The Rich Variety of Indian Red Chillies
8 types of Red Chillies in Bharat
A little bit of spice does make every dish taste nice. And what better spice than red chilli, isn’t it? Indian red chillies are famed for their flavour and taste rather than the heat they pack. One of the hottest ingredients in the Indian kitchen, there are many different variants of red chillies that are farmed across the entire country. These range from mild on the Scoville scale, such as byadagi, to extremely hot, such as bhut jolokia.
Kashmiri Laal Mirch
One of the most popular variants of red chillies in the Northern parts of the country, laal mirch, as the name suggests, is grown in the state of Kashmir and nearby regions. It is famed for its rich red colour that adds a gorgeous shade of red to mild curries. This is the reason why a majority of chefs prefer using kashmiri red chillies. Kashmiri laal mirch has a nice balance of heat and flavour, which often makes it the preferred choice of chillies in most households.
Byadgi
Byadgi comes from the state of Karnataka and ranks second among the popular chilli varieties in Bharat. It is a quintessential part of Udupi cuisine, adding to its bold aroma and balanced heat levels. Byadgi chillies bring a beautiful shade of auburn to many South-Indian dishes, and since its taste is unique but not so spicy, they can easily be used as an alternative to Kashmiri chillies.
Bhut Jolokia
Bhut Jolokia is famous for being one of the spiciest varieties of chillies available in the entire world. Widely grown in the North-Eastern states of Bharat, bhut jolokia chillies are a major ingredient in most culinary preparations across Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Owing to the extremely hot nature of these chillies, they are mostly avoided in curries. Instead, bhut jolokia is used in making special pickles and chutneys.
Sankeshwari
Sankeshwari chillies were originally cultivated in the Kolhapur region of Maharashtra. Even now, the majority of sankeshwari chillies come from Kolhapur. This variety of red chillies finds its place in Marathi cuisine, especially in coastal preparations of seafood. Although not as hot as bhut jolokia, these chillies are definitely spicy. That is why they are often blended with other dry spices to balance out the heat, yet retain its rich aroma and taste.
Guntur
Guntur is yet another variant of red chillies which, as the name suggests, comes from the Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. After bhut jolokia, guntur chillies are one of the most hottest and pungent chillies in Bharat. They have a unique smell and are a major ingredient in many Andhra-style dishes.
Boriya
Boriya chillies are grown in different parts of the country and arefamous for their round shape. These are berry-shaped plump chillies that are quite pungent and have a strong aroma like kashmirilaal mirch. Boriya chilliesare typically used in making daal, daal tadka and kadhi.
Ramnad Mundu
Extremely popular varieties of chillies in Tamil Nadu, ramnad mundu is reflective of the deep heritage of authentic South-Indian cuisine. The staple combination of mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut and ramnad mundu chillies have the magical power to elevate your senses to a different dimension altogether. These round-shaped plump chillies are also used in chutneys and for making sambar.
Dhani
Dhani is another variety of chilli that comes from the North-Eastern states of India. These chillies are also widely grown in the plateau regions of Northern India. Extremely spicy and pungent, dhani chillies are usually used in making pickles.
Apart from these popular eight, there are many more chilli variants found across our nation. Chilies are always present in Bharat’s kitchens and here in this country, they are used in a multitude of ways— in curries, pickles, chutneys or even as a marinade. Almost every state in Bharat grows its own kind of chilli. This not only contributes unique dishes from different parts of the nation but also significantly boosts Bharat’s agricultural export value.