Pepper Powder

Pepper powder is ground from dried peppercorns, the berries of a vine native to the Western Ghats of South India. In Tamil it is milagu, in Sinhala gammiris and in Hindi kali mirch, and it drives dishes such as pepper rasam, Chettinad pepper chicken and Sri Lankan black pepper curries.

Black pepper is the whole dried berry and is sharp and aromatic. White pepper has the outer skin removed and tastes hotter and more earthy, and it is the one to use in cream sauces, egg dishes and Indo-Chinese soups where black specks would show. A coarse grind gives more bite in rasam and fried chicken, while a fine grind disappears into marinades and gravies.

Ground pepper loses its punch faster than most spices, so add it towards the end of cooking and keep the lid tight. For the freshest heat, buy peppercorns whole and crush what you need in a mortar. Other powders are on the ground spices shelf, including ginger and garlic powder for rubs and chilli powder for a different kind of heat.