Chilli powder vs Kashmiri chilli powder
Chilli powder and Kashmiri chilli powder look similar in the pack, but kitchens use them for different jobs. Most shops and kitchens need both.
The difference at a glance
| Chilli powder | Kashmiri chilli powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Heat | Colour |
| Heat | Hotter | Much milder |
| Colour | Red | Deep red |
| Typical dishes | Curries, dals, fry, pickles, chutneys | Tandoori dishes, butter chicken, gravies, Kerala roasts and fish curry |
When kitchens use chilli powder
Regular chilli powder is the everyday heat in Indian cooking. It goes into almost every curry, dal, sabzi, fry, pickle and chutney. Kitchens adjust the amount to control how hot a dish is.
When kitchens use Kashmiri chilli powder
Kashmiri chilli powder is used when a dish should look rich red without becoming too hot: tandoori marinades, butter chicken and makhani gravies, Kerala fish curry and roasts, biryani and rogan josh.
Using both together
Many kitchens blend the two: Kashmiri for colour, regular chilli powder for heat. Changing the ratio lets a kitchen make a dish redder without making it hotter, or hotter without changing its colour.
Which one should a shop stock?
Both. Regular chilli powder sells to almost every customer. Kashmiri chilli powder sells to customers who cook tandoori, North Indian gravies and Kerala dishes. Start with sachets and 100 g packs of each, and add larger packs as demand grows.
Pack sizes we supply
- Chilli powder: ₹10 sachets, 50 g, 100 g, 200 g, 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 5 kg.
- Kashmiri chilli powder: ₹10 sachets, 100 g, 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg.
- Economy chilli powder: 500 g and 1 kg, for high-volume kitchens. Economy spice powders wholesale →
Related: Chilli powder · Kashmiri chilli powder · All spice powders