Spicy food – you either love it or hate it. If you love it, then spicy food is usually in your list of menus to eat or cook. If you hate it, you’ll probably avoid it at all cost.
Do you know that spicy and hot food not only taste awesome despite the burn, but it’s also good for you? Garlic and ginger can ward off colds or ease your sore throat while hot peppers clear off your sinus and congestion. So, if you are trying to be brave and beef up your spicy tolerance, here’s the reason why you should attempt spicy food. Here are some recipe ideas to get you started on your spicy journey.
Nasi Lemak
A Malaysian favourite, you’ll see stalls of nasi lemak everywhere and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk topped with the basic condiments of hard-boiled egg, slices of cucumber, crispy fried anchovies and roasted peanut and not forgetting a dollop of spicy sambal. Sinful and definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Tom Yum
If you’re looking for a spicy soup, give this a try. Hot and sour, this dish originates from Thailand. Spicy, sour, savoury and addictive, you can add a combination of seafood and meat to make a complete meal.
Kimchi jjigae
Experience a sweat-inducing meal with South Korea’s favourite soup – Kimchi Jjigae. Flavourful and spicy hot, this soup is made with its main ingredient Kimchi. Tofu, mushrooms, meat is added to complete the soup. Depending on how many red chili peppers were added, it can range from tolerable to tongue-scorching.
Sichuan Hot Pot
If you are a lover of both hot pots and spicy food, give this a try. Sichuan Hot Pot or Sichuan Huoguo gets its spiciness from Sichuan pepper oil that’s added in the broth. Diners dine on a table and raw meats, seafood and vegetables are added to cook before feasting on it.
Shrimp Creole
A classic southern dish from USA, it is a tomato-based dish, it gets its spiciness from cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Shrimp, celery, onions, peppers and garlic is added into the dish and served with rice for a satisfying tongue-biting meal.
Phall
Phall; an Indian-style curry eaten in the United Kingdom, it is a dish that contains a mix of spices like cumin, ginger and cardamom. This dish gets its heat from 10 hot peppers – definitely a curry not for the faint-hearted.
So, how many of these dishes have you tried?