Hot, pungent, and peppery - the Indian Green Chili Peppers lend an intense heat to the food and are an essential addition to many finger-licking Indian dishes. Pickled, pounded into chutneys, added to flavor food, or simply eaten raw, these green chilies are a fantastic addition to your pantry. Read on to know all about one of my favorite cooking ingredients, that I always stock up in my refrigerator.
Green chilies are used widely in Indian cooking, both as a key spicing ingredient as well as for tempering. The Indian chile has a unique flavor and it adds distinct hotness, which is a trademark of Indian cuisine.
The closest substitutes to the Indian chili peppers are the jalapeño, Thai green chili, and serrano peppers. While the flavors of the final dish will be slightly different, feel free to use these in your Indian cooking if you don’t have the Indian variety handy.
Types
Growing up, I had no idea that green chilies came in so many varieties. As I took to cooking with a passion and began experimenting with different world cuisines, I got introduced to the many interesting types of this hot, pungent, and peppery spice.
In India alone, you will come across several varieties of green chili peppers. Kashmiri chili, Guntur chili, Byadgi chili, Kanthari chili, Bhut Jolokia chili, etc. are popularly used in Indian cooking. The spice levels in each of these vary greatly, with the Kashmiri green chili being the least spicy and the Bhut Jolokia chili scoring the maximum points on the spice meter.
Buy
Where can you buy Indian green chilis?
Indian green chilies are easily available at any of the local Indian grocery stores. You will find these chilies in two varieties. The small dark green ones are spicier and the slightly longer light green ones are less spicy. You can pick either variety depending on how hot you love your dish to be. Personally, I always buy dark green ones.
Prep
How to prep & store the green chilies?
- Wash the chillies under running cold water and then dry them with paper towels
- Pluck the stem off, this ensures they stay crisp for a longer duration. During this process, if you find any chillies that have brown spots, simply discard those. You don’t want one bad chili to spoil your good stock
- Once you have removed the stems, store the chillies in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I wrap mine in a paper towel as it soaks away the moisture and keeps them fresh longer
Chili Paste
Want the Chilis to last even longer? Make Homemade green chili paste and freeze it.
A great way to make sure you have fresh green chilis at hand every time you need them is to make a chilli paste and freeze it. Making a green chilli paste is really simple and it works great in most Indian dishes.
Wash, dry, and de-stem the chilies. Grind them in a blender with little or no water. You can also use a food processor for this.
Store them in silicone trays or freezer zip-lock bags. Remember to make thin layers of the chilli paste so it's easy to break off smaller pieces when needed.
To use in a dish, simply break away a small portion of the frozen paste depending on your preferred spice level. Frozen chilli paste not only retains the fresh flavors but also does not change its color
IMPORTANT NOTE: Green chillies are hot and may leave a burning sensation on your fingers. Take care to wash your hands after handling chilis. While making a paste, use a spatula and avoid touching the paste directly. Take care not to touch your eyes while handling chilies.
And while we are on this topic let me tell you about Mirchi Cha Thecha, a hot and piquant chutney!
Mirchi cha thecha is nothing but fresh green chillies pounded coarsely in a mortar with some garlic, cumin, and salt. This popular side dish is served up in many Maharatshrian meals and being a Marathi Mulgi, I have a great fondness for it. Mirchi cha thecha brightness up any dull meal and it is that one dish where green chillies are the main ingredient! Who would have thought?
FAQ
The burning sensation after handling chillies comes from capsaicin. To get rid of the chili oil, rub some vegetable or olive oil on your hands. Then wash your hands with mild dish soap and you are all set.
These peppers are somewhat similar to the Jalapeño peppers, only a bit hotter. Green Chillies add a nice kick to your food and I have used them quite often and quite successfully in making salsa, guacamole, falafels, etc. Be careful to use lesser quantities if you are substituting.
Recipes
Here are some of my favorite recipes to use green chilies. You can either add them sliced, diced or paste. 1 teaspoon of paste is equivalent to 2 chillis or half a jalapeño.
- Poha - Savory Indian Breakfast with flattened rice
- Batata Bhaji - Spicy Potato Curry often served with fluffy puri's
- Palak Paneer - Easy 15-minute Instant Pot spinach with cheese
- Green tomato Chutney - A tangy, sweet, and spicy chutney made with raw tomatoes
- Baingan Bharta - Spicy roasted eggplant curry with onions, chilies, and garlic
- Spinach Dal - Easy yellow lentils with spinach
- Dill Lentils - Garlicy lentils spiced with turmeric, curry leaves & chili
- Palak Khichdi - Rice and lentils cooked with flavorful spinach sauce
Did you enjoy this post? Would like to learn more about cooking basics and prep techniques? Check out these cooking 101 articles that cover topics such as how to prep ginger, garlic, how to store cilantro and how to make homemade spice blends as well as the best homemade ghee.
Indian Green Chili Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 LB Green Chilies
Instructions
- Wash the chillies under running cold water and then dry them with paper towelshe moisture and keeps them fresh longer
- Pluck the stem off, this ensures they stay crisp for a longer duration. During this process, if you find any chillies that have brown spots, simply discard those.
- Once you have removed the stems, store the chillies in the refrigerator in an airtight container lined with paper towels as it soaks away the moisture and keeps them fresh longer
Want the Chilis to last even longer? Make Homemade green chili paste and freeze it.
- Wash, dry and de-stem the chillies. Grind them in a blender or food processor with little or no water.
- Store them in silicone trays or freezer zip lock bags. Remember to make thin layers of the chili paste so it’s easy to break off smaller pieces when needed.
- To use in a dish, simply break away a small portion of the frozen paste depending on your preferred spice level. Frozen chili paste not only retains the fresh flavors but also does not change its color
Sue Gwilliam says
Would love to use your recipes but there are far too many advertisements to negotiate through. Such a shame as from what little I can see your recipes look delicious and woud have been perfect for my needs.
Archana says
I am so sorry! I think its the initial newsletter pop up form that is also distracting. I am working on getting that fixed and also working on showing less ads. Please know that you can also use the jump to recipe button on top to directly go to the recipe card. Hope this helps.
Aishwarya says
I do not get indian green chilli easily in US. What is the nearest substitute to it ? Jalapeno are like indian capsicum so cannot be a good replacement. I have tried it. Is Thai Green Chilli similar in texture and taste ?
Archana says
Thai green chili or Serrano chili
Malcolm Fyfe says
I am puzzled why one uses green chillies, as you describe, while some recipes also call for the addition of chiili powder
Archana says
Green chilies add a different earthy, peppery taste and aromas. Also depending on the dish that's cooked like poha or batata bhaji that are mostly yellow, green chilies work out best without changing the color of the dish.