Too Many Green Chillies at Home? Try These 10 Easy Recipes
Green chillies can add a fresh, sharp kick to almost any meal, but it is easy to buy more than you need. A handful can sit in the fridge for days before you know what to do with them.
Instead of letting them dry out or go bad, you can turn them into chutneys, pickles, sauces and even snacks. Some recipes need only a few ingredients, while others are useful ways to preserve green chillies for later.
Here are 10 simple recipes to try when you have too many green chillies at home.
Blend green chillies with coriander, garlic, lemon juice, salt and a little roasted cumin. You can add peanuts or roasted gram if you prefer a thicker chutney with a milder taste.
Serve it with parathas, pakoras, sandwiches, idli or simple dal and rice.
Cut the chillies into pieces and mix them with mustard seeds, turmeric, salt and other spices. Add lemon juice or vinegar and enough oil to bring everything together.
Leave the pickle to develop its flavour before serving. It can be enjoyed with dal, rice, parathas or curd rice.
Make a slit along each chilli and remove some of the seeds if you want less heat. Fill them with a mixture of roasted gram flour, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and a little oil.
Cook them gently in a pan until the chillies become soft and slightly charred.
Roast peanuts and combine them with green chillies, garlic, salt and a little tamarind or lemon juice. Grind everything together with a small amount of water.
This chutney works particularly well with dosa, uttapam, rice and snacks.
Use whole or sliced chillies and cook them in a little oil. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. A squeeze of lemon at the end helps balance the heat.
You can also add sliced onions or crushed peanuts to make the dish more substantial.
Crush green chillies with roasted peanuts, garlic and salt. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth. Its rough texture is part of its appeal.
Serve a small amount alongside bhakri, roti or rice. Because the chillies remain the star of the dish, even a little can add plenty of heat.
Blend green chillies with garlic, vinegar, salt and a little sugar. Cook the mixture briefly if you want a thicker sauce with a softer flavour.
Use it in noodles, fried rice, sandwiches, wraps or as a dipping sauce for snacks.
For larger chillies, make a slit and stuff them with a mixture of spices and mashed potato. Dip them in seasoned gram flour batter and fry until golden.
For smaller chillies, simply coat them in batter and fry them. Serve hot with chutney and tea.
Slice the chillies and combine them with lemon juice, salt, turmeric and a small amount of sugar. Add roasted cumin or mustard seeds for extra flavour.
Keep the mixture in a clean jar in the refrigerator. It can brighten up plain rice, dal, sandwiches and stuffed parathas.
Blend green chillies with a little oil and salt to make a smooth paste. You can also add ginger or garlic if you regularly use them together.
Store the paste in a clean container in the refrigerator and add small amounts to curries, dals, marinades, sauces and stir fries whenever you need extra heat.
Wash them only when you are ready to use them and make sure they are completely dry before storing. You can also remove the stems, chop the chillies and freeze them in small portions.
Another option is to make chilli paste or pickle, which allows you to use a large quantity at once.
Removing the seeds and inner membranes can reduce some of the heat, although it will not make the chilli completely mild. Dairy based foods such as curd can also help balance a very spicy dish.
When handling a large number of chillies, avoid touching your eyes or face and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Having too many green chillies does not have to mean throwing them away. They can be turned into chutneys, pickles, sauces, stuffed snacks and useful cooking pastes.
If you have a large batch, make one recipe for immediate use and preserve the rest. That way, your extra chillies can keep adding flavour to meals long after you bought them.
Instead of letting them dry out or go bad, you can turn them into chutneys, pickles, sauces and even snacks. Some recipes need only a few ingredients, while others are useful ways to preserve green chillies for later.
Here are 10 simple recipes to try when you have too many green chillies at home.
1. Green Chilli Chutney
Green chilli chutney is one of the easiest ways to use a large number of chillies at once.Blend green chillies with coriander, garlic, lemon juice, salt and a little roasted cumin. You can add peanuts or roasted gram if you prefer a thicker chutney with a milder taste.
Serve it with parathas, pakoras, sandwiches, idli or simple dal and rice.
2. Green Chilli Pickle
If you have a particularly large batch of chillies, pickle is one of the best options.Cut the chillies into pieces and mix them with mustard seeds, turmeric, salt and other spices. Add lemon juice or vinegar and enough oil to bring everything together.
Leave the pickle to develop its flavour before serving. It can be enjoyed with dal, rice, parathas or curd rice.
3. Stuffed Green Chillies
Large green chillies can be turned into a surprisingly satisfying side dish.Make a slit along each chilli and remove some of the seeds if you want less heat. Fill them with a mixture of roasted gram flour, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and a little oil.
Cook them gently in a pan until the chillies become soft and slightly charred.
4. Green Chilli and Peanut Chutney
Peanuts can balance the sharp heat of green chillies and give the chutney a creamy texture.Roast peanuts and combine them with green chillies, garlic, salt and a little tamarind or lemon juice. Grind everything together with a small amount of water.
This chutney works particularly well with dosa, uttapam, rice and snacks.
5. Green Chilli Fry
For a quick side dish, simply fry green chillies with spices.Use whole or sliced chillies and cook them in a little oil. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. A squeeze of lemon at the end helps balance the heat.
You can also add sliced onions or crushed peanuts to make the dish more substantial.
6. Green Chilli Thecha
Thecha is a rustic chilli preparation traditionally associated with Maharashtra.Crush green chillies with roasted peanuts, garlic and salt. The mixture does not need to be completely smooth. Its rough texture is part of its appeal.
Serve a small amount alongside bhakri, roti or rice. Because the chillies remain the star of the dish, even a little can add plenty of heat.
7. Green Chilli Garlic Sauce
Extra green chillies can also be turned into a homemade sauce that can be kept in the fridge.Blend green chillies with garlic, vinegar, salt and a little sugar. Cook the mixture briefly if you want a thicker sauce with a softer flavour.
Use it in noodles, fried rice, sandwiches, wraps or as a dipping sauce for snacks.
8. Green Chilli Pakoras
Green chillies can become the main ingredient in a crispy snack.For larger chillies, make a slit and stuff them with a mixture of spices and mashed potato. Dip them in seasoned gram flour batter and fry until golden.
For smaller chillies, simply coat them in batter and fry them. Serve hot with chutney and tea.
9. Green Chilli and Lemon Preserve
If you want something quick without making a traditional pickle, try a simple lemon and chilli preserve.Slice the chillies and combine them with lemon juice, salt, turmeric and a small amount of sugar. Add roasted cumin or mustard seeds for extra flavour.
Keep the mixture in a clean jar in the refrigerator. It can brighten up plain rice, dal, sandwiches and stuffed parathas.
10. Green Chilli Paste
Sometimes the most useful recipe is one that makes future cooking easier.Blend green chillies with a little oil and salt to make a smooth paste. You can also add ginger or garlic if you regularly use them together.
Store the paste in a clean container in the refrigerator and add small amounts to curries, dals, marinades, sauces and stir fries whenever you need extra heat.
How to Make Green Chillies Last Longer
If you have more chillies than you can cook immediately, do not feel that you need to use them all in one recipe.Wash them only when you are ready to use them and make sure they are completely dry before storing. You can also remove the stems, chop the chillies and freeze them in small portions.
Another option is to make chilli paste or pickle, which allows you to use a large quantity at once.
How to Control the Heat
Not every green chilli has the same level of heat. If you are unsure how hot yours are, start with a small amount.Removing the seeds and inner membranes can reduce some of the heat, although it will not make the chilli completely mild. Dairy based foods such as curd can also help balance a very spicy dish.
When handling a large number of chillies, avoid touching your eyes or face and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Having too many green chillies does not have to mean throwing them away. They can be turned into chutneys, pickles, sauces, stuffed snacks and useful cooking pastes.
If you have a large batch, make one recipe for immediate use and preserve the rest. That way, your extra chillies can keep adding flavour to meals long after you bought them.
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