What to use instead of green chilies
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
Advertisement
Fresh green heat added raw or at the end
A raw green chili gives a sharp, grassy heat that sits on top of the dish, and it fades within a few minutes of cooking, which is why it goes in last.
SerranoRan out
1:1 by count
About the same heat with a cleaner, less grassy flavour, and thicker walls that stay crunchy longer.
JalapenoRan out
1 1/2 jalapenos per green chili
Milder and much meatier, so the heat is softer and there is more vegetable in every bite.
Thai bird chiliRan out
1 bird chili per 2 green chilies
Hotter and sharper, with heat that arrives late and lasts, and far less green flavour behind it.
Green bell pepper with cayenneRan out
2 tbsp minced pepper plus 1/4 tsp cayenne per chili
The green flavour is there and the heat is flat and dusty rather than bright and immediate.
What doesn't work: Canned green chilies. They are roasted, peeled and packed in acid, so they bring a soft tinny sourness, almost no heat, and enough liquid to kill a tempering.
Chili split and bloomed in hot oil
Dropped whole into hot fat, the chili gives its heat and aroma to the oil, and the oil then carries it through everything else in the pan.
Serrano, slit lengthwiseRan out
1:1 by count
The same heat into the oil with a cleaner finish, and it holds its shape better through a long simmer.
Whole dried red chiliesRan out
2 dried per 1 fresh green chili
Rounder heat and a smoky-sweet flavour instead of a grassy one, and the dish loses its green colour.
Thai bird chilies, slitRan out
1 bird chili per 2 green chilies
Hotter, and the heat keeps building through the cook rather than settling where it started.
Jarred green chili pasteRan out
1 tsp per 2 fresh chilies
Disperses instantly rather than sitting in pieces, and the vinegar in it thins the gravy and sharpens it.
What doesn't work: Cayenne or chili powder stirred into the hot oil. Ground chili burns inside thirty seconds and turns the whole pan bitter and dark, so it belongs with the wet ingredients instead.