South Asia

Byadgi Chile

Capsicum annuum, Byadgi cultivar (named for the town of Byadagi, Karnataka).

Fruit.

Part Used

Whole dried pods (notably wrinkled skin) or ground powder.

Form

Byadagi / Byadgi mirchi (Kannada).

India (Karnataka, and widely used across South Indian cooking, especially Andhra Pradesh).

Mild-to-moderate heat with a deep red color, similar in role to Kashmiri chile but distinctly South Indian in association.

Color-focused chile for South Indian curries, chutneys, and powders.

Various South Indian curries and chutney powders (podi).

Tamarind, curry leaves, coconut.

Soak whole pods briefly before grinding into wet chutneys, or add directly to tempering oil.

Whole pods keep well over a year sealed and dark.

Kashmiri chile as the closest cross-regional equivalent in color-to-heat ratio.

Holds Geographical Indication (GI) status tied to Byadagi town in Karnataka – the South Indian counterpart to Kashmiri chile's North Indian prestige.

Various South Indian podi (chutney powder) blends.