Quote from: DalPuri on March 29, 2013, 07:00 PM
I emailed MDH a few weeks ago asking what types of chillies they used in their deggi mirch.
They never replied. 

I doubt you'll get an answer for the simple reason they don't want to admit how much of the content isn't actually Kashmiri chillies, but a cheaper filler substitute. Which is probably the reason it's coming out hotter than it should do.

Quote from: DalPuri on March 29, 2013, 05:57 PMCould be that the cheapest one is full of all the nasties and millions of seeds, whereas the kashmiri mast is flesh only? Doesnt explain the grades in between though.

I suspect you're right on the money with that, particularly given that seeds is where a lot of the heat comes from whereas the redder Kashmiri powders are much milder and probably don't contain any seeds at all, but as you say, flesh only.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:58 PMFor myself, I prefer to base my judgements on a commercial, easily obtainable brand, so that they are more likely to be relevant to the Deggi Mirch that others obtain and use.

How so when you haven't got the slightest clue what is even in that box, apart from the fact is says 'Deggi Mirch' on the packet? I've already told you, MDH don't even list the ingredients or what Chilli varieties have been used. It just says Red Chilli Powder - it could be anything.

Talk about blind faith.

Yet you've got the bloody cheek to sit there and say that's more reliable than my own blends when I know exactly what's going into them? You haven't got the slightest clue what goes into MDH's Deggi Mirch any more than you know what goes into Rajah or TRS's Paprika!

You just accept them, because that's what it says on the packet!

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:58 PM...it's pretty clear to me (and perhaps to others) that what you produce is some sort of paprika substitute : why you would go to all that trouble when you can buy and use real paprika is quite beyond me.

For the same reason I go to all that trouble to source, grind and blend my own Chilli powders - I know what's in it and I can make them however I want. You haven't got the slightest clue what is in yours, nor does anyone else. What is real Paprika anyway, anything that says Paprika on the packet?  :

Has it not occurred to you, that since I have all the ingredients to make Chilli powder blends, it's just as easy to make Paprika blends as well? I think you'll find that commercial Paprika varies almost as much as Chilli powders do.

When you pick a Paprika, a Chilli Powder or even MDH's Deggi Mirch - you're just taking pot luck as what they're going to be like, borne out by the fact that people have even mentioned on here that even MDH's Deggi Mirch varies from batch to batch!

:

Quote from: DalPuri on March 29, 2013, 05:35 PM
One called Kashmiri Mast, which i assume means best quality?

Don't know.

But what's interesting about that is, the milder it is, the more expensive it is. The cheapest is the pungent one and the most expensive the mild one!

How curious.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:04 PMhave you, personally, ever used "generic Deggi Mirch"

Yes, I grind my own Chilli powders, I've mentioned this on here before many times.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:04 PM...and if so, from where did you get it

It's a mixture of ground Red Kashmiri chillies, ground dried Red Pimientos (which I bring back from Spain) and Lal Mirch which are just generic red Chillies for heat. I can make it as hot or as mild as I want. Sometimes I put in some dried ground chipotle for a smokey flavour.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:04 PMand how would you assess it in terms of heat, flavour, etc ?

It's pretty close to that of Paprika which is what I use it for and why I said they're interchangeable. But given I have full control over it, I can make it as mild or as hot, smokey or sweet as I want.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 05:04 PMBecause from everything you have written so far on the subject, it would seem that you have no experience of it whatsoever, and are simply spouting "facts" that you have found somewhere on the Internet.

Really?

Given that I'm probably the only person on this site that actually bothers to source, grind and blend my own Chilli powders from whole dried chillies suggests that I do actually know what I'm talking about.

What do you think?

Or do you just think that Deggi Mirch only comes out of an MDH box because that's the only experience you've ever had of it (because it's got the name on the packet) and are totally oblivious to the fact that it's actually a blend of Kasmiri Chillis (which are nothing more than mild red chillies) and dried Red Capiscums?

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 03:42 PMNo, quite the contrary, but it is possible that you are, since you are asserting that I have said (or written) things that I most definitely have not.

I'm not getting into yet another pissing contest with you Phil, because it's tiresome for me, and tiresome for people who have to read it.

Neither am I going to write out and repeat everything I've already written which contains the answers to your questions.

I shall leave you to your one-eyed view of Deggi Mirch that comes out of a MDH packet. You of course are right again Phil, as always, as usual, you're never wrong!  :

I'll leave everyone else to read what I've written, read the link I've provided and come to their own conclusions as to what Deggi Mirch is. If they've got any sense they'll google it and see what everyone else says about it too.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 03:00 PMI'm not "getting confused"; I have experienced only one brand of Deggi Mirch (MDH) and that is definitely hotter than the same brand's Kashmiri Mirch.  If generic Deggi Mirch exists, then I do not think it would be safe to pronounce on its heat, since by definition any two samples may significantly differ in their heat level.  Where have you seen generic Deggi Mirch on sale ?

You are getting confused.

As far as you're concerned Deggi Mirch only comes from one supplier box - MDH, which incidentally describes the contents as a blend of Indian Red Chillies, no mention of Kashmiri Chillies, no mention of Capiscums, no mention of anything except Red Chillies. No surprise then that it's hotter than it should be!

For everyone else, Deggi Mirch is a generic name referring to the Indian equivalent of Paprika, which is a blend of Kashmiri Chillies, Capiscums and other mild Red Chillies, not all of which have to come from Kashmir.

Whilst the following article is in no way definitive or authoritative on the subject and I'm not posting it as such, but it's interesting that the article conclusion agrees with my definition and not yours:

http://nomoremicrowaves.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/wtf-is-kashmiri-chili-powder/

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on March 29, 2013, 02:14 PMCome, Sir, you jest.  Deggi mirch is a moderately hot chilli, powdered; sweet paprika is a mild paprika, powdered.  They are as different as chalk and cheese (dry-taste each as a powder and compare).

Not in my opinion they're not.

I also don't know how you can describe Deggi Mirch as being moderately hot? Deggi Mirch is a blend of Kashmiri Chilli peppers and capiscums. Kashmiri Chilli peppers are mild, so are Capiscums, they're used predominantly for colouring, not heat.

I think you're getting confused between a particular brand of Deggi Mirch (which to you is moderately hot) and the generic name Deggi Mirch which is mild to be honest.

Quote from: goncalo on March 29, 2013, 12:26 PM
This recipe calls for sweet paprika or alternatively deggi mirch. It's a bit strange that the option is either sweet/non-hot or hot...

They are to all intents and purposes the same thing. Certainly the Capiscums and Chilli Pepper varieties they use are different, but do they impart an essentially different flavour or are they there predominantly for colouring?

I've used both and I struggle to taste the difference between them when used in a base sauce.

Hello and welcome.

Certainly be interested to hear more about your chilli plant growing.