Thursday, July 22, 2010

2 Recipe #148: Mexican Chili Powder Mix

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This afternoon, I'm giving you another spice mix recipe, this time for Mexican chili powder, which can be used for tonight's upcoming recipe, Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas. Again, it's something really easy that can be made in 5 seconds flat. So, if you're out of Mexican chili powder seasoning & don't feel like making a trip to the grocery store, here's a recipe for whipping up your own batch from spices already in your kitchen cabinets.

I made this recipe very mild on purpose to satisfy the typical American palate (save the Southwestern region of the United States!), although it can be made spicier for those who can hack it. :) Personally, I like mine with a lot more heat. You'd think I'd been raised in the Southwestern U.S., Southeast Asia, China, or the Indian Subcontinent, or something. ;) But alas, no. Almost no one else in my immediate family likes hot & spicy foods, so maybe the stork delivered the wrong baby to the hospital. Haha! Just kidding.

Mexican Chili Powder Mix

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. paprika (Use a very mild variety!)
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. red chili pepper flakes (1 crushed chile de arbol)
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt

Directions: Blend together in a small bowl & transfer to an airtight, glass container. (Glass keeps spices better than plastic & won't react with the spices like plastic does.) Store in a dark, cool place.

Yield: Makes Almost 9 Tbsp. (8 Tbsp. + 2 1/2 tsp.), or a little more than 1/2 c.

Chef's Notes: You can place red chili pepper flakes in a spice grinder or food processor if you like your Mexican chili powder seasoning to be more finely ground.

Variations: For more heat, add more red chili pepper flakes &/or chile de arbol, to taste. You can also try other dried chili peppers like anchoguajillocascabel, or chipotle, either in combination or separately. Another idea, albeit a nontraditional one, would be to add epazote, to taste.

2 comments:

Sine said...

Thank you! I moved to South Africa from the U.S. and weirdly one of the things I have most trouble finding is chili powder. If you ask, they send you to the Indian store, but their chili powder is just ground chilies, not Mexican chili powder. So you saved my dinner tonight, as I'd run out of my chili powder and the chili I was cooking just didn't taste right. Never would have thought it needed so much cumin and paprika, but it worked perfectly!

Cyberpenguin said...

That's great, Sine! Glad I could help you out in a pinch. :-D

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