Spicy Cooking

Indian Spicy Cooking

If you have a burning passion for spicy foods, there are many Indian, Mexican or Thai restaurants offering delicacies that will satisfy your palate. Most of these cuisines always include chili in their recipe.

But first, you may ask what really makes chili hot. This spice has a chemical compound called capsaicin which binds with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that gives you hot sensation in those areas.

Native Americans first used it in their foods until the Europeans brought it to Asia. And now, the chili has also become part of Thai, Indonesian, Korean, and Indian cuisines.

There are many types of chili, and its intensity differs. Jalapenos and habaneros are two of the hottest peppers. Bell pepper has the smallest amount of heat, or no heat at all. Just by browsing the shelves in the supermarket, you will notice how varieties of hot sauce are now being sold. This is a glaring proof that Americans are starting to become passionate about spicy foods.

Some popular food chains are adapting to their customers’ taste preference. Some of these restaurants are McDonald’s and Friday’s. You may ask why there is a shift in taste. The US, being a melting pot of different cultures and the incessant influx of immigrants, has a variety of ethnic groups that can influence the Americans’ taste buds. Nowadays, people appreciate more a variety of tastes even the bolder and spicier ones.

In some culture, chili leaves are mixed in foods. In Korean delicacy, these are added in kimchi (soup), and Filipinos mix these with chicken soup. The leaves of chili are mildly bitter in taste. Here is a recipe called Spicy Bean Burritos that will surely put some heat in your palate. In this cooking recipe, you will need these ingredients: 3 tablespoon of olive oil, 4 cups of cooked black beans, 2 cups of cooked rice, 3 well-chopped green onions, 4 well-chopped garlic gloves, 1 well-chopped medium red pepper, 2 tomatoes, 1 bunch of spinach (chopped), 2 crushed hot peppers, 4 tortillas, 2 cups of shredded jack cheese, salt, and black pepper.

Add olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onions, garlic, and hot pepper. Cook until the color of the onions is translucent. Add the spinach until it softens. Lower the heat and add the black beans. As you are letting the beans simmer, rest the tortilla on flame (be sure not to burn it as this may result to bitter and burned taste). When it has softened, put it in a plate and place the bean mixture, the rice, and the rice into the center. Bring the sides together and fold it up. Turn the burrito over and serve it with salsa.

Chili peppers offer a lot of health benefits, these are rich in vitamin C, vitamin D, provitamin A, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Excessive consumption of chili peppers or any spices has also its downfall. This may increase the number of daily bowel movements and may temporarily aggravate symptoms of a person suffering from hemorrhoid and other irritable bowel disorder.