Pounded, not milled — because a grinder cooks chilli
Red chilli is mostly colour and volatile oil, and both are fragile. A high-speed grinder generates enough heat to dull the colour and drive off the aroma, which is why so much chilli powder on the market has colour added back in afterwards.
We pound ours in stainless steel. It is slower and the yield is lower, but the colour is the chilli’s own.
Which one you want
- Kuti Lal Mirch — Byadgi and Kashmiri. Deep red colour, gentle heat. This is the one for everyday dal, sabzi, tandoori marinades and anything where you want the dish to look rich without becoming fiery.
- Kuti Teekhi Mirch — Guntur Teja. Serious heat. For Andhra cooking, pickles, chutneys and anyone who finds ordinary chilli powder pointless.
Both are coarse-pounded rather than fine-milled, so you will see flecks of skin and seed. That texture is what a mill removes and what most brands replace with filler.
What gets added to ordinary chilli powder
- Artificial red dye, to replace the colour lost to heat during grinding.
- Brick powder and sawdust, for weight.
- Ground husk and stalk, for bulk.
- Salt, which is cheaper than chilli.
A simple test at home: stir half a spoon into a glass of water. Real chilli powder floats and slowly bleeds colour. Brick powder and sand sink and leave grit at the bottom. Added dye streaks the water red immediately.
Every jar carries its batch number, packing date and our FSSAI licence.
