Let me be upfront and admit that I had never heard of roulette peppers up until a month ago. My sister-in-law presented me with a bunch of assorted peppers from her garden and just said she was confident I would figure out a recipe. Oh well. Firstly I had to do a google search to figure out what these different peppers were called, and figure out their heat levels. I also did the good old random sample taste test, just biting into them. Most of them were mild, except for the occasional surprise.
Assorted Peppers
Roulette Peppers
While I was gifted a lot of assorted peppers, there was a bunch lovely red peppers that looked like a cross between a tomato and a bell pepper. It took me some online searching, to figure out what they were. Turns out they were called roulette peppers with a mild heat level (though they looked fiery red). And as I bit into one of them, I realized they were big on flavor (more than makes up for the heat). I decided I had enough of these peppers to make a decent quantity of chutney. I took inspiration from an Andhra recipe called ‘Pandu Mirapakaya Kharam’.
Roulette Peppers
Pandu Mirapakaya Kharam
Typically made with hot red chili peppers, this chutney is spicy hot and very flavorful. Found mostly in summers, these peppers are usually sun dried and turned into dry chili peppers that last really long. They are used extensively in Indian cooking. The chutney however is made when the peppers are ripe and a lovely red color. Now since roulette peppers have hardly any heat, I ended up adding cayenne pepper:) Gingelly oil (sesame oil) adds a distinct flavor to this dish, that is quite dominant. If you’re not a fan of this flavor, I suggest using olive oil.
Roulette peppers, as with most other peppers are high in vitamins A and C. They also contain a component called capsaicin, which is known to have analgesic properties.
Check out our amazing line up of chutneys, while you’re here:
- Fresh Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Spicy Garlic Chutney
- Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
- Zero-Waste Butternut Squash Sippae (Peel) Chutney
- Spicy Sweet Tangy Tomato Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Smoky Eggplant Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Raw Green Tomato Chutney
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Flavorful Cilantro-Mint Chutney
- Delicious Peanut-Coconut Chutney
- Allam Pachadi: Zesty Ginger Chutney!
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Flavorful Roulette Peppers Chutney
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Roulette Peppers - (about 20 peppers, stalks removed)
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Asafetida (Hing)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper - (or red chili powder, to taste)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Tamarind - (paste or concentrate)
- 2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Heat a teaspoon of sesame oil in a pan and sauté roulette peppers for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
- Set then aside and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a blender jar.
- Add tamarind paste, salt, and blend to a not-so-fine paste.
- Now heat another teaspoon of sesame oil in the pan, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add asafetida, cayenne, fenugreek and turmeric powder, and immediately add the blended pepper paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes mixing well. Transfer to a container with a lid, allow it to cool before transferring to a refrigerator. This is good for at least 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge.
- Enjoy with hot brown rice pongal or khichdi.
