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Kashmiri Chili Powder Substitute – Here’s 8 Ideas to Try

Kashmiri chilli powder

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Kashmiri chili powder is a common red pepper in Kashmiri and Indian cuisines. It gets its popularity from its vibrant red color rather than strong flavor or spiciness. Thereby, it is used to give the food dishes a bright red color. But do you know any Kashmiri chili powder substitute that can give recipes the same eye-popping color as Kashmiri chili?

Is there any alternative ingredient that works the same as Kashmiri chili? These are some queries that we’ll cover in a moment.

Kashmiri Chili Powder Substitute

If you’re a fan of traditional cuisines, you would probably have a great love for spices and seasonings. After all, the spices are the real soul of the parent recipe.

And if you’re trying to make continental cuisines like south Asian, Kashmiri, or Indian dishes, you need Kashmiri chili powder. This is because Kashmiri chiles give a bright red color to the dish without overpowering the flavor.

What if you are in a region where this unique spice staple isn’t available? Or simply you are out of it, you will definitely look for any alternative pepper to replace Kashmiri chili powder.

Luckily, there are a lot more substitutes that are similar to Kashmiri red chili powder. Besides, you can also try combinations of more than one pepper to replace Kashmiri chili.

The only worth-considering point is that make sure your particular alternative should be low in heat and milder in flavor, similar to Kashmiri chiles. So, let’s find out such substitutions here.

1. Whole Kashmiri Chiles

Whole Kashmiri Chiles

The best replacement that you can do is the addition of whole Kashmiri chiles to the dish. If you don’t have Kashmiri chili powder yet, only a stock of whole chiles, you can take advantage of it.

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You have to remove the dried stems of chiles and grind them with or without seeds, and that’s it. You will get chili flakes that’s ready to add a deep hue to your favorite dish.

2. Guajillo Chili

Guajillo Chili

Unlike Kashmiri chili powder, guajillo chili powder lends enough heat to your savory food. But if guajillo chiles are on hand, what are you looking for? You can round of their hot sensation to substitute Kashmiri chili powder.

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First of all, remove their seeds and roast them on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. It will decrease their heat to much extent. Now, they’re ready to replace Kashmiri chiles.

Guajillo Chili

And if you have guajillo chili powder, use it half as much as Kashmiri chili powder to get similar color outcomes with milder heat.

3. Byadgi Chili

Byadgi Chili

If you’re living in a region where getting Kashmiri chiles is a great hassle, go for Byadgi chiles. This way, you can get the same bright hue as Kashmiri chili powder in your star recipes.

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Another good point of Byadgi chiles is that their flavor tone is also milder and a little bit earthier like Kashmiri ones. So, if these are available to you, don’t miss a great alternative that can lend a nice color to your routine recipes.

4. Food Color

Food Colors

If nothing seems to be working, instead of Kashmiri chiles, there’s always an option of using food coloring. A pinch of red food coloring can make the recipe colorful without making it too hot.

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Overall, it’s not a good substitution but can work in curries and other Indian cuisines as per you like.

Read Also: Kimchi Substitute 

5. Mixture of Paprika and Cayenne

Mixture of Paprika and Cayenne

When one type of chili powder doesn’t seem wonderful for your beloved recipe, try a mixture of more than one chiles.

To get the closest Kashmiri chili powder alternative, mix 3 parts of smoky paprika and 1 part of cayenne. This is because cayenne chili is high in heat and used in sour sauces and condiments like sauerkraut, kimchi, and other non-vegan kimchi substitutes.

Paprika will give your dish a milder smoky hint, while cayenne gives a vibrant red hue and hot sensation.

Uncommon Kashmiri Chili Powder Substitute

There are also some other uncommon replacements for getting bright red color in recipes, just like Kashmiri chili. So, give a rough try to any substitute and find out what matches your dish the most.

Deggi mirch is mostly used in dishes for its spicy flavor. Thereby, individually it can’t mimic the mildness of Kashmiri chili but can be used when mixed with smoky paprika.

Rogan is not a kind of chili but a layer of oil removed from the surface of cooked gravy. In restaurants, chefs separate this rogan and store it to give a nice color to other sauces, soups, and salsas.

You can also use rogan instead of kashmiri chili powder to get a similar eye-popping color easily.

Ancho peppers are common in Mexican cuisines and also used all over the world for their mild flavor with a little hot kick. If easily available in your local grocery store, you can give a chance to this pepper instead of kashmiri ones.

In short, you can use almost all types of chili powder to substitute kashmiri chili powder, but the above-given replacements can work great.

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Ayesh

Hey, I’m Ayesha Khalid, the main writer of Substitutesfor.com. I love to write about food ingredients, cooking guides, and helping tips and tricks to upgrade your cooking experience. The aim of writing is to provide you with a collection of substitutions and novel ideas to try so that you can find all the needed information at once. Here, you can get ideas according to your diet restrictions, taste preferences, and health conditions.

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