Adding chili powder to a dish makes it dark black

Adding chili powder to a dish makes it dark black - Delicious sweet pancakes placed in baking dish near metal fork and knife on table on black background

Chili powder was homemade, Chilies were dried and sent to nearby mill to grind and make it fine. When I started using this powder it makes the dish black and it looks black but tastes fine. Wondering what contaminated the powder, does anyone have any similar experiences?

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Best Answer

I make my own chili powder by drying (already dried) chilies in the oven till crispy. I then add them to a food processor and grind them to a rough powder.

The result is a very dark chili powder that will often darken what it is added to substantially. If I cover a steak with it the steak is blackened. Adding it to lighter soups and stews also darkens them substantially.

As you send your chili powder out to be professionally ground it likely comes out much more finely ground than my inexpensive, old, food processor. And because of that is likely to color anything you add it to more than mine.

Like @GdD said I would bet this is what is happening with your chili powder.



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Quick Answer about "Adding chili powder to a dish makes it dark black"

  • Most likely nothing contaminated the powder, dark chilis make dark powder. ...
  • For a comparison see Aleppo vs Urfa peppers. ...
  • Not an answer, but in the future, consider just keeping your dried chiles whole, then rehydrating with cooking liquid and blending at use time.


    • Why is my chili powder black?

    Dark chili powder is dark because it often contains more of the chili pepper (like ancho) with a darker color and the spices are often roasted for longer periods. This leads to a seasoning blend that's often earthier, smokier, sweeter, and spicier than its lighter counterpart.

    Why is my chili powder Brown?

    Why did my Red Chilli Powder Turned Brown? Some of the chemicals in the chilli powder have reacted with oxygen in the air, and over time have therefore changed colour. This is quite normal, and many foods exhibit this change. In my experience chilli, whole or powder, changes in a good way with aging.

    What does chili powder add to a dish?

    Chili powder is added to chili con carne, beans, or casseroles when the other ingredients are mixed and set to cook. Often, additional amounts of the spices that are typical components of chili powder (such as cumin) are also called for in the recipe, to create the desired flavor combinations.

    How do you darken chili?

    Chili con Carne with Molasses, Cocoa Powder, and Beer There's also some molasses, cocoa powder, and mild lager in the mix (you could swap in a darker porter or stout for sure). A small amount of cornmeal adds even more body to the chili and is another good secret weapon to keep in mind.


    Dark and Light Chili Powder // Spiceology



    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Monstera, Mikhail Nilov, Dibakar Roy, ready made

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