Description

What is Bird’s Eye chilli and where does it come from?

The Bird’s Eye chilli (sometimes also known as the Thai chilli or Thai Dragon) is a popular spice used in Southeast Asian cuisine. It still grows wild today. These chillies are tiny but extremely hot. Their pointed shape and small size have earned them the name ‘Bird’s Eye’!

Piri Piri is the name given to this type of chilli in Africa. Kachchi is the name used in South-East Asia. The spread of the chilli was facilitated by Portuguese and Spanish sailors in the 17th century. The Bird’s Eye plant, like all chillies, originates from Central America.

In hot climates, these small chillies grow on small bushy plants. The pods are usually about 5 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.

When ripe, the Bird’s Eye chilli is red. Before ripening, the chilli is green. Although unripe, it is still edible when green and is often used in green curries.

When fresh, they usually have a stalk attached, and the pods contain loose, spicy seeds. Due to their small size, these chillies are inexpensive and can be used whole, sliced, or deseeded and chopped.

Fun fact! The Bird’s Eye chilli plant is a popular ornamental plant. Thanks to its size, beautiful glossy leaves and, of course, its charming chillies, it makes a wonderful addition to a spacious home! It can be grown in a pot indoors or even outdoors during the summer months.

What does the Bird’s Eye chilli taste like, and is it very hot? 

The Bird’s Eye chilli is prized for its sweet yet peppery flavour and intense heat. These small chillies are fiery, measuring between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville units on the Scoville scale. That’s ten times hotter than a jalapeño, but half as hot as a habanero. As ripe red Bird’s Eye chillies have a delayed heat, the heat only sets in later whilst eating the dish and lingers long after you have finished eating.

How to use Bird’s Eye chillies?

Bird’s Eye chillies are widely used in Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. Salads, chips, curries, sauces, sambals, soups and marinades all contain fresh or dried chillies. Once the stalks have been removed, the chillies can be left whole, sliced, diced, chopped or blended. The seeds inside the pod are particularly hot and can be removed to achieve a milder flavour.

When preparing food with Bird’s Eye chillies, it is strongly recommended that you wear gloves! The chemical that makes chillies hot is called capsaicin. It can linger on your fingers for several hours and cause a burning sensation on the skin, particularly in the sensitive areas around the eyes. So wear gloves and wipe down your knife, work surfaces and anything else that has come into contact with the chopped chillies before removing them, to avoid pain and discomfort.

Fresh chillies can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks before use. To prevent moisture build-up and spoilage, wait until just before use to wash them thoroughly.

Bird’s-eye chillies can be pickled or dried to preserve their freshness. Although chillies can be frozen, this is not recommended due to the thin skin of small chillies. However, when properly preserved, dried and pickled chillies will keep at room temperature for up to a year.

Bird’s Eye chillies are an excellent choice if you want to add heat to a dish without introducing a overpowering or overpowering flavour. A small amount is enough.

A unique Bird’s Eye chilli recipe that’s well worth trying:

Although Bird’s Eye chillies can be eaten straight away without cooking, we’ve put together this delicious recipe. This spicy and flavourful chicken dish is a popular Malaysian dish that’s easy to make and will make you fall in love with Bird’s Eye chillies!

It’s called Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi, where ‘Ayam’ means ‘chicken’, ‘Masak’ means ‘cooked’, ‘Lamak’ means ‘creamy’ and ‘Cili Padi’ refers to Bird’s Eye chillies. An incredibly tasty idea for dinner.

You’ll need:

• 700g chicken, cut as desired
• Ten bird’s eye chillies
• One potato, cut into your preferred shape
• Two teaspoons of turmeric powder
• Two stalks of lemongrass, chopped
• Two medium-sized red onions, roughly chopped
• Two chopped turmeric leaves
• Two cups of light coconut milk
• One cup of thick coconut milk
• Salt to taste (we recommend using our Sweet salt!)

Method:

• First, finely pound the fresh turmeric and bird’s eye chillies. Add a little salt whilst pounding. Set this aside for a while.
• Next, fry the chopped onion in 2 tbsp of oil until fragrant.
• Then add the previously crushed spices. Stir the mixture until the aromatic ingredients and oil rise to the surface
• Add the chicken, lemongrass and potatoes to your mixture and carry on stirring!
• Now mix together one cup of water and some thin coconut milk.
• Stir occasionally and cook until the potatoes are nicely soft. You can test this by pressing a fork into the potato pieces.
• Add the thick coconut milk and turmeric leaves once the potato chunks have softened.
• Season with salt to taste
• Serve immediately with white rice.
• Enjoy your freshly made Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi with bird’s eye chillies!

You can find the recommended Sweet Salt here