Dalle Khursani: Sikkim's Red Hot Chilli Pepper

A chilli that could unleash your senses- Dalle Khursani is so hot, it is not for the faint of heart. However, a whiff of this fireball is enough to salivate a foodie.

Dalle Khursani is a special variety of chilli grown in Sikkim, the Darjeeling hills and the Himalayas of Nepal. Scarlet red in colour, it is one of the hottest chillies in the world. Dalle Khursani literally translates to ‘Round chillies’ owing to its physical attribute. In Nepal, it is also known as Akbare Khursani or Jyanmaara Khursani; Jyanmaara Khursani, however, could translate to ‘Lifetaker chillies’ based on its taste.

On the Scoville scale - a scale used to measure the spiciness of chillies - dalle khursani ranges between 1,00,000 to 3,50,000 Scoville Heat Units, similar to its Mexican counterpart, the Habanero chillies.

Dalle Khursani is a must-have side dish with Dal-Bhaat-Tarkari (Rice-lentil-Curry), the staple diet of the region. Biting into chilli with every morsel of rice adds heaps of flavour to the food that hits the right spot. Besides being spicy, it has a distinct aroma and a high flavour. Being a crucial part of the daily course for many, it has occasioned a popular saying, “Dalle sangha bhaat kya rucchha ni”- my appetite for rice (equivalent to a meal in the region) increases with a pod of dalle with it. While water is said to spread the capsaicin (an active component in chillies that causes a burning sensation) inside the mouth, ghee is considered to be a popular grandma’s remedy to neutralise the chilli burn caused by the chilli.

Dalle Khursani belongs to the Solanaceae and genus capsicum family and is known to be extremely hot. The only method of preservation this chilli undergoes is pickling, otherwise, it is eaten in a variety of ways when it is ripe and fresh. While being pickled solo using traditional spices, vinegar, into a paste or as a plain salt pickle, it is also combined with radish, bamboo shoots, wild orchids, and yellow peas among others. However, fresh dalle khursani is an essential ingredient for the red hot chutney that is usually accompanied with momos. The tomatoes are either blanched or fire-roasted and blended with dalle khursani. Dry roasted sesame seeds and peanuts are often ground along with the aforementioned ingredients. These chutneys, besides being used as a dip for momos, are eaten alongside meals, buckwheat pancakes, fresh cucumbers, yams and tubers among others. Several stew dishes, gruels and broths that do not largely fall under the curry category get a flavour boost from the chutney.

Besides, Dalle Khursani boasts of an array of nutrients such as vitamins A, E, and C, potassium, and anti-oxidants. It is low in sodium. A hundred grams of fresh dalle khursani has five times more vitamin C than an orange.

The ideal temperature required for the flowering of dalle khursani is 20-25 degrees Celsius. Anything below 12 degree Celsius even during the night hampers the growth and fruit set of the plant. The crop, during its early stages, requires a warm and humid climate. However, it demands dry weather towards the maturity of the pods. It cannot withstand heavy rains that cause defoliation and rotting of pods. It requires a sandy loam soil and if the soil is highly acidic, it is neutralised using limestone or dolomite. Under protected conditions, it is grown all year round. The height of the plant under open field reaches up to 100-130 cm, in greenhouse conditions it goes up to 150-180 cm. The pod in its initial stage is green; it turns red once fully mature and can easily be confused with a cherry.

With the Government’s initiative for organic farming, in 2019 alone, Sikkim produced over 250 tonnes of dalle khursani of which 50 tonnes were used by Sikkim Supreme - a Government-owned Food and Beverages Company - to make pickles and paste. Besides, with social media & e-commerce, many private parties are taking up processing, packaging, and shipping pickles and paste of the pepper.

The concept of fusion cuisine and a growing appetite for unique flavours has taken dalle khursani to the pizzerias and ice-cream parlours in the buzzing town of Gangtok - the capital of Sikkim. A noteworthy example is one particular ice-cream parlour’s signature ‘Icy Hot Dalle’, that melds the exotic chilli with familiar flavours of an ice-cream.

Dalle Khursani recently earned Sikkim a geographical indication (GI) tag from the Union department of Industry promotion and internal trade.

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