Deggi mirch is the answer to a problem every Indian cook has. You want the deep red colour of a restaurant curry without the heat that would come with that much chilli.

Big colour, moderate heat. It is a blend of Kashmiri-style chillies rather than a single hot variety.

Use it in tandoori marinades, butter chicken, rogan josh and anywhere the colour matters. You can be far more generous with it than with ordinary chilli powder.

On the spice shelf at Curry Corner, North Melbourne.