Kashmiri chillies

The Kashmiri chilli is mildly hot, has a distinct flavour, and adds a bright red colour to food.

True Kashmiri chillies are in high demand and whenever there is a short supply in India, substitutes are often used. You can identify dry Kashmiri chillies by their medium size, cone shape, wrinkles, and deep dark red colour. Check the packaging to ensure you don’t get Byagi chillies, or degi mirch.

Most of the recipes in this book use these chillies in their dried or powdered form. Instead of normal dried red chillies or powder, use these to give a chilli lift and vibrant red colour. See the article on chillies for a deeper look at them generally.

Dried Kashmiri chillies and powder are available from good Indian grocers or spice merchants.