Makes
About 1/4 cupIngredients
Method
- Prep. If possible start with whole dried chiles and make powders from them. Cut off the tops of the chiles with scissors and shake out the seeds. Poke around in the chile with a knife to get the rest. With the scissors cut the chiles lengthwise into two halves, and then into chunks about 1 inch (25 mm) square.
- Toast. Put the chunks into a medium hot frying pan for about 2 minutes, no oil, then shake the pan to flip as many as possible and toast them for another 2 minutes. This brings out the flavorful oils, a process called blooming.
- Powder. Grind the toasted chunks in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, blender, or food processor. I usually use my coffee grinder, but if you do, remember to clean it thoroughly when you are done or you'll spend the night on the couch (don't ask me how I learned this). Let the cloud of dust settle in the grinder for several minutes before you remove the top or your cries of pain will be heard blocks away (don't ask me how I learned this).
- Pour all the powdered ingredients in a bowl or jar and stir them all together.
- Use. The blend will still be useable for about a year, but the freshness and potency slowly declines.
Notes
You can buy powdered chiles, but the results are better if you grind them yourself. The size and weight of the average pod can vary significantly from store to store and from season to season. To help you plan, here are some conversions that are sorta average.
1 ancho weighs about 1/4 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons
1 pasilla weighs about 1/4 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
1 guajillo weighs about 1/8 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 2 teaspoons
1 chipotle weighs about 1/8 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 2 teaspoons