Home ›› 11 Aug 2022 ›› Nation
The Spices Research Centre (SRC) in Bogura has started producing green chilli powder, pioneering in the production of the powdered spice in the country.
Dr Masud Alam, an agronomist of the district’s SRC at Shibganj upazila, recently invented an easy technique to grind green chilli into powder, paving the way to produce the spice powder commercially.
The powder spice is going to hit the market soon as it has already passed the initial quality test, said Dr Masud.He expects that marketing the chilli powder will lessen the import of the product.
“Besides, marketing this spice powder, hopefully, will keep the price of green chilli stable in the domestic market throughout the year,” he said, claiming that the taste of curry cooked with powdered chilli does not differ from the one cooked with fresh green chilli.
Dr Alam said the annual demand for green chilli in the country is about 2.95 lakh tonnes while 1.41 lakh tonnes are produced domestically. Imported chilli meets the rest of the demand.
A huge amount of domestically produced chilli is wasted during the marketing process. As a result, supply falls short and prices hike in kitchen markets. Moreover, green chilli has a short shelf-life and a lot of it is wasted when the supply is high but the demand is low.
Taking this aspect of marketing the green chilli into consideration, Dr Masud started contemplating how to address the issue.
After years of research, he found a relatively easy way of grinding green chilli into powder and preserving it. It took some more time to ensure the taste and quality of the product before beginning the marketing process.
“There is no risk of rotting if the green chilli is processed as powder. If stored well, quality of the spice powder will remain the same for two years,” he said, adding, “Processing green chilli into powder does not reduce its quality. About 100-150 grams of powder can be processed from one kg of green chillies.”
About one teaspoon of green chilli powder is needed to cook a meal for a family of five. The powder is cheaper and can be easily preserved for a long time, said Dr Alam.
“Green chilli powder is currently in the process of being commercially marketed. Once it is marketed, it will save foreign exchange reducing green chilli import, and stabilise the domestic market as well,” he hoped.
According to the agronomist, the first step in the process is to crisply dry the green chilli out in the sun, because if there is any moisture left, it will lessen the shelf-life of the powder. Afterwards, the chilli is processed into a fine powder and stored in airtight containers to ensure its taste and quality.
“This process can ensure the supply of this kitchen staple in the market throughout the year. The shelf-life of green chilli powder is about two years,” he said, adding that young entrepreneurs can also take this opportunity as a new business venture.
Dr Haridas Chandra Mohonto, chief scientific officer of Bogura SRC, said, “Our country depends on imports for all types of spices. In the case of green chilli, production is hampered during natural calamities, resulting in higher prices in the market.”
He expects that the method of processing chilli powder developed by Dr Alam will help with the supply and demand imbalance of green chilli.
Notable, Dr Masud Alam previously invented the technology of processing onion powder.
