Dried Red Chillies

There is an enormous variety of dried red chillies so you don’t need to concentrate on the names so much as the size and depth of colour. The smaller the chilli, the hotter it will be and the inverse is true for the big ones. Their skins should be shiny and flexible so stay clear of brown, brittle dried chillies, which are old and bitter. When making curries, it’s easier to work with bigger chillies for deseeding and soaking. I sometimes use Mexican chillies for their large size, intense flavour and freshness. For stir-fries where the chillies are included whole, try to order small Sichuan chillies. You can get them through Amazon or Asian online stores and they have a unique fragrance that suits their cuisine. Store your dried chillies in a zip lock bag refrigerated. This will preserve the oil in the skins as long as possible.