12 Spicy Indian Dishes You Have To Try Before You Die

It's no news that Indians love spicy food. No matter how much we huff, puff, pant and sweat, we just can't help ourselves dig into more of it. Here's our list of the spiciest Indian dishes you'll ever end up tasting. In fact, eating spicy food regularly may reduce your risk of death from cancer, heart diseases and diabetes, a new study of over 485,000 people in China has claimed. Those who reported eating spicy foods weekly had a 14% lower risk of death compared to those who consumed spicy foods less than once a week, researchers said.?

Be warned. Things are going to get REALLY hot.

1. Pork Vindaloo

Vindaloo originates from Goa, India. Its heavy use of vinegar and the traditional meat of pork are due to the Portuguese influence on the area.?There are many variations of the vindaloo recipe. Some serve this dish with chicken or lamb mixed with potatoes. However, traditional vindaloos do not include potatoes although the word?aloo?stands for 'potato' in Hindi. In Goa, the authentic vindaloo is a dry sauce-based dish using pork fat, garlic, vinegar, jaggery and Kashmiri chilli.?Vindaloo always tastes better the next day as the meat gets properly marinated. The longer you store it the better it tastes – just like a pickle!

2. Phaal Curry

Phaal is an Indian curry dish which originated in Indian restaurants in Birmingham, UK, and is not to be confused with the char-grilled, gravy-less, finger food phall from Bangalore. It is one of the hottest forms of curry regularly available, even hotter than the vindaloo, using a large number of ground standard chilli peppers, or a hotter type of chilli such as scotch bonnet or habanero. Typically, the dish is a tomato-based thick curry and includes ginger and optionally fennel seeds.

3. Laal Maas

The name sounds deadly to begin with, doesn't it??In Rajasthan, a place dominated by vegetarian cuisine, the only non-vegetarian dish to really stand out is?laal maas?(red meat). If you are a non-vegetarian and wish to test your taste buds, this red hot preparation is a must-try!?It is a thick/semi gravy mutton curry prepared in a sauce of curd and hot spices such as red chillies. The deep red colour and the spicy character come from a special chilli called the Mathania red chilli that comes from Mathania in Jodhpur.

4. Chicken Chettinad

Chettinad cuisine from Tamil Nadu is one of the spiciest and most aromatic in India. Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered an essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb.

5. Rista

Rich in taste and aroma, Rista is a fiery lamb meatball curry prepared in red chilly powder and other spices in a very special manner. The meat for this dish is hand-pounded with huge wooden hammers on a large flat solid wood base. The flavour of fennel seeds makes it unique from other similar looking red curries. This delicious culinary delight is best enjoyed with butter?naan?and cumin rice. Absolutely divine!

6. Kozi Kari

This dish comes from Kerala and is believed to have been first introduced in India by early Jewish settlers. This is a hot chicken curry made with a combination of hot fresh green chilli peppers and dried ground red chilli peppers. The variety of spices used in this dish make it one of the spiciest curries you’ll ever find in India.?

7. Piro Aloo

Finally, something for the vegetarians. Although this dish originated from Nepal, it has become quite a popular dish in India as well. To put it simply, it’s a Nepalese take of India’s favourite, Dum Aloo. A little drier than its Indian counterpart, it is also at least 10 times spicier. This is a favourite, even for die-hard meat lovers.

8. Andhra Dry Mutton

Trust me, guys. Andhra food is just out of this world. It's not only incredibly spicy, but if you end up going to an Andhra restaurant, you'll realise it's also a very well balanced meal. It's generally teamed up with rice and vegetarian?dishes to?help you out with the fire in the stomach. Must try!

9. Shutki Maach

One needs to acquire a taste for this one. Although this is a famous Bong dish, there are a lot of Bongs I know who do not like it because of the strong smell. Shutki or dry fish when uncooked has got a typical characteristic pungent smell, pungent enough to evoke nausea. But if you’re okay with the smell, the taste will get you craving for more.

10. Chicken 65?

The flavor of the dish can be attributed to?red chilies?but the exact set of ingredients for the recipe can vary. Chicken 65?is a spicy,?deep-fried?chicken?dish originating from?Chennai,?India, as an entree, or a quick snack. Finger lickin’ good!

11. Kolhapuri Chicken

Kolhapur is known to be a place that loves its spices. Tikhi Mirchi layi hoon, main Kolhapurse aayi hoon. Ring a bell? Spicy, hot, exotic real Kolahpuri chicken. It goes really well with homemade light, fluffy, crispy jwarichi bhakari or with some naan! Incredibly hot.

12. Beef Chili Fry

Tender, juicy, succulent, perfectly stir fried beef undercut and some tickling green chili to enhance the onion and tomato flavor. Just thinking about it will get you salivating.

SLURP!

DING!