What pepper when? | Kitchen Aid

Are peppers interchangeable? I never know which variety to use and when to opt for fresh, dried, powdered or flaked.Emily, London E2“The thing is,” says Adriana Cavita, chef- owner of Cavita in London, "we have hundreds of varieties of peppers in Mexico - there's so much to choose from." And that before considering those grown in other parts of the world (India, Thailand, Spain, for example). While this provides plenty of opportunities to get creative, it's no wonder Emily is confused.

Different peppers play different roles in the kitchen, and they are not just about heat; chili peppers also contribute sweet, sour, fruity, earthy and smoky notes. So you need to understand why a chili pepper is there in the first place before replacing it with an alternative. “Look at the dish as a whole and rate it,” says Noor Murad, chef of OTK (aka Ottolenghi Test Kitchen) and co-author of Extra Good Things. "For stews and broths, you can usually use whatever dried chilies you like," she adds, depending on the heat. "If, for example, the recipe calls for habanero or scotch bonnet, and you're like, 'Damn, no,' use a milder pepper like kashmiri or guajillo, if you don't think it will massively affect the result. ”

But when should you use dried and fresh? Self-confessed chilli-obsessed Chet Sharma, who is chef-patron at Bibi in London, has some guidelines: “If you think of traditional North Indian foods – heavier curries, dals, butter chicken – they are all prepared with dried red chilli. But when you start thinking of more lively flavors, whether it's South Indian cuisine or Thai cuisine, you want something sharp and tangy, and that's what you'll get with chili peppers. costs. »

And what about varieties? Sharma's preference for fresh chilli would be small spicy Indian green chillies ("sometimes sold as red chillies"), while Murad uses "those labeled 'red' and 'green' at the greengrocer's for stir-fries, homemade hot sauce and pickles for salads. Cavita favors jalapeños and poblanos for guacamole, salsa, roasted tomato sauce and, in the case of poblanos, for stuffing (with ground meat or vegetables). It's worth remembering that size is also a factor: "The smaller the chilli, the spicier it will tend to be," says Cavita. Well, Thai, Bird's Eye, and Scotch Bonnet are some of the hottest.

Once dried, a chili's flavor intensifies. Ancho, chipotle, pasilla, and guajillo all work well in pastas, seasonings, and sauces: "Ancho is earthier and more tobacco," says Murad, "but if I want something smoky or fruity, I choose cascabel or chipotle". Cavita, on the other hand, uses pasilla, chipotle, and ancho powder for marinades and dressings. Sharma also keeps three powders in her arsenal: Kashmiri chili pepper ("it adds color and flavor without adding much heat"), deggi ("slightly spicier, but with a more rounded characteristic") and the yellow chili pepper ("very hot, but super fruity"). These should be used in anything that's cooked over low, slow heat, "be it curries or things braised in the oven".

Finally, Murad reserves chili flakes for sauces and for sprinkling on pizzas - but err on the side of caution: "You never know how hot they're going to be, so start with less and only add more if you need to." After all, this isn't a chili-eating contest.

Have a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com