Kashmiri, spicy, or both: choosing the right chilli powder

Most Kerala kitchens keep at least two chilli powders, and the reason is that colour and heat come from different chillies. Kashmiri pods are mild and deeply pigmented — you can use a whole tablespoon and the gravy will glow without anyone reaching for water. Spicy grades are the opposite: a level teaspoon is a decision.

For a fish curry or a chicken roast where you want that deep red finish, lead with Kashmiri and correct the heat afterwards with a pinch of the spicy grade. Doing it the other way around — starting hot and trying to add colour — never quite works.

Our spicy-and-colour blend exists because most people do not want to keep two tins open. It is a working compromise, weighted towards colour, and it covers about eighty per cent of everyday cooking.

One more thing worth knowing: stems. Cheap chilli powder is ground with the stalks still attached, which is what gives it that woody, dusty aftertaste. Hand-destemming costs labour and is the single biggest difference between grades.