Eating the Worlds Hottest Curries
Us British love our Indian food, hot, mild, chicken, lamb or veggie we cannot get enough. Infact we love it so much that In 2001, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared that "Chicken Tikka Massala was a true British national dish. Our adoration for curries and alike that stimulates the senses has been with us for over a 100 years and has remained part of our identity. Some have accused Indian dishes like curries not only of effecting many of our senses but of giving the eater a natural high, others are convinced that curry can be addictive and that our taste buds are sent into a dizzy confusion by such a spicy dishes that we crave the next hit.
A quick poll in the MyDish office uncovered that the majority of us love our curry hot, mild was a limpingly close second, but hot was the clear winner. Could it be that we enjoy the sensation of having our delicate mouth parts burning? most other animals would avoid what is clearly a negative event with a hop, prance and a run in the opposite direction. You wouldn’t see your dog seeking out things that hurt him because he enjoys the sensation, only humans seem to derive pleasure from a painful sensations, a natural defense that is warning us to leave it alone.
Why some curry burns?
Curries contain chilli and all chilli peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin and capsaicin is from the vanilloid family of molecules. Now when the capsaicin gets inside your mouth (pretty much like walking into a party and spotting someone you know) it goes straight up to a vanilloid receptor subtype 1. and sits down. The capsaicin binds to the receptor (easy tiger) and when this happens you get the same sensation in your mouth that you would if you drank a red hot cup of water, so even though your tongue is not actually on fire, your brain thinks it is, rather like the pain box in the movie Dune.
Hot Curry Chart Toppers
Ok so lets look at some of the hottest curries and inspect the types of chillies used, we will count down from number 5.
In at Number 5
Madras
Very red in colour due to lots of chilli powder, Madras is a keen favourite in most Indian establishments in the UK. The origins of Madras are in the Hindu culture which is why the dish can be both purely vegetarian. The dried spices in the dish can be prepared in either ghee or coconut oil and other ingredients such as coconut milk are added after to the sauce.
- Made from - Combination of fresh chillies (could try Anaheim chillies) and dried Madras chillies, garlic, ginger, Garam masala, tamarind, anise, fresh curry leaves, lemon, paprika & turmeric.
- Origin - Madras India during British Occupation
- Variety - Chicken / lamb / beef
Here is a Chicken Madras recipe on MyDish to have a go at
Holding it’s own at number 4
Chicken 65
The Chicken 65 is seen as a very hot snack or entree, the ingredients for the dish can vary but always use chicken, typically it is served with an onion and lemon garnish. The number 65 is reported to be due to the number of days it takes to prepare the marinade and also the amount of chillies used, both of which are entirely false.
- Made from - Dried hot chilli peppers, ginger, garlic, mustard powder, white vinegar, turmeric, paprika, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, Kashmiri chilli powder & garam masala.
- Origin - Chennai, India
- Variety - Originally boneless chicken but has evolved into chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs
An old favourite is in at number 3
Vindaloo
Originally a Portuguese dish the name basically means ‘dish of meat’ (carne de vinha d'alhos) and is typically made of a meat marinated in sugar, vinegar, ginger and garlic with red Kashmiri chillies to give it the red colour. Vindaloo is said to have a unique sweet and sour taste due to the mix of ingredients. Traditionally the dish was made with pork, but in the UK chicken is typically used as the meat of choice.
- Made from - Dried hot chilli peppers, ginger, garlic, mustard powder, sugar, white vinegar
- Origin - Goa
- Variety - Pork / Chicken / Lamb / Prawn
- Here is a Vindaloo option on MyDish to give a try, mix up some of the chillies Pork vindaloo recipe
And a surprize contender has stolen 2nd place
Tindaloo
The world of curry is still unclear whether Tinderloo is the hottest but for now it comes in at number 2, many curry eating contests like featuring a curry using Tinderloo that comes with a health warning, encouraging the entrant to eat the dish in its entirety and if they survive they win something they likely do not need. It is safe to assume that as it contains Naga Chillies that Tinderloo is a really hot curry and should not be messed with. The cooks that make competition dishes have to wear gas masks so you can draw your own conclusions.
- Made from - Habanera / Naga Chilli, Garlic, White vinegar, Pickling spices.
- Origin - Britain
- Variety - Lamb / Veggie / Chicken
In at Number one is the planet melting
Phall
Phall is the reigning hottest curry in the world champion, it is mostly used for curry eating contests where contestants win a prize and a certificate to say that have eaten the “hottest curry”. It is not by any means a popular curry on most restaurant menus, probably because it is actually too hot to eat and enjoy but is definitely in a league of its own. The chillies it contains are Habanera or Naga Chillies and come just under the Carolina Reaper (the hottest chilli on the planet) which is 2,200,000 heat units on the scoville scale which is the same as pepper spray.
(The Scoville scale is the measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers or other spicy foods)
- Made from - Habanera, Scotch bonnet or Naga Chillies both are 2nd and 3rd hottest chillies in the world, fresh ginger, fennel seeds
- Origin - Britain
- Variety - Lamb / Chicken
There is a softer Phall option on MyDish that you might wish to try out first Lamb phall curry recipe
- 20 Infinity Naga Chillies (4 million scovilles)
- 1 small tsp pure Naga extract (6 million scovilles)
- 5 scotch bonnets
- 8 finger chillies
- 3 tsp extra hot chilli powder
- Bindi spice mix
- Chopped onions
- Salt