Chilli production in India, its processing and developing value added products to enhance farmers income

1. MIRCH
CHILLI (Capsicum annuum. L, - Solanaceae) PROCESSING FOR VALUE
ADDED PRODUCTS
DR JAI SINGH
M. Tech. Ph D
Former Director ICAR – Ciphet
E Mail: jsingh.sre@gmail.com
Chillie is one of the most valuable commercial spice crops of the world. Different
varieties are grown for vegetables, spices, condiments, sauces and pickles. Both
green and dried chillies are the important components of Indians routine diet. It gives
the required pungency, colour, taste and flavour to dishes.
When chillies taken with food, it stimulates taste buds and there by increase the flow
of saliva which contains the enzyme analyse helping in the digestion of starchy or
cereal foods. The presence of capsaicin in chilli is responsible for its pungency and it
has medicinal value. The extracted capsaicin is used in pain balms, cosmetics,
medicines related to heart diseases. Capsanthin, a pigment in chilli used for natural
colouration to Jams, Jellies and squashes, without any adverse effect on human
health. India is the largest producer consumer and exporter of Chilli cultivating in
the area of 7.75 lakh hectares with 14.92 lakh metric tons production ( NHB 2014-15
estimates) contributing about 40 % of the World's chilli production. The important
chilli growing states are Andhra Pradesh , Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa and Tamil
Nadu forming more than 70 per cent acreage of India. The per unit production is high
in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where the chilli crop is raised under irrigated
condition than in Maharashtra and Karnataka, where the crop is raised mainly under
rain fed situations. India is exporting about 3.0 lakh tonnes chilli to several countries
valued at Rs269101.5 lakh. Value added products from chilli are : green chilli
powder, red chilli powder, green chilli paste, red chilli paste, red and green chilli
pickle and sauces, etc. Chilli is also known for human health benefits as powerful
anitoxident, reducing damaging effects of LDL (bad cholesterol), lowering and
regulating blood sugar, helping in weight loss, elevating endorphin and serotonin
levels, boosting immune system, etc.
Processes and technologies to produce value added products have been presented
in this article.
.
Green Chilli Powder:
 Select firm, brightly coloured chillis free from soft or black areas or any
sign of spoilage and destem .
 Wash and dry your chillies, cut off the green caps and slice in half if you
prefer. Do not de-seed chillies.

2.  Lay chillies on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 125F/52C for 8 - 12 hours
or until completely dry. Alternatively, dehydrated at 104F/40C for 12-16 hours
for raw powder. Can also be dried in sun drying yard with green cloth cover or
poly house or solar drier.
 Dry till they become brittle.
 Powder in a spice grinder
 Store in small sealed jars in a cool, dark place and use within 6 months for
maximum freshness and potency.
Red Chilli Powder:
 For a deep colour but a not too spicy taste, choose the long, shiny, thick, dried
chillies.
 Sun dry them till crisp.
 Break off stalks and discard.
 While pounding / powdering add a tsp of oil to a kg of chillies.
 This will act as a preservative.
 Once powdered, pack in a ziplock or seam-seal polythene bags. Or in sterile glass
jars with airtight lids.
 Put small blocks of asafoetida or spread some salt on top of the powder to preserve
from getting spoilt for a longer time.
Green Chilli Paste:
 Select green chillies
 Destem, wash and dry all surface water
 Carry out coarse grinding
 Add salt at grinding time
 Remove the paste and store it in an air tight container or glass bottle and
keep it refrigerated.
Red Chilli Paste:
 Select red chillies mix of hot and less hot.
 Remove the stem, wash and dry all surface water.
 Boil water in a pan. Pour chilli in hot water and soak for 25 – 30 minutes and
drain the water.
 Carry out blending to make paste.
 Take oil in a pan and heat it. Now add paste and stir for 2 – 3 minutes. Garlic
cloves, vinegar, salt, ground cumin and sugar can also be added according to
taste.
 Remove the paste and store it in an air tight container.
Chilli Sauce Making

3.  Take oinion, garlic, ginger, tomato, chilli, jalapenos, vinegar, salt , sugar
and oil.
 Chop all material and mix.
 Heat the mixture on slow and high heat till it comes to boiling point.
 Lower the heat and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.
 Grind with food processor. Reboil.
 Fry onion in oil. Add garlic, ginger, pepper.
 Cook for 2 minutes and simmer.
 Blend to required consistency.
 Pack and use.
CHILLI PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY (PICTORIAL)
CHILLI CROP PLANTING
WITH PLASTIC MULCH
CHILLI CROP CHILLI CROP IN FRUITING
CHILLI PLANTER
CHILLI SPECIES
CHILLI MANUAL PICKING

4. CHILLI SUN DRYING CHILLI POLY HOUSE DRYING
CHILLI STRING / POLE
DRYING
DRIED CHILLI WITH STEM
DE – STEMMED CHILLI
CHILLI STEM
CHILLI STEM
REMOVING MACHINE CHILLI SEED
SEPARATOR
CHILLI PULVERISER
CHILLI PULVERISING
MACHINE
CHILLI POWDERING
MACHINE CHILLI PROCESSOR

5. GREEN CHILLI
POWDER
GREEN CHILLI POWDER
PACK
RED CHILLI POWDER
AND PACK
GREEN CHILLI PASTE GREEN CHILLI PASTE
PACK
RED CHILLI PASTE
GREEN CHILLI PICKLE RED CHILLI PICKLE
CHILLI SAUCE