In February, our Meet the Producer event will feature local father-of-four Darren Mollan, founder of Chilli Papas. Chilli Papas spice mixes make child's play of cooking Mexican fare and tasty curries. The mixes are fat-free, gluten-free and vegan and use an oil free cooking method. In this article Darren gives you his account of how it all began and what comes next...
Welcome to Chilli Papas
Imagine the scene. It was December 30th 2010 with freezing temperatures and thick snow outside. I was rushing around after four kids and trying to decide what was for dinner. My sister-in-law came round and wanted to cook a curry for friends on New Year’s Day. Well, being busy that day, Lynn suggested blending the spices and including cooking instructions.The curry was a resounding success and Chilli Papas was born. Chilli Papas was originally born out of adapting my mother's family recipes without oil making them healthier for all the family and has led to the adaptation of other curries through trial and error.
What is Chilli Papas
We currently hand-blend spices and herbs, include an oil-free recipe so anyone can cook a Chilli Papas at home! Not only is the recipe step-by-step but is also a one-pot dish making it a delicious but very easy meal to create. Oh and did I also mention that each pack cooks two meals for four adults and has a very long shelf life!? We currently have a blend of family recipes from Burma and Nepal, famous curries from around the world, non-curry mixes and all in a variety of heat strengths. This range will be increased by a further six mixes in a year adding to us being a finalist in the Scottish Curry Awards 2013!
Click here to see the full range of Chilli Papas spice mixes available from Real Foods.
What next for Chilli Papas
Our company ethos is the promotion of healthy curry which can be cooked easily at home. Keeping in with this, we want to spread the word throughout the UK and globally as this truly is a unique product. We believe that Chilli Papas can assist anyone looking to change eating habits, educate kids in cooking due to its ease of creation and aid those with specific diets to follow due to its natural ingredients. Follow us on Facebook and twitter! #healthycurry