Chilli paste is an incredibly versatile kitchen ingredient. It's convenient, time-saving and flavour-boosting in nature. A teaspoonful of chilli paste in dishes like stir-fries, noodles, fried rice, pasta, tteokbokki, mashed potato or soup can make a world of difference. It adds heat and elevates the taste and aroma of any bland food.
What is chilli paste?
Chilli paste is quite literally a paste with chilli as the main ingredient. Soaked or dried chillies are ground with oil, seasoning and other ingredients to make the paste. It can be fermented or fresh, ground manually with a mortar and pestle or in a grinder.
Chilli paste can be served as a condiment or be used as a marinade. Every country and cuisine has its signature chilli paste. Koreans have gojuchang, North Africans have harissa, Yemenis have zhug, Indonesians have sambal, Egyptians have shatta, Thai have sriracha and Indians have thecha.
Commonly prepared with red chillies, chilli paste can also be made with green chillies.
Also Read: Green chilli benefits: Everything you need to know about hari mirch
Chilli paste nutrition
One tablespoon (32 gram) of chilli paste has the following nutrients:
| Nutrients | Measure (Daily Value) |
| Calories | 56 |
| Total fat | 0.2 gm (0%) |
| Saturated fat | 0 gm |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.1 gm |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0 gm |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 895 mg (37%) |
| Potassium | 16 mg (0%) |
| Total carbohydrates | 14 gm (5%) |
| Dietary fibre | 0.2 gm (1%) |
| Sugars | 9.5 gm |
| Protein | 0.7 gm |
Also Read: Bird's eye chilli: Weight loss and other hot benefits of 'kanthari mulaku'
Health benefits of chilli paste
Chilli peppers, the main ingredient in chilli paste, is rich in various vitamins and minerals. It is a source of antioxidants, potassium, copper and vitamin C, B6 and A.
It also contains powerful compounds like capsaicin, capsanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, sinapic acid and ferulic acid. A paste made of mature red chillies may be more antioxidant-rich than that made of green chillies. Here are some of the health benefits of chilli paste:
- Relieves inflammation
- Boosts heart health
- Relieves pain
- Helps in weight loss
- Burns fat
- May extend lifespan
- May reduce cancer risk
- Reduces oxidative stress
- Improves digestion
- Reduces pain: Chilli paste in the diet could help in reducing pain to a certain extent. The condiment could possible take the edge off migraine, joint pain and even arthritic pain. Capsaicin is the wonder ingredient in red chilli paste that can confuse the pain signals. By triggering a heat sensation, capsaicin can confuse the brain to register pain as heat, masking the pain sensation.
- Can help in weight loss: Chilli paste could also aid in weight loss by reducing appetite and triggering fat burning. Capsaicin also cranks up the metabolism, activating a sensory neuron that prevents fat build up and overeating.
- Keeps the heart healthy: Capsaicin contains a bioactivator, which is linked to a lower incidence of heart diseases. Capsaicin is a vasodilator, which allows the blood to flow more freely, reducing blood pressure. It also improves insulin resistance, fights cholesterol, reduces stroke risk and risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Boosts immune health: Rich in vitamin C, chilli peppers also mobilises B and T cells of the immune system, killing invading pathogens.
References:
Shi, Z., El-Obeid, T., Riley, M., Li, M., Page, A., & Liu, J. (2019). High Chili Intake and Cognitive Function among 4582 Adults: An Open Cohort Study over 15 Years. Nutrients, 11(5), 1183. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051183
Whiting S, Derbyshire EJ, Tiwari B. Could capsaicinoids help to support weight management? A systematic review and meta-analysis of energy intake data. Appetite. 2014 Feb;73:183-8. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.11.005. Epub 2013 Nov 15. PMID: 24246368.
Fattori, V., Hohmann, M. S., Rossaneis, A. C., Pinho-Ribeiro, F. A., & Verri, W. A. (2016). Capsaicin: Current Understanding of Its Mechanisms and Therapy of Pain and Other Pre-Clinical and Clinical Uses. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 21(7), 844. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21070844
Zheng, J., Zheng, S., Feng, Q., Zhang, Q., & Xiao, X. (2017). Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications. Bioscience reports, 37(3), BSR20170286. https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20170286
Carr, A. C., & Maggini, S. (2017). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients, 9(11), 1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111211
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