Perfect rice

Making the perfect spicy rice depends on the type of rice being made. For some recipes, you will want the rice to be freshly made and consumed shortly after it is made, where as certain recipes benefit from being a day old before being used. In fried rices, like Nasi goring and Chinese spicy fried rice, the latter applies. For other dishes like Nasi lemak (where coco-nut milk is used), part of the recipe actually involves cooking the rice in a liquid other than water. The type of rice grain also plays a crucial role - Basmati rice  is perfect for spicy biryanis, while shorter, stickier varieties work better in dishes like Korean kimchi fried rice. Understanding how different rice varieties absorb spices and liquid is key to achieving the perfect texture and flavor balance in each unique preparation.

1. Was the uncooked rice under running water in a colander until it runs clear. This step will prevent the rice from sticking together when cooking). If you want sticky rice, this step should be eliminated.
2. Bring the equivalent of two cups of after for every cup of rice that will be cooked to the boil.
3. Drop the rice into the boiling water. Cover and cook according to its package instructions
4. Pour the rice into a colander, reserving the cooking water.
5. Bring the water to the boil again, then turn down too a simmer  Place the colander over the simmering water ( make sure it is above the water level). Cover with tin foil and allow the rice to steam until it is done. Fluff up with a fork
6. If not using immediately, allow the rice to cool and then place it in a sealed container in the refrigerator to allow it to dry out.
7. Once made,  according to your requirements.

As a consequence of  a rich history of colonialism , traditional British food has been fused with the cuisine of many other countries. This has resulted in some fine cuisine. With a wealth of different possibilities, why not base your next UK theme meal on British fusion food?    Whether the idea is to have a buffet of snacks and finger foods, or a classical sit-down dinner with a starter and dessert, there are plenty of choices

Anglo-Indian theme

Probably the most classical fusion dish in the United Kingdom is Chicken Tikka masala. Chicken Tikka masala is an Anglo-Indian dish with definite links to having been invented in the UK (most probably Scotland). It can be served with other British Asian curries like Jalfrezi, Korma and Vindaloo.

For those brave enough to try it another British Asian classic , Phaal may be considered . This is however not for the faint-hearted. Indeed, it is the hottest curry that the country has to offer , with some recipes calling for  up to twelve Scotch bonnets or Habaneros to be added for pungency

Serve these curries as part of a buffet or individually with Chutneys, rice and Indian bread, like Naan or Roti.  More authenticity can be introduced by serving drinks that a historic link to India, like gin and tonic. Indian pale ale and Chai

Finger food/ snack Buffets

An idea for a finger food/ snack buffet table might include Spicy Scotch eggs, Chilli Jam pork pies, Cheese / Chili melts, and a selection of cheeses with chillies. You will find a great selection of these cheeses online. Samosas could also be included in a meal like this, as well as cold Tandoori chicken.  A good selection of condiments like tomato, Chilli, ginger, chutney, beetroot, and Chilli relish makes good accompaniments to this type of meal.

Starters and desserts

Starters could include Chilli stuffed prawns, spicy pork pies, various spicy salads, terrines with Chillies, fried scallops with Chilli black pudding or spicy potted crab. To finish the meal, desserts like rhubarb and Chilli, chocolate and Chilli cheesecake, ice cream with Chilli flakes or spicy baked pudding with Chillies should be considered.

Sit down main meals

Sit down meals could be spicy fish and chips, chicken with a spicy black pudding filling, haggis with Chillies, spicy roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, spicy steak and kidney pie or bangers and mash with chilli gravy.

In conclusion

The great strides that British chefs have made in making the UK's cuisine as exciting as it is today is something to be celebrated. This is certainly something that you may want to showcase in in your next UK them meal

Enjoy!

Bahain cuisine

While there may be a perception that Brazilians like spicy food, as a general rule, this is not true. There are many regional preferences, with some parts of the country not eating much spicy food, but there is one notable exception. Bahia in North East Brazil is a region that loves its spicy cuisine. It leads the way in Brazilian cooking with Chillies

Bahian's cuisine is a fusion of native Indian. African and Portuguese cooking. This fusion started when the Portuguese colonised Brazil over 350 years ago. The native Indians had been eating Chillies for thousands of years before the Portuguese arrived in the country. Their cuisine included a wide variety of dishes flavoured with Chillies. The African slaves that the Portuguese brought with them found this to be highly agreeable. They too loved spicy food.  It was the type of food they had eaten in their home countries in Africa.

It wasn’t long before the cooks of the day started taking inspiration from the different cooking styles. Portuguese influences were blended with Amerindian and African ideas. The result was the beginning of the highly flavourful Brazilian cooking with Chillies  that we know today.

The Malagueta Chilli

The most loved Chilli in Brazil, the Malagueta, is extensively used in Bahian cooking. Specialities like Bobó de camarão (a seafood dish made with prawns, chillies, coconut milk, palm oil and puréed Cassava), Moqueca Baiana (a spicy seafood dish made with fish, prawns, coconut milk, chillies, limes, tomatoes and other ingredients) and Vatapá (a spicy seafood dip served with Acarajé) are made with Malagueta Chillies.

They are also used (among many other dishes) to make Frango Churrasco and Môlho Malagueta (a hot sauce made with chopped Chillies, garlic and vinegar). This hot sauce can be found on virtually every restaurant table in the region.

Other Chillies used in Brazilian cooking include Pimeta pitanga (a starfish shaped Chilli), Dedo de moça (young ladies finger Chilli) and the Pimenta-de-bode (goats pepper). The biquinho pepper, shaped like a small beak, is another beloved variety known for its sweet-spicy flavour and is often preserved in vinegar. The cumari do Pará, a small round chilli native to the Amazon region, packs an intense heat and is particularly popular in northern Brazilian cuisine. In the markets of Salvador and other Bahian cities, vendors sell dozens of homemade Chilli  preparations, from simple vinegar infusions to complex sauces combining different chili varieties with local herbs and spices.

Where else can spicy food be found?

Spicy dishes are found to a lesser extent in Minas Gerais. Galinhada, for example, is a spicy chicken and rice dish much loved in the region. Other examples include Bambá de Couve ( Linguiça sausages, with onions, cornmeal, collard greens, garlic and Chilli flakes) and Vaca atolada ( beef ribs, with Chillies, garlic, onions, tomatoes, parsley, Cassava, and ground Colorau).

In conclusion

Brazil seems to follow the same trend as that found in Portugal.  While the food is not generally spicy, it seems that a bottle of the Môlho Malagueta is not too far from hand to add spiciness to national favourites like Feijoada, Pernil and Churrasco. 

Brazilian cooking with Chillies is definitely here to stay.

Bom Proveito!

What to serve with the Tapas

Drinks and  desserts

Nothing will add more to the authenticity of the evening than serving drinks and desserts that would typically be served with Tapas.

Drinks commonly served with Tapas include Sangria (red wine with chopped fruit) , Cerveza ( beer ),  Cava ( sparkling white /rosé   wine) or Spanish cocktails like Rebujito  ( Sherry with lemonade) . Non alcoholic options include Mosto (pressed grape juice), Horchata (sweet milk drink thickened with rice), Blanco y Negro (made with coffee and ice -cream)  and  Leche merengada (made with milk and eggs).

Desserts to consider are  Tarta de Queso (Spanish cheese cake), Torrijas (similar to French toast), Crema Catalana (similar to crème brûlée) and Leche Frita (fried milk)

All served with a Chilli grinder, of course, so that a touch of spiciness can be added!

Finally

You will end the meal with some fine Spanish coffee. Coffee is very traditional in Spain and is woven into the very fabric of society; try Café Solo, Café Carajillo or Café Cortados

With most people going out to work and children going to school, the only meal where the family can usually get together for a meal is dinner. It is a meal that has many requirements to meet. The children have to be kept happy, and at the same time, adults want to eat something they enjoy. So it is a bit of a balancing act.

Particularly in the  Western world, unless they have been brought up with it, very spicy food is not commonly enjoyed by children. Especially if the food is particularly pungent. One would think this would result in Chillies being a non-starter for a family meal. However, this is not the case by any sense of the imagination.

Some  Chillies, among those generally accepted as being for eating, contain zero heat, and others over 400000   Schoville heat units. Bell peppers,  at the lower end of the scale,  contain no capsaicin, whereas  Habaneros or Scotch Bonnets are in the region of 100000 to 400000 SHU range. Within these limits, there is a wide variety of choice. When considering whether you use a mild Chilli or something with more heat for your cooking is in your hands, there is plenty of space for family meals using Chillies.

What are the options?

Chicken dishes

Chicken is always a family favourite.  Try dishes like Pollo ala Brasa, Peri-Peri Chicken, Jamaican jerk chicken and crispy fried chicken. With these meals, you have the choice whether to tone the heat factor up or down. Pollo al Brasa, Peri-Peri and Jamican jerk chicken are all great for barbequing.   And as we know, children will rarely turn down a barbeque. Chicken is also good in stir-fries  like Pad Thai and mild curry dishes like chicken Korma.  Another winner for the family using chicken is grilled chicken with satay sauce.

Chili and Chile Con carne

These  dishes are once again, good family fare, with just a touch of heat added through Chillies. If needs be, simply substitute The  Chllies called for in the recipe with mild Chillies like Jalapenos or, for that matter, Aleppo flakes ( with a heat rating above that of Jalapenos ) or rehydrated Kashmiri Chillies. Slow cooking these  dishes   means that the flavour of the Chillies will be allowed to concentrate , adding a special dimension to the meal.

Stuffed peppers

Bell peppers and similar mild Chillies like Poblanos, Jalapenos, Cubanelles  Anaheims can be stuffed with various stuffings. These stuffings may include meat, poultry, vegetables, cheese and rice ( or even a combination of these). These stuffed peppers are also sometimes dipped  in an egg batter and then fried, as in the case of Chiles Rellenos

Meatballs, burgers and meatloaf

Meat balls made with a spicy tomato sauce is another family favourite that pleases everyone. Similarly, Frikadellen ( Spicy meatballs from Germany)  and meatloaf are dishes that will have your family begging for more. Burgers can be made using pickled Jalapenos

Baked Dishes with Chillies

Mild Chillies can be added to dishes like Babotie ( baked mince and egg ) or Lasagne (baked pasta and cheese).  Both these are family favourites that most children enjoy. The pungency added to these dishes by adding Chillies only serves to provide an extra touch of spiciness that otherwise would not be there. Even those with an aversion to spicy foods will find this agreeable

Chilli flakes,  oils and hot sauces

Using Chilli flakes is a good way of catering for both ends of the scale.. For those who cannot take any heat of all, leave the Chillies out of the dish, but have a Grinder on the table with Chillies. In that way, those that want spicy food can simply grind some Chilli flakes  onto their meal. Examples of this include pizzas where the topping can be made spicy with ground Chillies. Chilli oil is another way of doing this, as are hot sauces. Desserts like grilled pineapple can be made with the Chilli flakes left off for those not wanting heat.

Curries, biryanis and stews

Curries do not have to be hot. It is the combination of spices that brings out the flavour, not the pungency of the Chillies. Mild curries can be made with Kashmiri Chillies, which provide excellent colour and add to the taste substantially. Similarly, Biryanis can be made in the same way.

Spicy Stews like Hunkar Begendi can be made without Chillies in the stew. Make it using Aleppo flakes, for its eggplant puree  These are used more for the flavour they provide, rather than for pungency. Traditionally, Feijoada (a family favourite in Brazil) is not made using Chillies (our recipes does, however, include them).  Chillies can be left out of the dish while making it. Hot sauce, however, will then definitely need to be provided when the Feijoada is served.  Serving hot sauce with Feijoada is very traditional

Final thoughts

This list is hardly complete. There are many more examples where Chillies can be incorporated into family meals and keep everyone happy.  All it takes is to know what your family's tolerance to heat is and what types of food they like. From there, it becomes easy.

Enjoy

Who eats spicy lunches ?

Lunch is undoubtedly not the same in everyone's eyes.  Indeed.  During the week in the USA,  burgers (or pizza) are a favourite. In the United Kingdom, the ham sandwich takes top position. Both these countries are recognised as having a large part of their population that enjoys dishes with Chillies, but their lunch choices don't reflect this at all.

Okay, so the hamburger has  Jalapenos on it , the pizza is a pepperoni & the ham sandwich maybe a touch of hot sauce,  Does that make it a spicy lunch?  Nope (maybe a bit), but there are parts of this globe when it comes to lunch, where Chillies are really part of the scene. When you consider that about twenty-five percent of the world eats Chillies in some form or the other every day, there is a lot of Chilli eating going on!

So where in the world  you more likely to encounter really pungent food being eaten (by a significant part of the population) for lunch?

Thailand

Definitely, a country that likes its spicy food, Thailand has some delicious lunch dishes, with lots of Chillies.  Not all the options are spicy, but there are certainly a significant number. Portions are generous, and the cost is incredibly inexpensive.

Some Thai lunches with Chilies include Khao Krapow Gai Kai Dao (holy basil stir-fry with minced pork),  Som Tam (a spicy green papaya salad), Kai Jeow (Thai omelette), Gai Tod  (Thai Style fried Chicken), Sai Au ( Thai sausages) with rice noodles and Massaman Gai ( Thai Yellow chicken curry).

And that's not even counting a variety of skewered choices, soups and many other noodle dishes.  Noodle dishes are particularly plentiful, with dishes like (amongst many more) Kanom jin (fermented rice noodles with a spicy yellow curry), and Pad Kee Mow ( Stir fried noodles with pungent Chiili sauce) receiving massive appreciation from the locals.

Pad Thai  (stir-fried noodles), which frequently include vegetables or Tofu, are really popular.  They are found everywhere, and probably the most common lunch dish of all. The basic Pad Thai dish is not generally spicy, as condiments and spices get added at the table to personal taste.

Bhutan

This small landlocked country between China and India is certainly not a place to go if you are a fast food junkie. Here the food is simple, healthy, and very spicy. Indeed. Bhutan is recognised as the country that eats the most Chillies per capita in the world.  One of the reasons they consume so many Chillies., is that they eat them . not so much for their pungency, but rather more as a vegetable. This does not mean their Chillies are not hot. One Bhutanese Chilli, the Dalle Khursani has a Schovile heat rating of between 100000 and 350000 SHU

A favourite lunchtime meal in Bhutan is the cheese and Chilli curry called Ema Datshi. It is recognised as being one of the country's national dishes. Other lunchtime favourites in Bhutan include Shakam Paa (dried beef with Chillies and potatoes), Phaksha Paa (pork, Chillies, vegetables and spices), Sikam Paa (Pork belly fried with Chillies) and Goep (tripe, Chilles, onions, herbs & spice) - to name but a few.

These dishes and many Bhutanese lunch dishes are served with Ezay ( Bhutanese Chilli sauce).  Ezay is made with dry red chillies, green Chillies, onions, garlic , tomato and cheese. It is served very much like a chutney would be, and is served with virtually everything. Another favourite served with lunch is chopped Dalle Khursani and an Achar made with the same Chillies.

Mexico.

When it comes to spicy lunches with Chillies, Mexico is right up there with the best. They have, after all , been eating Chillies for a long time. It's part and parcel of the fabric of this society.

Typical lunchtime meals include Tacos ( tortillas stuffed with meat, vegetables or seafood, topped with cheese and salsa), Enchiladas (corn tortillas rolled around a filling and served with a spicy sauce). Burritos ( Tortillas wrapped around spicy ingredients) Birria (marinated meat cooked to a stew in broth. Served with Tortillas ), Tlayuda ( Mexican style pizza), Gorditas ( pastry made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings), Tortas ( Mexican sandwich made by filling a soft roll with meat, sauce and other toppings like cream, avocado or salsa), and Fajitas (grilled meat served on a Taco)

One thing that there will never be a shortage of in Mexico for lunch is condiments and salsas. Salsas like Salsa Taquera ( tomatoes, onions, chillies, garlic and oil), / Pico de Gallo (fresh sauce made with tomatoes, onions, chillies and lime juice) and Roasted Jalapeño Salsa and Salsa Verde   are widely used

India

India is another country that consumes vast amounts of Chillies. Again, this is very much part of the culture. Not having Chillies with your lunch is almost unthinkable.

India's foods for lunch include street foods like Samosa (fried pastries with a spicy filling). Vada Pav (spicy mashed potatoes, dipped in a batter and then fried), Pav Bhaji  ( thick vegetable curry served with a bread roll), Kathi Roll (skewer-roasted kebab in paratha bread), deep-fried Bhaturey and Chole ( Chickpea curry with leavened fried bread), Momos (spicy dumplings), Mirchi Baji  ( stuffed Chilies fried in a batter) and Bikaneri Kachori (to name but  a few).  A variety of vegetarian curries like Saag (spinach), Alloo (potato), Chana Masala (chickpea curry) and paneer cheese) curry are eaten with Indian flatbreads like naans and chapattis.

Chutneys and pickles made with Chillies are very popular in India, as is eating raw green Chiilies with your meal. No Indian lunch would be complete without a good dollop of Chutney like  Pineapple Pachadi  ( pineapple Chutney with Chillies ) , Tamatar Ki Chutney (chutney made with tomatoes and Chillies) or Lahsun ki Chutney (made with garlic, ground nuts, Chillies and coconut). These are served with pancakes like Dosa, Besan Chilla and Pudla

A well-known Indian lunch concept is that of the  Tiffen carrier (or dabbas). The Tiffen carrier is a kind of multi compartment lunch box .  Its name comes from an Indian English word for a meal. Although being understood to be lunch, in certain parts of India it can mean a light breakfast or afternoon tea.  A Tiffen box (with up to four compartments), can contain rice, rotis,  spicy vegetables, dhal and even a dessert . It is food that is normally made at home  and taken to work ( typically by an office worker) for a hot  lunchtime meal. In some parts of India (notably Mumbai), Tiffin boxes are delivered to the offices (for a fee) by a Tiffin delivery service.

A final note

These lunch dishes are typical during the week lunches when time is limited. Obviously, when it comes to meals, when people have time off, the character of the food will change.   The emphasis will then shift to  more family type cuisine rather than fast food.

Image credit

Shreeram  Narayan/ CC BY 2.0 / via Flikr