When indian cooks refer to chilli powder do they mean that hot cayenne/chile powder ?

Question

or are the referring to the 'mexican' type chili powder that includes cayenne, cumin, garlic, etc.?

Answer 1

No. If you ask a real indian cook they will tell you that the stuff you buy in the store sucks and is not true authentic way of cooking. If you want here is a recipe for making a spice powder and paste

4          chile arbol, seeded

1/2       tsp fenugreek

1          tsp block peppercorns

6          cardamom seeds

1/4      cinnamon stick

1         tsp mustard seeds

2         whole cloves

1         tsp whole cumin

1         tsp coriander seeds

put all but the fenugreek in a dry saute pan and toast to draw out the oils in the spices at the last second add the fenugreek so it wont burn. Toss for about 20 sec. Put into a food grinder, a unused coffee grinder, (dont use a coffee grinder that has been used because the grinder wil grind coffee into it an for this application that isn't good) or a motar and pesel.

Grind to a fine powder.

To make it a paste saute onions, garlic and ginger (all minced) in brown butter (melted butter until it turns a slight brown color and smells like hazlenut) Add powder and mix. Deglaze with white wine vinegar to au sec (almost dry). add 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 1 can of diced tomatoes ( make sure that they are small pieces, if you have to chopped them down to a fine dice) simmer and reduce It will thicken up on you just stir until it looks like curry paste. which is what you just made.

Answer 2

Everyone is thinking you mean chili in the sence you said for Mexican foods, now in India and in Asia when they speak of chili powder it is a local ground chil pepper, no cumin or other spices, it is similar to cayenne, but in India there are various heat levels and Thai bird chilis are fiery so if you happen to come acrossed some in an Asian grocery, it is 2-3X hotter and can kick.

I made that mistake one tme, I bought a bottle of Thai chili powder and I am a former chef and worked in Asia so I know the heat levels, not thinking I started mixing it in things like my spice blends and marinade bases, one day I sprinkle a hefty amount on a steak and grilled it, lets just saw it sizzled all the way to the plate, quite a kick, so be careful with anything marked "Chili Powder", give it a taste, even the package ones for mexican cooking vary from company to company.

Answer 3

I add cumin, garlic etc. myself, so do most people I know.

Answer 4

mexican type... chiles that have been dried and then ground up into a powder.  It can be very very spicy or fairly mild.  Just depends on the type of chies dried/ground.

Mexican chile powder is just ground chies; no cayeene or cumin in it.  Those are usually added separately, depending upon the dish.