Ching’s Dragon Fire Chutney Is Not For The Faint Hearted

Ching’s Dragon Fire Chutney has secured a spot in Mishry’s curated list of the Best Products of 2023.

Today, we have a question for you. Those who love sweets are called sweet tooths, what are the spicy food aficionados called? Daring? Audacious?

Ching’s, one of India’s favorite brand for instant soup and noodles, launched a new range of sauce called Dragon Fire. In our Ching’s Dragon Fire Chutney review, we tried the chutney as a dip and a cooking sauce. 

Regret or recommend?

All you need to know is mentioned in the following table. 

While reviewing Ching’s Dragon Fire Chutney, we considered parameters like taste and texture. The packaging, price, ingredients, and convenience were also taken into account. 

1. Taste

The bottle shows three chilli signs, i.e, highest level. Does the spice level do justice to this graphic? How would we rate the potency of spice? Are real chillies used or has flavor been added? What about the overall seasoning, the salt content? Does it taste fresh? 

2. Texture

Like a dip, as a spread, like a cooking sauce- is this a versatile chutney in terms of texture? Chunky, paste-like, mixes well?

Do the flavors lose depth when cooked with veggies?

3. Other Parameters

The price, packaging, shelf life were gauged here. 

Price + Packaging

Like most sauces by Ching’s, this is offered in a glass bottle. It holds 250 grams of the chutney and is priced at Rs 90/- with a shelf life of 17 months. The small paper booklet tied around the neck of the bottle gives details on the usage of the chutney like fried rice, tikkas and more.

Main Ingredients

Water, Chilli, Cotton seed oil, Sugar, Ginger, Salt, Garlic, Onion, Thickener (E1422), Acidity regulator (E260), Flavor enhancer (E635), Preservatives (E202, E211), Natural color (E141 (ii)), Turmeric, Natural flavoring substances are the key ingredients used. 

What is E141?

E 141 is a permitted natural green color that is derived from plants or algae. This oil soluble olive green pigment is extracted commercially.

How did we test this chutney?

Stage one was a simple visual assessment. Stage two was using the chutney as a dip with some fries and other fried snacks. For the final stage of testing, we followed the fried rice recipe mentioned on the label. 

This testing process not only helped us understand the flavor, but also the texture, the versatility, and the potency of this chutney. 

Aroma + Appearance

There was a substantial layer of oil floating on top. Stirring the jar from top to bottom is CRUCIAL before you use the sauce.

It had a robust aroma of green chillies, this created a tingling sensation on our nose. We could see chilli seeds and peels (skin) which lent a chunky appearance to the chutney. 

Flavor + Texture

This was not a smooth paste-like chutney, it had seeds and skin, giving it some texture and body. So this worked quite well as a dip. Not just fries, you can pair this with other frozen snacks too, owing to its chunky texture. 

Even as a cooking paste, the performance was impressive. We added 3 tsp with 100 grams of veggies and 200 grams of rice. It was evenly distributed and did not form lumps.

Now, on to the flavor. This is REALLY spicy and if you’re someone with a low-medium spice tolerance, the Dragon Fire chutney is not for you. While cooking we added a pinch of salt to balance the flavors out. All-in-all, this chutney is very fresh to taste and has warm garlicky notes. Make sure you add it gradually and taste it at every stage to achieve a desirable spice level.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Ching’s Dragon Fire chutney.

Were our eyes watering? Did we reach out for a glass of water? Yes, some of us did.

Ching’s Dragon Fire Chutney is heavy on spice but not unbearable for people with a high tolerance level. It added a strong heat to our rice and snacks but we liked it. The delicate flavor of garlic was appreciable. 

Have you tried Ching’s Sauces before, how has your experience been?

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.