1.  Add to Indian vegetables, curries. 2.  Use when barbecuing. 3.  Add to Mexican dishes such as salsa, avocado dip, taco, and enchilada sauces. 4.  Use in stir fry. 5.  Relishes and chutneys. 6.  Use in Thai curries and dishes. 7.  Use in African cuisine especially Harris . 8.  Indonesian sambals are hot chili sauces served with meals to adjust hotness level to one's personal taste. 9.  Indian hot pickles and hot chutneys are hot chile preparations served with meals to adjust hotness level to one's personal taste. 10.  Chile-based table condiments are also used in Thai cuisine like nam pla prik (fish sauce with finely chopped green chilies), prik dong (chopped red chilies in vinegar) and prik phom (red chili powder) which also allow for personal adjustment of spiciness. 11.  In Chinese cuisine dried red chiles are fried in hot oil until dark brown. This hot chili oil is then used to season stir-fries and other dishes. 12.  Korean cuisine also embraced hot chilies in kim chi and in hot bean pastes. 13.  Heat chilies pepper and cumin in a teaspoon of butter or ghee and garnish dals/ lentils before serving for a gourmet look/garnish.

We like the way Ajika has organized their spice offerings - They offer larger bottles for spices that are used in larger quantities and medium sized bottles for spices used in medium quantities and small bottles for spices used in small quantities. This helps in organizing the pantry. Also Ajika has chosen their spice bottles very wisely - the bottles have a wide mouth, so they may be opened and lined before cooking and a spoon may be used for the spices. With the Ajika system the cook can open the bottles up and use a spoon without struggling to get the spice out as is done with a traditional spice bottle. When oil is sizzling, you need to add spices fast. The traditional small mouth tall jar storage system is too difficult to manage when quick decisions need to be made.  With the traditional system one lands up putting the spice in the caps and having the steam from cooking destroy the essence of spices. Large dried chilies tend to be milder than the smaller ones. Dried chilies are used to make chili oil. They are most suited for use in stir-fried dishes; split and chopped; they are excellent in sauces and for braising. They are normally left whole or cut in half lengthways, or finely ground. The seeds may be left in or discarded, depending on your taste. Remember the seeds increase the intensity, or hotness, of the chili flavor.

Mixed Vegetable Curry : Ingredients: 1 cup Peas. 1 cup Carrot. 1 cup lima beans. 1 cup Potatoes. 1 cup Tomatoes . 1 cup Onions . 1 cup Cauliflower. 1 cup Cashew nut paste. 1 tsp. Ginger garlic paste. 3 tsp. Fenugreek leaves or kasturi Methi. Salt to taste. 1 tsp. Chili powder. 1 tsp. garam masala. Method : Steam all the vegetables and keep aside. Heat another pan and add oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic paste fry till the raw smell disappears, the add chopped onions & fry. After they turn light brown in color add tomatoes. Add the vegetables, cashew nut paste, salt, kasurimethi & chili powder and garam masala. Cook for about 15 mts till the curry has a good color and texture. Serve with tandoori naan.