Here’s Why North Indian Food Is So Spicy

Are you a fan of North Indian dishes and recipes? This delicious cuisine is known to be rather spicy. Here’s all you need to know!

North Indian food is one of the spiciest cuisines in the world. It was born from a fusion of the Persian dishes of the Mughal rulers of the time with the local Indian cuisine. Babar, the first Mughal emperor, established a tradition where Indian chefs were hired to make Persian dishes using local ingredients. The temperature in these two countries was vastly different, so the food was spiced accordingly to prevent it from spoiling!

According to research, spices can prevent your food from spoiling too fast, which is one of the main reasons North Indian dishes are so spicy. Foodborne pathogens and bacteria can’t survive in such a hot environment.

Different ingredients

Indian food also consists of a lot of butter and oil. While it serves a similar purpose of preventing the food from getting spoiled too fast, its use started a lot later. According to legends, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan consulted many of his ministers before moving the capital of his empire to Delhi. The only minister that wasn’t consulted was the health minister.

It was only after the move was made that the emperor discovered that the Yamuna, which was the city’s main water source, was much more polluted in Delhi than in Agra. That’s why they started using excessive oil to prevent food from getting ruined by bacteria and waterborne pathogens. While there have been many advances in medical sciences, it is now the local people’s genetic habit to eat this spicy food.

Spice levels in Indian food

According to the Scoville scale, Indian curries can have a very high Scoville rating compared to mild peppers such as the scotch bonnet and habanero, which range from 100,000 to around 350,000 units. One local pepper often used in Indian cuisine includes the bhut jolokia, which is known for its extreme spice levels. Indian food far surpasses these peppers when it comes to spice.

Is all Indian food spicy?

Not all Indian cuisine is as spicy as some North Indian dishes. While plenty of spices are used in Indian cuisine, they’re more for flavor than spice. Chilies are the things that add heat to a dish, and they are usually based on preference — you can easily omit them entirely or decrease them according to your liking.

Want to learn about different Indian dishes and recipes?

Flavoredd By Nikki has got you covered! They specialize in Pakistani and Indian food recipes and have many different easy-to-follow recipes on their website and YouTube channel. They make sure to simplify the complicated cooking process of these dishes to make it easier for busy adults who don’t have too much time to spend in the kitchen. They’ve got Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe, Afghani Omelette Recipe, and Badam Kheer Recipe.

Contact them to find out more.