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Chilli, a gift from the Portuguese to India have now been an essential ingredient in the Indian kitchen. From chutneys to achar to being used as a spice and more the mighty chilli plays many roles. And yes don’t miss the fact that chillies do come with different heat density and shape and size too. Loaded with high amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants, chillies have been found to improve digestive system, reduce the risk of cancer, provide joint pain relief and promote the growth of red blood cells. So, here are some chilli hacks you must know.
In summer, green chillies start getting rotten more quickly as compared to other seasons. Here is the hack to store green them for a long time:
1. Wash the chillies thoroughly with water and dry them.
2. After they dry, break their stem.
3. Separate the spoiled chillies from the good ones and keep them aside.
4. Then dry good ones on a paper towel.
5. Now wrap the chillies in a paper tissue or keep it in an air-tight container and store in your fridge. Make sure the temperature of the refrigerator is not too high.
While adding flavor to food, chilli also causes burns. One must be careful while handling them. Here are some solutions to treat chilli burns:
- To reduce the burning sensation, rub your fingers with lemon for few minutes then wash with cold water.
- Paste of baking soda and water also reduces the burning sensation, but make sure to moisturize your hands after applying the paste, as it might dry your skin.
- Use dishwashing detergent instead of regular soap to wash your hands as the detergent has chemicals to remove extra oil, which will reduce the burning sensation.
- To prevent chilli burning, wear latex gloves or apply a tiny bit of oil before chopping it.
In India, people love adding extra spice to their food. But sometimes the food turns spicier than we expect, turning the dish into a cooking disaster. Here are 4 easy ways to fix extra spice in food:
- Add potato in a curry that will soak the excess chilli.
- Add vegetables like carrots and beans, your Dal gets spicier.
- Sugar can also be used to balance out the spice.
- Vinegar and lemon juice can also be used to fix the extra spice.
There are over 400 varieties of chillies in the world and India is the largest producer followed by China. A single teaspoon of red chilli powder has enough Vitamin A for one day. They produce endorphins which makes them natural pain killer. There are several other benefits of chilli apart from adding spice to our meal and its space in the Thali is irreplaceable.
