Up 'till very recently I was using schartz chillie powder to make my 'madras-style' curry. However on reading the list of ingredients I was suprised to see that it contained cumin!
'Hang on just a mo' I thought, if i wanted extra cumin I'd add more myself, This got me thinking, and I looked at the list of ingredients of another 'make' of chilliie in my cupboard, that one had oregano in it!
Looking for purer alternatives I happened upon shwartz cayenne. Now normally I use a whole sachet of shwartz (normal) chillie, there are 2 satchets per box and each satchet is about 2 level tbs (2 X 15 ml.). That amount makes a hotish, but by no means too hot curry. Being cautious I decided to be less generous with the cayenne, and just use one third the quantity ( 2 X lev tps / 2 X 5 ml). My wife found the result so hot she couldn't eat it. I like hot curry so I was O.K Although my enjoyment was slighty dulled by thye sight of my misses scowling at me from across the table, distractly regarding a piece of toast she was holding like she was considering shoving it somewhere the sun 'don't shine'!
Anyway, the point of this ramble is this: the cayenne was A LOT hotter, but also seemed to introduce a lovely sweet flavour, much more 'BIRish' than my normal effort. So I'll continue to use it, but just cut down on the quantity in future in the interest of avoiding divorce, and having to put the bog-roll in the fridge!
In any case I can't see the point of chillie that contains other things (cumin and oregano for instance). I rather suspect the less hot chillie powders are either made from 'weaker' chillies of are diluted with paprika!
I have not tried the chillie in larger quantity bags from asian shops recently though, may give that I try next!
Topic: Chillie powders ( 12,864 )
