If You're Not Using Dried Chilies, You Should Be

Dried chilies have a deep robust flavor that you won't find anywhere else.

If you’ve ever wandered down the ethnic food aisle in your local grocery store, you’ve probably come across sealed bags of dried chilies and may have no idea what they are, or what they’re used for. Well, today you’re going to find out and your cooking will be better for it.

Dried chilies range in color from bright red to raisin-like dark, some of them even have a raisin quality to them in the most chili way possible, some are very small while others are quite large but they all have a unique flavor and heat level.

No matter the dried chili's size, shape, or color, the preparation method is virtually the same across the board.

Here’s how I do it:

1. First, I lightly toast the chilies in a pan, then rip the stem off and shake out the seeds from inside the chili. I didn’t use to do this and I’ve seen others skip this step but I feel there is a bitter flavor when the seeds aren’t removed, so I remove them, but do as you wish.

2. After the stems are off and the seeds are removed, I place the chilies into a stockpot and add enough water so they are completely covered. Heat the water until it’s hot but not boiling then turn off the burner, cover, and let the chilies soak for a while.

3. Just forget about them for at least a couple of hours. I’ve seen recipes say to soak them for only 30 - 60 minutes but in my experience, they need to get good and soft before they are usable.

4. Once the chilies have softened, place them into a blender with some of the soaking liquid. Puree and strain into another container. I strain the pureed chilies because I like to remove leftover bits of the exterior skin so I end up with a velvety sauce. The pureed chilies can be made into a simmering sauce, marinade, salsa, or any other kind of cooking liquid.

This is a basic method for working with dried chilies, but once you learn which kinds you like you can add some roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt to the blender with the chilies for a great salsa.

Dried chilies can also be chopped and added to recipes or ground into a paste using a mortar and pestle after soaking.

Here are a few of my favorite dried chilies that you can find in any grocery store,

California Chili Pepper

• AKA The Anaheim pepper when fresh

• Reddish-brown in color with a slender body and slightly wrinkled thin skin

• These are very mild peppers so they are widely used in Southwest, Mexican, and Tex-Mex cuisine.

• Scoville Rating: 500 - 2,500 SHU

Guajillo Chili

• Smooth, reddish-brown chili with a slightly tangy flavor.

• Guajillo chilies are great for enchiladas and mole´ but can be used for salsas and marinades as well.

• Scoville Rating: 2,500 - 5,000 SHU. Guajillos are hotter than the California but they have an excellent flavor-to-heat ratio and are in no way too spicy.

  

  Photo by Mats Hagwall on Unsplash

Chili de Arbol

• Small thin body, bright red color with a potent kick to the face.

• Great for adding heat to sauces, soups, and chili powders with a nutty, smoky flavor.

• Scoville Rating: 15,000 - 30,000 SHU Arbol chilies are hot but make a great spicy taco truck-style salsa.

The Chipotle Pepper

• Chipotle’s are a dried and smoked Jalapeno pepper. They usually look dark brown to black and can be very wrinkly.

• These peppers are available dried or canned in Adobo sauce, but I think the dried chipotle has a lot more flavor than the canned variety. Chipotles are smokey and spicy which means that they go perfectly with almost any kind of meat but are great in salsas.

• Scoville Rating: 2,500 - 8,000 SHU. The heat of Chipotle peppers is manageable and the flavor is impeccable.

  

  Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash

Pasilla Chili

• The Pasilla chili is a long slender dark brown chili that is often confused with the Ancho chili.

• Pasilla chilies are commonly used in soup and Mole´ as they have a rich, earthy flavor with notes of berries and herbs, making them one of the most unique chilies available.

• Scoville Rating: 1,000 - 2,500 SHU. Pasillas have more heat than the California chili but are less hot than the Guajillo, although I have been surprised by a spicy Pasilla in the past but typically these chilies have just the right amount of heat.

Ancho Chili

• The Ancho chili is a dried Poblano pepper that is dark and wrinkled like a raisin.

• The Ancho chili has a mild fruity flavor with hints of raisin and chocolate, almost similar to a Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bar with a kick of spice. It makes a great bowl of Texas Red.

• Scoville Rating: 1,000 - 2,000 SHU. Anchos are similar in heat to the Pasilla chili.

If you are interested in the world of chilies and their everyday uses go check out,