Green chilli

Chillies are the life and soul of a hearty Indian meal. You don’t necessarily have to overdo it until smoke comes out of your ears, but without a touch of chilli, dishes seem incomplete. We can’t think of Indian cooking without a dash of green chillies. Slit, sliced, chopped or diced, we just have to add a few green chillies to add that tang to our food. A green chilli is an important star in Indian cooking. This spice is grown throughout the year and so there is no scarcity and a good quantity is exported. Chillies are used with or without stalks. Green chillies are available fresh, dried, powdered, flaked, in oil, in sauce, bottled and pickled. It spices up a bland meal. Chop green chilly into small pieces, using a sharp knife. It can be used for tempering in dal or vegetables. It can also be spiced as topping on pizza. Deep-fried chillies are a popular accompaniment in Indian cuisine. Many street foods like Vada pav, Bhajji pav, Methi na Gota etc. are served with deep-fried chillies. To make deep-fried chillies, wash and pat dry the green chillies thoroughly. Heat oil in a deep pan and deep-fry the green chillies till they become crisp and slightly whitish in colour. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.