Chilli
Dried chilli
Chile seco
Also called guajillo, ancho, pasilla, chile guaque, chile pasa
Whole dried chilli pods used for colour and depth rather than heat: guajillo and Guatemalan guaque are bright and fruity, ancho and pasa are dark and raisiny. The spine of Central American recados and Mexican moles.
Origin
Mexico and Central America.
Flavour
Fruity, smoky, slightly bitter; mild to medium heat depending on the pod.
How to use it
Stem and seed, toast flat on a hot comal for a few seconds a side until fragrant, then soak in hot liquid 10 minutes and blend.
Storage
Airtight, away from light, up to a year. They should still bend; brittle pods are stale.
Recipes using it
Pepián de pollo
Guatemala's brick-red chicken stew, thickened with toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds, charred tomato and a burnt tortilla.
Medium
Chuchitos
Small, firm Guatemalan tamales in corn husk — masa, achiote-tomato recado and pork, steamed and eaten by hand.
Medium
Tamales rojos
Tamales rojos de puerco
Corn husks spread with lard-beaten masa, filled with shredded pork in guajillo and ancho sauce, folded and steamed for an hour. A day's work that feeds a crowd.
A bit of work
Tortilla soup
Sopa de tortilla
Chicken broth blended with charred tomato, onion, garlic and pasilla chilli, poured over fried tortilla strips with avocado, cheese, crema and lime.
Easy
Beef barbacoa
Barbacoa de res
Beef cheek or chuck coated in a guajillo, ancho and chipotle adobo, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until it shreds. Tacos with onion, coriander and the cooking juices.
MediumMedium heat
Pork vindaloo
पोर्क विंदालू
Goan pork vindaloo: pork shoulder marinated overnight in Kashmiri chilli, garlic, vinegar and whole spices, then braised until sour, hot and dark red.
MediumHot
Idli sambar
இட்லி சாம்பார்
Soft steamed cakes of fermented rice and urad dal, served with sambar, a sour lentil and vegetable stew with tamarind and a mustard-seed tempering.
MediumMedium heat
Chicken nanban
チキン南蛮
Miyazaki fried chicken: thighs coated in flour and egg, fried golden, soaked in sweet soy vinegar and covered with chunky egg tartar sauce.
Medium
Roti canai
Flaky, chewy Malaysian flatbread: an oiled dough stretched paper-thin, folded, griddled with ghee and clapped open, served with a lentil dhal curry.
A bit of work
Asam laksa
Penang's sour fish noodle soup: flaked mackerel in a tamarind broth thick with chilli, lemongrass and torch ginger, over round rice noodles with pineapple, cucumber and mint.
MediumHot
Chili con carne
Texas-style bowl of red: cubed beef chuck simmered for hours in a sauce of toasted dried chillies, cumin and garlic. No beans, no tomato.
MediumMedium heat
Sichuan hot pot
四川火锅
A tabletop pot of beef-tallow mala broth, red with chilli and numbing with Sichuan pepper, simmering in the middle of the table while everyone cooks their own meat, tofu and greens.
MediumHot
Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai)
Panang chicken curry
Panang chicken curry (kaeng panang gai) from Thailand.
A bit of work
