Dried Red Chillies/Peppers 100g
People tend to get chilli peppers all wrong because their ultra spicy reputation precedes them. This is a misconception because all chillies are not so hot and spicy. Some are mild, sweet or own rich flavours. There is a wide variety of ways to use chillies when cooking. One such method is using dried chilli peppers in numerous ways.
If you are wishing to dry your own chillies to be used as an ingredient, you could start by tying the stems to a piece of twine, placing the chillies together while making the strand as long as you see fit. You should then hang the chillies in a dry area with free air circulation for several weeks. Once this process is complete, the chillies will have changed their appearance to a glistening red, after which they will seem smooth and dry. Once this has been completed, you will have the perfect dried chilli to use in a variety of culinary ways.
Once you have the dried chillies in your possession, you can ground them down with a mortar and pestle to make chilli powder. You can also mix the dried chillies with garlic, salt and other ingredients to make the chilli pastes that you would see on an everyday Thai market or in a supermarket.
The dried and grounded chillies used in the paste will then be used to make Thai dishes such as Pad Thai noodles, Laab Gai (Spicy Chicken Salad) and a variety of curry dishes.
When the dried chillies are used in curry powder, they can be used as ingredients for Boo Paht Pong Karee (Thai Crab Curry). Phong Karee (curry powder) is not the main ingredient used to make Thai curries, but is only occasionally used in this way. Dried chillies are versatile cooking companions that should be a main ingredient in your kitchen.
