chillies are specially used in Mexican dishes. They are grown in Thailand, Asia and California. These
chillies are ideal for stir-fries and all Asian dishes.

Yellow Wax These are small, pepper-shaped chillies, wide at the top and with a tapering end.
These chillies can be pale yellow to green. These chillies can vary from mild to hot. They really do
look waxy, rather like candles. It is not necessary to peel these chillies. These chillies are often used
raw in salads. These chillies are also used in curries or Thai dishes.

Cherry Hot Chillies These chillies are pungent and have thick walls. These chillies look like large
chillies. They have a sweetish flavour and make very good pickles. Their skins can be tough so they
are best peeled before use.

Tabasco These chillies are thin-fleshed with a strong biting heat. They are bright orange or red
and used mainly for making the famous Tabasco sauce. These chillies are grown in Central and South

America.

Cayenne These chillies are bright red with a thin body tapering to a point. They are used in sauces
and soups. But these chillies are extensively used in powdered form as seasoning. These chillies have
a distinctive flavour and can also be used in cookies and pastries as well as curries and other dishes
where spiciness is required.

Chipotle These chillies are often available in cans or jars. They are very hot and normally used
with their skins and membranes intact. These chillies are often used dried and are dull tan to coffee
brown in colour. They are grown in South America and Texas.

Sindhur chillies The pods of these chillies are long and stout with broad base. They are thick-
skinned chillies. They are light green in colour and turn to attractive red colour on ripening.

Ellachipur Sannam Grown in Amaravati district of Maharashtra, these chillies are reddish in colour
and are very hot. The harvesting season for these chillies is from September to December. These
chillies are available in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Nagpur.

Guntur Sannam Grown in Guntur, Warangal, Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh, these chillies
are thick-skinned and red in colour. They are very hot to taste. The harvesting season for these
chillies is from December to May.

Kashmir Chilli Grown in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and also in subtropical regions of
North India during winter seasons. The chillies are long and fleshy. They are deep red in colour. They
are mostly used in North Indian cuisines. The harvesting season for these chillies is from November
to February.

Byadagi (kaddi) These chillies are grown in Dharwar, Karnataka. They are red in colour with less
pungency. The flowering in Byadagi chilli commences 40 days after transplanting with a peak flower
production at 60 to 80 days after transplanting. The harvesting season for these chillies is from
January to May.

Hindpur Grown in Hindpur in Andhra Pradesh. These chillies are red in colour. They are very hot to
taste. Their harvesting season is from December to March.

Kanthari-White These chillies are grown in Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu. They are short
and ivory white in colour with high pungency. They are available in the markets throughout the year.

Madras Pari These chillies are grown in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. They are pure red in
colour and very hot to taste. The harvesting period for these chillies is from March to May. The
annual production of these chillies is 2000 tonnes only in Madras.

Tomato Chilli (Warangal Chappatta) These chillies are grown in Warangal, Khammam, and East
& West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh. They are deep red in colour and are less pungent. The
harvesting period for these chillies is from December to March.