Red hot chilli pepper

What happens when you have a teekhi mirchi? The mouth seems on fire and it is natural to douse fire with water, right? Wrong! Chilli fire has to be put off by having a bit of fatty or greasy food…sip some milk, have some dahi or suck on a sugar cube or better still reach out for an ice cream! Drinking water will not relieve the burning of your mouth because capsaicin (the chemical which makes a mirchi a mirchi) is insoluble in water. 

What’s in a name?

The fact remains that chilli is THE spice that we cannot do without. Let me correct that… we Indians cannot do without, no never! Be it is mirchi vada or a nazar battu, chillies loom large in India. In fact, red chilli powder originated in India. Chillies were first brought to the country in the 15th century by Vasco-da-Gama. Since then chilli has became an important ingredient in Indian cuisine. Today India is the largest producer of chillies. 

Why do we feel the heat?

Chilli is the fruit of the capsicum plants. I will not go into the generic tree but it was funny to know that chillies belong to the same family as tomatoes and potatoes! No resemblance whatsoever! We feel the pungency of the chillies because we have pain receptors (only creatures without pain receptors are fish but they do not want chilli in their food!). The teekhaness of the chilli is due to the capsaicin present in the membrane placenta. When consumed, this capsaicin with other chemicals collectively called capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and releasing the body’s natural painkilling chemical, endorphin. The endorphin also lowers blood pressure and helps to fight against cancer.

Measuring the heat

So if you want to reduce the heat of a chilli do not focus on removing the seeds of the chilli. Get rid of the white pith that surrounds the seeds because that contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin. It is possible to measure the heat of the chilli using the Scoville method which is a subjective test invented by chemist Wilbur Scoville in 1912. Pure capsaicin scales 16,000,000 Scoville units. I wouldn’t want to experience that though tasting the world’s hottest chilli “Naga Jolokia” that grows in Tezpur, Assam would call for a tub of ice cream. It is 855,000 Scoville units. Phew! 

Chilli has many uses, yes. I have used the Yellow Chilli very prominently as a logo for my company. I had decided on a lush red chilli as one but then I spotted it as a logo all over the Mumbai hoardings announcing the brand of a prominent newspaper. Well, I like to be different so my logo turned to the yellow chilli!

At home we all use red chilli powder for colour and teekha taste. How many of us know where do we get the red chillies from? Do green chillies and red chillies grow on the same plant? Yes they do. Just as mangoes are green when raw and yellow when ripened, fresh chillies are green and when they ripen they turn red. It is at this stage that they are dried and sold as dried red chillies. Have you ever seen dried green chillies? Does the ripeness of a chilli have anything to do with the pungency of the chilli? Well I don’t know but will find out and let you know.

Some people eat chillies because they like it. They justify saying red is bad, green is ok. Not completely true. If a doctor advises to eat less spicy food then that includes green chilli too! There are these little notions that keep the world spinning. Four hundred years ago there were no chillies. Now across the globe Indian food is portrayed as ‘hot’. So was Indian food non-authentic 400 years ago when there were no chillies? Funny!

The world knows a lot about the Mexicans being passionate about their jalapeno. Let us also bring forth our Bedgi, Kashmiri, Sankeshwari, Guntur, Naga Jolokia, Dhani, Hindpur and many more…Chilli has great affinity with other herbs and spices so count it as wonderful with coriander, basil, ginger, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, fennel and parsley. 

Storing red chilli powder amounts to two things: air tight glass jar and some oil (preferably castor) that will be rubbed into the powder. This keeps the pungency and colour intact for a long time (read six to eight months) and keeps the weevils away.

Heard about the panditjis who use red chillies as havan samagri? They don’t smoke so much! But in the kitchen whether you need to add some kick to food or add a blast of heat (and say welcome to acidity etc etc), it is all in your control! But doesn’t your throat burn when you add red chilli powder to hot oil while cooking? Well, it does and so often! Then add a little salt to the tempering and prevent the throat irritation. You’ll thank me for this. 

Recommonded recipes, Pita Pockets With Chilli Tofu And Beansprout Coles,  Hot Thai Chilli Chicken Wings