Green chilies are used widely in Indian cooking, both as a key spicing ingredient as well as for tempering. The Indian chile has a unique flavor and it adds distinct hotness, which is a trademark of Indian cuisine. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry The closest substitutes to the Indian chili peppers are the jalapeño, Thai green chili, and serrano peppers. While the flavors of the final dish will be slightly different, feel free to use these in your Indian cooking if you don’t have the Indian variety handy.
Types
Growing up, I had no idea that green chilies came in so many varieties. As I took to cooking with a passion and began experimenting with different world cuisines, I got introduced to the many interesting types of this hot, pungent, and peppery spice. In India alone, you will come across several varieties of green chili peppers. Kashmiri chili, Guntur chili, Byadgi chili, Kanthari chili, Bhut Jolokia chili, etc. are popularly used in Indian cooking. The spice levels in each of these vary greatly, with the Kashmiri green chili being the least spicy and the Bhut Jolokia chili scoring the maximum points on the spice meter.
Buy
Where can you buy Indian green chilis? Indian green chilies are easily available at any of the local Indian grocery stores. You will find these chilies in two varieties. The small dark green ones are spicier and the slightly longer light green ones are less spicy. You can pick either variety depending on how hot you love your dish to be. Personally, I always buy dark green ones.
Prep
How to prep & store the green chilies?
Wash the chillies under running cold water and then dry them with paper towels Pluck the stem off, this ensures they stay crisp for a longer duration. During this process, if you find any chillies that have brown spots, simply discard those. You don’t want one bad chili to spoil your good stock Once you have removed the stems, store the chillies in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I wrap mine in a paper towel as it soaks away the moisture and keeps them fresh longer
Chili Paste
Want the Chilis to last even longer? Make Homemade green chili paste and freeze it. A great way to make sure you have fresh green chilis at hand every time you need them is to make a chilli paste and freeze it. Making a green chilli paste is really simple and it works great in most Indian dishes. Wash, dry, and de-stem the chilies. Grind them in a blender with little or no water. You can also use a food processor for this. Store them in silicone trays or freezer zip-lock bags. Remember to make thin layers of the chilli paste so it’s easy to break off smaller pieces when needed. To use in a dish, simply break away a small portion of the frozen paste depending on your preferred spice level. Frozen chilli paste not only retains the fresh flavors but also does not change its color IMPORTANT NOTE: Green chillies are hot and may leave a burning sensation on your fingers. Take care to wash your hands after handling chilis. While making a paste, use a spatula and avoid touching the paste directly. Take care not to touch your eyes while handling chilies. And while we are on this topic let me tell you about Mirchi Cha Thecha, a hot and piquant chutney! Mirchi cha thecha is nothing but fresh green chillies pounded coarsely in a mortar with some garlic, cumin, and salt. This popular side dish is served up in many Maharatshrian meals and being a Marathi Mulgi, I have a great fondness for it. Mirchi cha thecha brightness up any dull meal and it is that one dish where green chillies are the main ingredient! Who would have thought?
Recipes
Here are some of my favorite recipes to use green chilies. You can either add them sliced, diced or paste. 1 teaspoon of paste is equivalent to 2 chillis or half a jalapeño.
Poha - Savory Indian Breakfast with flattened rice Batata Bhaji - Spicy Potato Curry often served with fluffy puri’s Palak Paneer - Easy 15-minute Instant Pot spinach with cheese Green tomato Chutney - A tangy, sweet, and spicy chutney made with raw tomatoes Baingan Bharta - Spicy roasted eggplant curry with onions, chilies, and garlic Spinach Dal - Easy yellow lentils with spinach Dill Lentils - Garlicy lentils spiced with turmeric, curry leaves & chili Palak Khichdi - Rice and lentils cooked with flavorful spinach sauce
Did you enjoy this post? Would like to learn more about cooking basics and prep techniques? Check out these cooking 101 articles that cover topics such as how to prep ginger, garlic, how to store cilantro and how to make homemade spice blends as well as the best homemade ghee.
