The sizzling Hot Pepper ‘Mirch Masala’

With so many of us wanting to experience a wider range of world cuisines, peppers are a mainstay in most kitchens in the UK nowadays. The natural progression from this is the fact that more and more of us also love to grow our own firey treats at home, making the journey from plot to plate even quicker!

Suitable For A Wide Range Of Climates

These vigorous semi-erect plants produce masses of hot peppers under a wide range of climatic conditions. The well branched plants produce pendulous down-facing fruit, which are 10 cm in length, ripening to deep-red. Hot Pepper ‘Mirch Masala’ is a stunning treat, both ornamentally and taste wise, for chilli and pepper lovers everywhere!

 

How To Grow Hot Pepper ‘Mirch Masala’ Sow thinly January-March at 28C in cells or trays. Cover lightly with compost or vermiculite. Pot on into 9cm (3½”) pots when 2 sets of true leaves show. Transplant to larger pots/growing site when roots show at bottom of pot. When flowers show feed weekly with tomato food.

 

How Was ‘Mirch Masala’ Created ?

Mirch Masala was developed by Burpee’s breeding team in Bangalore, India. It is a classic Jwala type that has been selected primarily for a high level of pungency (heat) and general disease resistance under stressful growing conditions. The robust plants have been selected over many generations and the programme that produced Mirch Masala took seven years to complete. Mirch Masala was first tested under UK conditions in 2015 and was shown to be highly adapted for production in a large (35cm diameter) pot in an unheated greenhouse at our trials facility in Yorkshire. The well branched plants produced a prolific crop of 8cm long fruit which can be used green or when fully ripened to a rich deep red. The breeding in these types continues and two new varieties will be introduced to the European market in January 2021.

 

What’s Different About This Plant?

This stunning pepper variety can be grown in almost any climate condition, although it was originally selected for outdoor production in India, it also performs very well in unheated greenhouses in Northern Europe.

 

‘Creole Okra with Chicken & Prawns’ Recipe

Devised for Burpee Seed Europe by the chef Valerie Hamelin

Ingredients

450g Chicken thighs – boneless & skinless

2 to 4tbsp of rapeseed oil

½ hot pepper – Mirch Masala finely chopped

2 tsp Garlic – chopped

1 Bay leaf

1 Medium onion – chopped

70g Celery – diced

1 tsp Smoked paprika

1 tsp Fresh/ dry thyme

1 Sweet pepper – Crispy – chopped

6 Tomatoes – Tomato – ‘Super Mama’ – chopped

200g Fresh okra – Okra – ‘Baby Bubba’ – sliced

½ tsp cayenne pepper

300 ml Chicken stock

150g Raw prawns

½ tsp Salt and pepper

Creole spice mix

2 ½tbsp Paprika

2tbsp Salt

2tbsp Garlic powder

1tbsp Black pepper

1tbsp Onion powder

1tbsp Cayenne pepper

1tbsp Dried oregano

1tbsp Dried thyme

Method

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and season with the Creole spice mix and marinade for 15 – 20 minutes (the longer the better).
2. Heat a saucepan with 1tbsp oil, add the chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
3. In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, celery, jalapenos, bay leaf, thyme and paprika. Add more oil if needed then stir gently and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Once all the ingredients are all golden brown, add the tomatoes, cayenne pepper, peppers and the sealed chicken. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the okra and add the stock. Season to taste
6. Stir occasionally and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
7. Finally, stir in the prawns, cooking for a further 5 to 6 minutes until cooked through.

TIP:

The Okra is used as a thickening agent so your dish should be a lovely consistency.

To serve:

Serve with basmati and wild rice and finish with freshly chopped coriander.

 

Where Can You Plant Hot Pepper ‘Mirch Masala’

This hot pepper stunner is quite at home growing direct in the garden or in a large pot. Masses of downward-facing hot peppers are produced from semi-erect plants, producing bright red fruits when ripe.

Where Can You Buy Hot Pepper ‘Mirch Masala’ Seeds?

Simpsons Seeds, Nickys Nursery, Pretty Wild Seeds, Marshalls and Westland.

 

About burpee europe

Our passion at Burpee Europe is to develop new tasty, disease resistant vegetables and also stunning flowers for use by home gardeners around the world and to encourage the cultivation of gardens by individuals and communities. We see our mission as not only the introduction of new and improved varieties but also the communication of the benefits, both physical and mental, of gardening.

Our seeds are sold through a selection of the top seed companies in the UK and have won numerous awards including those from the Royal Horticultural Society.