How To Make Your Own Chili Powder

Ingredients:

Ok guys, lets talk chili Powder. That bland stuff in the back of your cupboard that has probably been there for a year and was never that good to start with just won't cut it anymore. You need something with a very strong aromatic presence and good flavor, neither of which is provided in a store bought chili powder.

I apologize in advance for this being imprecise, i don't measure much unless baking, i tried to work out amounts but just ask if clarification is needed.

You are going to need a few types of dried peppers, anchos are one of my favs but basically whatever you can find at the local Latin market or in the ethnic section of your grocery store (i used 4 anchos and 5 varying smaller ones). Other than that you need garlic and onion powders as well as dried oregano and basil. Last but not least you will need whole cumin seeds.

Step 1:

First things first, prep those chilies buy ripping open their tops and dumping out their seeds.

The seeds should come out without much hassle.

Step 2:

Next chop your peppers, scissors work really well for this, alas I couldn't find a pair, so I used a knife.

Step 3:

Once you have enough peppers:

Step 4:

Fire up your skillet, doesn't have to be cast iron... but it helps.

Step 5:

Toss your cumin seeds into the skillet, you need less cumin than peppers, for the amount of peppers I used it took nearly half a bottle of cumin seeds.

Step 6:

Add the peppers:

And let them toast until warm and fragrant, the cumin seeds may pop a little as they finish, but keep the heat kind of low, you don't want to burn the cumin.

Step 7:

Once that is ready go ahead and drop it into your blender with your other ingredients. (That is the oregano, basil, garlic and onion... just a couple teaspoons of the powders and a tablespoon or so of each of the herbs... just eyeball it)

Step 8:

And blend (low speeds seem to circulate it better). You may have to stop it and stir it to get it all blended.

Step 9:

Pour it into some sort of airtight storage container.

Give it a whiff and smile with pride knowing you'll never have to suffer through bland store bought chili powder ever again.

Step 10:

This isn't as finely ground as you can go but i prefer it this way, you can run it through a coffee mill or just blend it longer probably if you don't like it hearty like me.