Chilies To Capsicums

Chillis

Chilli is an essential ingredient in curry dishes.  It adds hot and spicy flavour especially the red one, but it is used as well in sweet dishes, such as chocolate chilli cakes,
Fresh chilli has a better taste than the dry one; therefore, I plant them in the garden during the hot season.  Usually, I plant them in mid-Spring and finished in late Autumn.

My chilli plants don't do so well; however, I have enough harvest for what I need.  Maybe I have better luck next year.

Chilli Plants

Fresh Red Chilli

 I use the chillis for :
- Red chilli paste (an older post for recipe-under Preserving, 29 April 2012)
- Harrisa (an older post for recipe-under HOT, 1 June 2012)
- Green chilli for green curry paste, for the rough, spicy paste to cook fish, and for garnishes.

I use chilli and capsicum for sambal goreng, my favourite Javanese curry.



Capsicums

Capsicum has a similar flavour with chilli, it is not very hot; however, it is beneficial for a lot of spicy dishes.  Green and red capsicums add beautiful flavour and colour to salads, soups, pizza and they are trendy in Italian, Spanish and Greek cooking.

There were more than six capsicum seedlings, but only one survived and has seven fruits.  Thanks, Irene for the seedlings, I am sure you would be pleased to know that I have been harvesting the capsicums.

Capsicum Plants

Fresh Red Capsicum

Capsicum paste is easy to make, discard the seeds, chop into small pieces, put in a blender add some oil and salt, work it to make a smooth paste.  Transfer onto a cleaner jar, top it up with fresh oil.  It keeps well in the pantry but soon you open and use it. It has to be refrigerated.

I use the capsicums to add to the curry, stir fry, fried rice, vegetable or lentil soup, pizza's topping, braising meat, and also I stuffed them with meat or rice then bake.  Preserve them as capsicum fillets, to add onto sandwiches, or for garnishes.   If you like dips, you can have a dip with capsicum, bake or grill red capsicums, discard the seeds, fillet them, chop and mix with cream cheese, blend into a smooth dip.  You can do more, just be creative.

Sliced capsicum-for Spanish cooking

Stuffed capsicums with fish

A few recipes using capsicum in older posts: Fit For Friday, dated on 12 October 2012 also Flavours of Spain, on 4 Feb 2012.

Green capsicums and Green chilli can add mild and fresh flavours for my Javanese 'sayur lodeh' (Snake beans braised in coconut milk) recipe on the older post under Green dated 30 September 2011.

It is about time for me to get rid of my chilli and capsicum plants, they have been good, I don't have a chance to preserve them as there was not enough harvest.  

The vegetable patch needs a rest during winter, it is good for the soil.  My potted celeriac is ready to harvest, I will do it in June.  Stay Tuned.

Thanks for stopping by

Susy