Topic: Fake Kashmiri chillis

[Ghoulie]

Over the years I have noticed the trend towards Kashmiri chillis top chefs feel in the dark if they do not use them so what is going on?   
Most Kashmiri chillis are not the ones sought after but other common chillis passed off to the consumer at a silly price it is the same and even worse with powders.
 The true Kashmiri chilli is a deep crimson with a smooth, shiny, thin skin It is about 5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide and has a nice fruity flavour. Heat level is medium.
If there is a bitterness there not Kashmiris the powders are very suspect
Its a pity that some home cooks buy the rubbish then assume Kashmiris are all bitter
If anyone gets and real ones keep the seeds they are like gold dust
 
Tried some dried Kashmiri chillis off UK Indian supplier. Ground to a powder & used in a madras & a channa. Horrible bitter taste that can only have come from the chilli. Dahl made at same time with same ingredients but no chilli tasted perfect. Binned the chillis. Have ordered 2x Kashmiri chilli plants to see if home grown not bitter. Have read that chillis grown with too little water can be bitter tasting

[Secret Santa]

Horrible bitter taste that can only have come from the chilli.

Very interesting. When I first made Chewy tikka's madras I used a packet of Kashmiri chilli powder that had exactly that effect. A very nasty bitter taste to the curry. I really gave a negative review of the curry based on that. I then tried the recommended MDH Kashmiri chilli powder and that was much more acceptable although, as I noted at the time, it still had an underlying bitter flavour that I'd never had in any curry I'd had previously. I've been using MDH kashmiri chilli powder on and off since then and I must be used to it now as I don't detect the same bitterness as I used to.
Anyway, moral of the story ... brand matters (in this case at least)

[Ghoulie]

These days, for simplicity / convenience, I generally use Mrs Balbir Singhs excellent spice blends & recipes - with variations to suit my/missus taste.
I have just checked a content chart I made from her blends to check for Kashmiri chilli content. The following blends contain Kashmiri chilli :-
Biryani
Butter chicken
Tandoori rub
Roast lamb raan
Masala chops

… I have made them all. In not one case have I noticed any hint of bitterness. I can only assume they know of & use the real McCoy of Kashmiri chilli.
The madras I make is a toned down version of her Goan Vindaloo - where you use your own chillis - type & amount according to your taste. This has been great using green Serrano chilli. Trying the dried ‘kashmiri’ was horrible - so clearly it either wasn’t true Kashmiri or as I have read - maybe grown with too little water which gives chillis a bitter taste supposedly. It will be interesting to see what results I get from the 2x Kashmiri chilli plants I have ordered - due april sometime

[Ghoulie]

Received my 2 chili kashmiri mirch plants today be interesting to see when they fruit if they still have the bitter taste experienced from bought dried ones

[Ghoulie]

Ok my Kashmiri chilli plants have grown brilliantly & are fruiting well with lots of large chillis - some of which I have harvested & used in curries.
Not a hint of bitterness taste-wise - so if you wish to avoid the bitter taste found with online bought Kashmiri chillis as experienced by me & others - route to success is grow your own.

[Secret Santa]

Not a hint of bitterness taste-wise - so if you wish to avoid the bitter taste found with online bought Kashmiri chillis as experienced by me & others - route to success is grow your own.

Ye that's interesting. I find some brands of kashmiri chilli powder unpleasantly bitter an I've always wondered if it may contain fake kashmiri chilli. So you're saying the whole dried kashmiri chillies can be bitter as well?

[Ghoulie]

The ones I bought were whole dried Kashmiri chillies. I ground some to flake to use in curries - horrible bitter taste in  everything I made with them. Binned the lot. Others have reported the same bitter taste.
Thats when I decided to grow my own & check if same effect. Glad to report no bitter taste at all.
Reading up on why chillis can give a bitter taste - reason given - grown with lack of water.
I have made sure my home grown are watered & fed well (Tomorite)

[Peripatetic Phil]

(Tomorite)

How the average American pronounces "tomorrow night" ?!

[Ghoulie]

Just harvested the last of my Kashmiri mirch chillis & cut plants back to see if I can overwinter the plants. Really pleased with the home grown route & using to great effect in raising the ‘tasty’ level in curries - amazing really considering they are mild at 2000 scoville - yet give a  nice, distinctive edge to the taste

[mickdabass]

Just bought some kashmiri mirch from

https://spicesontheweb.co.uk/

Probably not the cheapest idk but it is the real McCoy

Regards
Mick