Can you imagine life without chilli? Indian food, known for its fiery curries and fries, is unimaginable without it. However, we don't seem to experiment with chillies beyond using it as a flavouring agent. Give your favourite mirchi its due by cooking it in 5 offbeat ways.
Chilli halwa
A class apart from all the regular halwas, this one packs a punch. To make this not-so-popular Indian dessert, start by boiling green chillies in water for about 5 minutes. Drain and boil them with fresh water again for another 5 minutes. Now, grind the chillies into a paste. In a heated pan, add ghee, the chilli paste, semolina, sugar, khoya, cardamom powder and mix well. Let it cook for a while and serve warm.
Chilli jam
No more butter and marmalade, top your toasts every morning with this chilli jam instead. In a pan, heat oil, add chopped tomatoes, deseeded and chopped red chillies and mix well. Put sugar, grated ginger, star anise, soy sauce and vinegar. Mix this well and let this simmer for about half an hour until it comes to the desired jam consistency.
Chilli Cheese Dip
Perfect for a party, serve this dip with your croquets, nachos and more. Grill some onions and chillies until their skins are charred. In a heated saucepan, add in any cheese spread along with chopped coriander and the grilled onions. Add the chillies after removing the charred skin, deseeding and chopping them. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and mix everything well.
Chilli Lemon Ice-Cream
With summer setting in, this is quite a treat. Start off by heating coconut milk, sugar, lime leaves, chopped chillies and lemon grass in a saucepan. Stir until well combined. Strain the mix and add in heavy cream along with vanilla custard powder. Let it cool and pour this in a container and let it set in the freezer overnight. Scoop and serve.
Chilli Hummus
Give a kick to a healthy dish like hummus. First, blend chickpeas, tahini paste, green chillies, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt together. Check for the consistency and serve.