How to make Indian food spicier?
If you like spicy food, chances are you’ve had some form of Indian cuisine. From curries and chutneys to naan breads and rice dishes, there are many different types of foods that fall under the umbrella term “Indian.”
But what about those people who don’t enjoy spicy food? Or maybe they just prefer it less intense? In either case, here are five tips to help spice up your next curry dish.
Let’s talk about the best and outstanding dishes that originated from spicy Indian recipes.
How to Make Indian Food Spicier: Add powdered chili peppers
You can use powdered chili peppers — sometimes called ground chilies — in the mix of spices used to make Indian dishes like curries and vindaloos. They are easy to find in supermarkets and online retailers. If you want to try out different types of powdered chili peppers, we recommend starting with the mildest ones such as jalapeños and habeneros.
Curry Variations Indian curry is one of those dishes that’s easy to make your own!
The amount of heat in hot Indian or Asian-inspired dishes depends largely on how much of each type of chili pepper is added. For example, a recipe for chicken tikka masala might call for just a pinch of cayenne pepper, while a vindaloos sauce could include up to half a teaspoon of ghost peppers.
How to Make Indian Food Spicier: Use fresh hot peppers
Chili peppers come in many forms, including dried, canned, bottled, frozen, and fresh. While some people enjoy the milder taste of the dried variety, others prefer the fresh, fiery kick of the spicy stuff. But what do you know about chili peppers? Do you even know how to use them properly? Here are three ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your favorite spicy treat.
How to Make Indian Food Spicier: Use freshly ground black pepper
Most of the discussion about the hotness of curries centers around hot peppers, but it turns out that freshly ground black pepper does actually add to the spice levels in some dishes.
Vindaloo curry is one such dish where the addition of freshly ground black pepper brings a lot of flavor without adding too much heat.
Note that the freshly ground part of the pepper is important. If you use pre-ground pepper, you won’t get the full effect of the spices.
The same goes for turmeric powder. You want to buy whole turmeric root and grate it yourself into a fine powder. This way you get the maximum amount of the active ingredient.
Tellicherry peppercorns are considered the gold standard among black peppercorns. They are grown in India’s southern state of Kerala and are known for their sweet aroma and complex flavors.
How to Make Indian Food Spicier: Avoid yogurt and cream
The dairy industry has been trying to convince consumers that adding milk to dishes is good for you since the 1970s. And now, thanks to science, we know why.
In a study published Monday in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, researchers found that casein — a protein found in cow’s milk — binds to capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick. Casein is what makes yogurt creamy. So, when you add dairy to a dish, you’re actually making it less spicy.
This discovery could help food manufacturers figure out how to make their chilis hotter without sacrificing taste. Or maybe it’ll just give us another excuse to eat ice cream while watching Game of Thrones.
Temper chilies in oil
Before adding the main ingredients of my curry, I temper the peppers along with the other spices in oil. This helps me control the heat level throughout the cooking process. If you are making a mild curry, you don’t want to add too much heat. On the other hand, if you’re making a spicy curry, you might want to start out with less heat and gradually increase it over the course of cooking.
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