Byadgi Red Chillies (Byadgi Mirchi/ Byadgi Mirsaang)

Byadgi Red Chillies is a peculiar variety of Red Chillies which finds abundant use in Udupi and Konkani GSB cuisine. The thin, tall crinkly Chilli gets its name from a small town Byadgi, located near Haveri district of Karnataka, a state located in South of India. The chilli packs in less heat, is less seeded and provides the distictive red color and flavour to Konkani food. These are also known as Kaddi Chillies (Kaddi = Thin and slender in Kannada). These chillies find lot of demand in South Indian cuisines and are harvested with great aplomb in many central Karnataka districts in India.

When season's best Byadgi produce hits the market, many buy a huge stock and trim off the stem and store in bulk. When we were kids, many a times we sourced a bulk stock from local farmers who used to harvest these thin lanky slender goodies in their farmland. The close cousin of this Chilli is the Dabbi Chilli which is heavily seeded and has an albeit short stature. Dabbi Chilli (Guddi Mirsaang) is very strong, spicy, non crinkly and also gives a rich red color.