Ask a Rajasthani cook which chilli makes the best laal maas and many will name Mathania, a village near Jodhpur whose long, deep-red chillies have been famous across the state for generations.
What makes Mathania chilli different
Mathania chillies are long and thin-skinned, and they dry to a deep, glossy brick-red. Ground, they give a curry a rich natural red and real but balanced heat, with a slightly fruity, smoky depth instead of just fire.
Mathania production has declined over the years, so true Mathania chilli is more limited and pricier than common varieties. That's also why so much generic chilli is sold under its name.
How hot is it?
Kashmiri chilli is mild and mostly used for colour. Byadgi is also mild and colourful. Mathania is medium-hot, with both colour and heat. Guntur is very hot.
If you usually cook with Kashmiri chilli, start with about half the amount of Mathania and taste. If you're used to generic "extra hot" chilli powder, Mathania will feel rounder and more flavourful at a similar heat.
Cooking with Mathania
For laal maas, the dish this chilli made famous, Mathania chilli is cooked low and slow with mutton, yoghurt, garlic and kachi ghani mustard oil until the oil turns deep red.
It's also used in lehsun ki chutney, Rajasthan's red garlic chutney for bajra roti and dal baati, and in everyday tadka for dal, kadhi and sabzi. Add it off the heat so it colours the oil without burning.
Real colour vs dye
Because red sells, chilli powder is one of the most often adulterated spices: Sudan dyes for colour, and brick powder or sawdust for weight. FSSAI's quick test is to sprinkle a pinch on water. Coloured streaks running down at once suggest dye, and gritty sediment suggests brick powder.
Our red chilli powder is ground from sun-dried Mathania chillies that we hand-sort and grind in small batches. There's no added colour, and every batch is lab-tested.
Questions
Where is Mathania?
Mathania is a village in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, long known for its red chillies.
Is Mathania chilli the same as Kashmiri chilli?
No. Kashmiri chilli is mild and used mainly for colour. Mathania gives deep colour and medium-hot heat.
What is laal maas?
A Rajasthani mutton curry known for its fiery red colour, traditionally made with Mathania chillies, mustard oil, garlic and yoghurt.
