How to Use Kashmiri Chili Powder (and How Much Per Dish)
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Kashmiri chili powder is a mild, deep red chili powder used for color rather than heat. It sits around 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville units, roughly twenty times milder than cayenne. Use one to two teaspoons in a curry for four, bloomed in hot oil or ghee.
Key points
- It is a color spice. Heat is not the point.
- That mildness is the feature: you can use a lot of it.
- Bloom it in hot fat, because the color lives in oil.
- It is what gives rogan josh and tandoori dishes their red.
- Stored airtight and dark, it holds its color for months.
What it actually is
Kashmiri chilies are dried to a deep, almost lacquered red. They carry far less capsaicin than the chilies most kitchens keep on the shelf.
Ground, they give you something unusual: a spice that turns a dish a rich red without turning it hot. Every other route to that color costs you heat, or costs you flavor.
Why that matters when you cook
With a hot chili powder, color and heat are locked together. You add more for color and the dish becomes fierce.
Kashmiri chili breaks that link. You can use a full tablespoon and the dish stays approachable, which is exactly what a family table needs.
Pasha Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
Milled from handpicked Kashmiri chilies, in a 100 g resealable pouch. Deep royal color, gentle warmth, nothing else added.
One pouch colors a lot of dinners. A four person curry takes one to two teaspoons.
Shop Kashmiri Red Chili PowderHow much to use, by dish
| Dish | How much | When it goes in |
|---|---|---|
| Curry or karahi for four | 1 to 2 tsp | Bloomed in hot oil after the onions soften |
| Tandoori marinade, 1 kg chicken | 1 tbsp | Into the yoghurt marinade, with salt and ginger garlic |
| Biryani masala | 2 tsp | With the tomatoes, so the color reaches the rice |
| Rogan josh | 1 tbsp | Early, with the fat, for the signature red |
| Daal tarka | 1/2 tsp | Off the heat, so it colors the ghee without scorching |
Bloom it, do not sprinkle it
The color sits in oil soluble compounds. Water will not release it.
Warm oil or ghee, take the pan off high heat, stir the powder in for a few seconds, then continue. The fat turns red and carries that color through the whole pot.
Keep the heat moderate. Chili scorches quickly and then tastes bitter.
How to tell a good one
| Look for | Why |
|---|---|
| Deep, even red | Pale or brownish powder has usually been sitting too long |
| A clean, fruity smell | Dusty or flat means the oils have faded |
| Free flowing, not caked | Caking is moisture, which dulls color and shortens life |
| Chili and nothing else on the label | Blends and added color are common. Read the ingredients |
Storing it in a Houston kitchen
Humidity and light are what kill it. Keep it airtight, in a cupboard, away from the stove.
Ground chili does not spoil, it fades. If the red has gone dull and the smell has gone quiet, it will not color your food any more.
Where to buy it
Pasha Kashmiri Red Chili Powder is on the shelf at eleven grocers across the Houston area, from the Hillcroft and Harwin district to Spring and Rosenberg. The store locator lists every one with directions.
It is also available online, with free delivery across the Houston area on orders over $25 and shipping anywhere in Texas.
Run out mid recipe? We have written up what to use instead, and what it costs you.
Questions people ask
- Is Kashmiri chili powder spicy?
- Barely. At roughly 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville units it is far milder than cayenne, which runs 30,000 to 50,000. It is chosen for color.
- What is Kashmiri chili powder used for?
- Color. It gives rogan josh, tandoori marinades and biryani their deep red without making the dish hot.
- Is Kashmiri chili powder the same as paprika?
- No. Paprika is milder still and tastes sweeter. It can stand in for color but the flavor is different.
- How much should I use?
- One to two teaspoons for a curry for four. A tablespoon in a tandoori marinade for a kilo of chicken.
- Where can I buy Kashmiri chili powder in Houston?
- Pasha is stocked at eleven grocers across the metro, and online with free Houston delivery over $25. See the store locator.