Chili Powder
About ⅔ cup Essential for many Southwestern and Mexican dishes, but also a wonderful seasoning for sprinkling on at the table. Chili powders vary, but they are generally based on a combination of ground chiles, cumin, coriander, oregano, and black pepper.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ ounces dried whole chiles, stemmed, seeded, and flattened
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- (1 tablespoon black peppercorns)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- (1 tablespoon garlic powder)
- (1 tablespoon onion powder)
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 2 ½ ounces dried whole chiles, stemmed, seeded, and flattened
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- (1 tablespoon black peppercorns)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- (1 tablespoon garlic powder)
- (1 tablespoon onion powder)
Let's Cook
-
Step 1.
Toast on the stovetop or in the oven: 2 ½ ounces dried whole chiles, stemmed, seeded, and flattened
-
Step 2.
Let cool and set aside. Toast until fragrant and browned in a dry skillet over medium heat: 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; (1 tablespoon black peppercorns)
-
Step 3.
Transfer to a bowl. Once cool, crush the chiles and add them along with the spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add: 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
-
Step 4.
Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. If using as a condiment, grind in: (1 tablespoon garlic powder); (1 tablespoon onion powder)
-
Step 5.
Prepare version I, substituting ½ cup ancho, chipotle, or other pure ground chile powder for the whole chiles and 1 tablespoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, and black pepper (if using) for the whole spices.