So simple it hardly classifies as a recipe, roasted chilli powder (prik bon kua) is a simple but powerful condiment which, when home made, can be adjusted to suit your heat tolerance. Across Thailand it can be found on nearly every table and is a delicious addition to just about everything. This is the perfect condiment for the individual in a crowd of heat haters - it's absolutely not unreasonable to carry a small container of this in your bag, right?

Thai Roasted chilli powder — Dried red chillies pan roasted and ground

If you're a fan of spicier things, use bird's eye chilies. Like breaking a light sweat but that isn't too overwhelming? Try a mix of bird's eyes and dried long red chilies. Want it as mild as possible? De-seed the dried long red chillies and use only those.

Making roasted chilli powder can be rough on the body (let me know how your throat feels and how many tissues you got through when you're done), so it's worth making a large batch.

Print Recipe

Thai Toasted Chili Powder (Prik Bon kua - พริกป่นคั่ว)

Use prik bon for flavour and heat, as a condiment for noodle soup, alongside pad thai, and with anything that needs some extra oomph. Avoid eye contact (this is more a note to self). One cup of dried chillies will yield about ⅓ cup of prik bon chilli powder. Everyone will love you if you add some MSG to the blend.

Ingredients

1 cup of dried chillies

Instructions

Toast the chillies for 3-5 minutes in a dry wok or pan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until the skins are crispy and darker but not blackened. Blend the chillies in a coffee mill or spice grinder, or pound them with a sturdy pestle and mortar into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.