Whether you’re scooping a spoonful of goat vindaloo or a bite of chicken tikka masala, it’s surely going to tickle your tastebuds with flavourful spice. While it’s quite a tasty and blissful sensation for those who love spicy food, many people who typically prefer mild dishes also tend to enjoy a touch of spice in their Indian dishes. After all, that’s what Indian dishes are known for.
But what exactly is in top spicy Indian foods that lends it such a fiery kick? Well, let’s go through the ingredients, spices, and techniques that contribute to the spiciness.
The Magic of Chili Peppers
You can’t help but associate spiciness in Indian dishes with chili peppers. It is the principal source of the flame (spiciness) in most of these dishes. But interestingly, chili peppers are not actually native to India. These peppers were introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century and somehow found their way to Indian dishes in the later years. Today, they’re an integral part of Indian cuisine and can be found in almost every kitchen of any Indian restaurant, including ours.
Types of Chili Peppers Used in Indian Cuisine
- Green chilies: Fresh, delivering a sharp, immediate heat.
- Red chilies: Available both fresh and dried, they are often ground into chili powder and used to add extra heat.
- Kashmiri Chilies: Bright red and less hot, giving an appetizing colour without overwhelming the spice level.
Other Spicy Ingredients in Indian Cuisines
While chili peppers are the main reason behind the spicy nature of Indian cuisine, there are a number of other ingredients that contribute to their palpable taste.
Most Essential Spices
- Black pepper: Provides a warm, aromatic heat that is not very strong but still deeply flavourful.
- Ginger: Provides a sharp, pungent heat that beautifully complements the other spices.
- Garlic: Though not spicy, its richness gives depth to the overall flavour.
- Mustard Seeds: When heated, these tiny seeds release a sharp, tangy heat that kicks up the flavour of any dish.
Varyingly Visible Indian Spices
- Cumin (Jeera): It adds an earthy, peppery flavour, quite essential for the top Indian chicken dishes.
- Coriander (Dhania): Offers a citric brightness as both seeds and fresh leaves, providing a flavour to refresh from the heat.
- Turmeric (Haldi): It gives a warm, slightly bitter taste to the dishes and deep yellow tint, though it is also anti-inflammatory.
- Cardamom (Elaichi): This is something that adds a sweet, flowery fragrance to dishes, ideal for both savoury and sweet creations.
- Cloves (Laung): A sweet yet strongly aromatic spice, used to add depth to rice, meats, and curry mixtures.
- Fenugreek (Methi): Gives a slight bitter and nutty taste to curries and breads, along with providing digestive benefits.
- Cinnamon (Dalchini): It has a warm, sweet taste and adds flavour to meat dishes or desserts.
- Chilli Powder (Mirchi Powder): Essential spice, mild to incendiary, depending on your heat tolerance.
Mixtures and Blends
- Garam masala: A combination of ground aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper, added at the end of cooking to impart a fragrant smell.
- Curry Powder: Not exactly traditional Indian, but with its mix of turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chili powder, it adds a quick pop of flavour and heat.
Ready for Spice?
Now that you’re fully aware of what makes Indian food spicy, are you ready to give all of these ingredients a try for yourself? Whether you want to order authentic Indian food online for takeaway or delivery or wish to visit an Indian restaurant in Whitby or Niagara Falls, Balti Indian Restaurant is here to cater to your cravings.
FAQs About Spicy Indian Food
- Isn’t all Indian food spicy?
No, not every Indian food is spicy. There are a ton of amazing dishes that aren’t spicy at all. For instance, Malai Kofta, Kheer or Gulab Jamun (an Indian dessert, but technically an Indian dish too).
- How can I reduce the spiciness of an Indian dish?
If a dish is too spicy for you, pair it with yogurt, milk, or coconut milk to balance it out. Some lime or lemon juice poured directly onto the dish also helps mellow the heat.
- Why do people like spicy food?
Eating spicy food has been proven to release endorphins in your brain, which are satisfyingly known as the “feel-good” chemicals. This could be one of the major reasons why people like spicy food.
- Why is Indian Food so spicy?
Indian cuisine ranks as some of the most spicy foods because they incorporate chili peppers, black peppers and other spicy ingredients mentioned above.