Cooking with spice mixes, pastes and sauces
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Dried chili pods are as much popular in cooking as fresh ones. They are usually roasted from all sides till they get specific dark color. Then they are soaked in water for 30-60 minutes, and then processed in a blender to the required texture. As in the case with fresh chili, removing the seeds will reduce its pungency. It is recommended remove the seeds first, and then continue remaining stages of processing the pepper: frying, soaking and chopping.
I am going to describe only the main species of chili that are widely used in spice blends making.
Aleppo Pepper. This sort of chili pepper originates in Syria and nowadays is it very popular all over the Mediterranean. The pod has a medium pungency level and a slight note of citrus. Its pungency decrease after grinding. This pepper is an excellent kind for those who is just starting to get familiar with an amazing world of chili peppers. I highly recommend switching your usual hot pepper powder stored in your kitchen into Aleppo. You will certainly appreciate this sort of pepper whether it is a single spice or a spice mix. The slightly curved pod reaches a length of 2-3 inches and has a deep red color when ripe. It is hard to find it fresh because it is usually dried and ground into powder or processed into flakes. So, I strongly recommend that you experiment with Middle Eastern spice blends and add Aleppo pepper into the blends. Ancho is an excellent substitute for this pepper.
Aji Amarillo. It is common in Peru in fresh and dried form. It has a medium pungency, a fruity aroma and a pretty complex bright taste. When fresh, it has a deep yellow-orange color and it becomes fiery orange when its dry. Peaked pods are quite narrow, 1^1/ inch in width and about 4-5 inches long. Dried pods are used for making sauces and fresh pods are used for making pastes and other dishes. It is hard to imagine Peruvian cuisine without this pepper and without ceviche as well, where Amarillo is an important ingredient.
Ancho. It is dried chili Poblano peppers. Their pod is large and broad, wrinkled, 3-4 3/4 inches long and 2 inches wide; their color varies from dark red to brownish black. Ancho has a sweet fruity aroma, resembling raisins, with a slight smoky flavor, barely perceptible sourness, barely perceptible bitterness, and mild pungency. It bears a tittle of one of the most popular dried chili peppers. Since Poblano is quite a fleshy pepper, it is required to wait till the pod reaches its full maturity and becomes of bright red colour in order to get a future Ancho. It is often added to sauces (salsa) for enchilada and mole. But it is far from the only use of this pepper: it is universal and is used in for cooking of many traditional dishes. If you are a true fan of Mexican cuisine, then you just have to get familiar with this amazing sort of chili. Ancho along with Mulato and Pasilla is called the "Mexican trinity" of dried chili for mole sauces. You can buy it in a form of dried pods, flakes and powder. In addition, Ancho can be found marinated in a special sauce called adobo.
Byadgi. This sort of pepper comes from India. Its curved wrinkled pod reaches up to 5 inches in length with a color range varying from bright red to dark red. Along with the Kashmiri pepper it is valued for its color that they pass to the dish and for its light fruity flavor and strong pungency. In order not to confuse these two varieties, one should know that Byadgi is a bit lighter and thinner than Kashmiri and is much hotter. Even in a dried form its color remains attractive and saturated. It tastes a bit like paprika, but of course is it much hotter.
Guajillo. This is dried pod of Marisol pepper which is Mexico’s most widespread dried chili pepper after Ancho. This elongated pod with a blunt tip and glossy peel of dark red color grows to an average of 4-6 inches long and of 1-1 1/2 inch wide and has a wrinkled surface. It is characterized by a pleasant slightly hot flavour (in some cases, it reaches medium pungency) and a light note of a sweet-fruity aroma. This sort is more delicate than Ancho. This pepper is often used for making salsa, mole sauces and enchilada sauces. Having a bright flavour and aroma, these pods are perfect for many spice blends. These aromatic hot peppers are popular not only in Mexico, but all over the world. It is no wonder that Guajillo is added to African harissa. You can buy this pepper in a form of dried pods, flakes and powder.
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