Red Chilli Powder

Ingredients

• 1 kg red dry chilli
• 1 tsp oil
• for preseving: small blocks of asafoetida or
• salt

Method

• For a deep colour but a not too spicy taste, choose the long shiny thick dried chillies.
• Sun them till crisp.
• Break off stalks, and discard.
• While pounding add a tsp. oil to a kg. of chillies.
• This will keep the sting of the chillies from permeating the air and everybody's nostrils. (It will also act as a preservative.)
• Pack in ziplock or seamseal polythene bags. Or in sterile glass jars, with airtight lids.
• Put small blocks of asafotedia or spread some salt on top of the powder to preserve from getting spoilt for longer time
• For a milder colour, use slinder, wrinkled skin dried chillies, they are usually extra long