“I want to make this dish spicier, what can I add?” I get this question a lot for those who love the heat. In Thailand we have a couple of options, but by far the easiest, quickest and most versatile is to make roasted chili flakes, or pohn point Cayenne pepper in Thai.
In Thailand you’ll find roasted chili flakes as a tableside condiment offered in many restaurants, and at home everyone has a supply in the fridge or pantry. Not only does it add heat, but roasting adds a light smokiness that gives the food an extra kick I do not know what. It’s very simple to make (and much cleaner, as I’ll explain later), and you only have to make it once and it will last you all year or longer.
Ingredients and notes
- Spicy dried chillies. You can use any type of spicy dried chili pepper that has the right amount of heat for you. If you can get dried Thai bird’s eye chilies, that’s great, but where I live, I usually use arbol chilies which can be found wherever Latin American groceries are sold.
- Makrut lime leaves, optional. To make your roasted chili flakes even more aromatic, I like to add a makrut lime leaf (also known as kaffir lime leaf) and grind it along with the chilies. You can also change it to lemongrass if you want. You don’t need to be specific with the amounts here, add as many as you want, but I generally add 1 leaf to about 1 ½ cups of dried chiles.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Flakes
I’ve made roasted red pepper flakes in many of my YouTube videos and you can watch me make it here I got the Jim Jeaw video.
*Note: you can earn as much as you want, the method does not change. But the more you make, the longer it will take to roast.
- Wash the chili peppers (optional). Some dried chili peppers are not clean; It really depends on the brand. If the dried chilies you have look dusty, you need to wash them (wash the entire bag, so you only have to do it once). Dip them in a bowl of cold water and swirl them for literally 5 seconds, then lift them out of the water and spread them out on a towel. Don’t let them linger in the water because they will rehydrate. Towel dry them as much as possible, then let them dry completely overnight (I use a fan to dry them faster), before storing them.
- Remove the chillies (optional). If the chillies you have are too spicy for your taste and you want to tone down the heat a bit, cut the chillies with scissors and pour out the seeds.
- Option 1: Toast the chilies on the stove. Add the chilies (and makrut lime leaves, if using) to a dry pot, wok, or skillet and mix them constantly over medium heat until some charred spots form on the chiles (see photo below), then remove from heat. This should only take a few minutes, especially for small quantities. If you make a large batch you can increase the heat to medium-high, but be careful as the chilies burn quickly.
Option 2: Roast the chili peppers in the oven. If you make a large quantity you can use the oven. Preheat to 150°C (300°F) and cook the chillies for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly dark and smelling smoky. The chiles won’t have charred spots like with the stovetop method, but overall they should look a little darker.
- Transfer the chilies to a coffee or spice grinder (for large quantities, a food processor will work) and grind them into small flakes or a coarse powder.
Safety Note: Do not immediately open the coffee grinder lid after stopping the blade. Give the chili powder time to settle before opening, at least 15-20 seconds, otherwise you will inhale the chili powder and THAT’S NO FUN. Also, when you feel it is safe to open the lid, do not place your face directly on it; and make sure there isn’t a fan or anything blowing nearby. This all seems obvious until you forget, folks.
How to store chili flakes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer, because chili peppers go moldy overtime. I usually only make one jar at a time and store it in the refrigerator, but if you have more than you can use within 6 months, keep a small amount in the refrigerator and the extra in the freezer.
Shortcut: Toast store-bought red pepper flakes
If you can find pre-ground red pepper flakes in the store, you can also simply toast them in the pan over medium heat until they turn slightly dark. BUT because the flakes are small, it will take very little time (less than a minute) and they will burn quickly, so you have to watch them carefully!
However, I have two concerns about this:
- If you’re thinking of the “red chili flakes” you can find in most Western grocery stores… they’re usually too mild to be an effective way to add real heat to food. I wouldn’t bother with them unless you’re trying to make mild chili flakes.
- Some Asian grocery stores sell chili flakes from Thailand, and this stuff is SPICY. However, old chili flakes stored at room temperature, especially in humid conditions, can develop mold. And since these are already ground, it’s impossible to tell if there is mold inside them. So if you trust the quality of your chilies, that’s fine, but I prefer to grind my chilies whole, so I can make sure they are clean and free of mold.
