Peppercorns

Peppercorns are the dried berries of the pepper vine, grown along the Malabar coast of Kerala and in the central hills of Sri Lanka. They are milagu in Tamil, kali mirch in Hindi and gammiris in Sinhala, and before chillies reached Asia they were the main source of heat in the kitchen. They still lead in Chettinad pepper chicken, milagu rasam, ven pongal, Sri Lankan black curries and garam masala.

Black peppercorns are picked green and dried in the sun until wrinkled and dark. White pepper is the same berry with the skin removed, hotter and more earthy, for pale dishes. Crushed or coarse pepper saves pounding for fried chicken and pepper fry, and Ceylon pepper is prized for its strong aroma. Whole corns keep their bite far longer than pepper powder, so they are the better choice for the store cupboard.

Crack pepper just before using it, in a mortar or a grinder, and add most of it towards the end of cooking so the aroma stays. Whole peppercorns go into biryani, pulao and stocks at the start. Kept sealed, they last for years with little loss. Browse cloves, cardamom and the other whole spices.