Hottest Chillies in India

Indian food is known for its hot quotient across the world. The hot curries are loved all over and especially looked forward to internationally. In fact, just some time back on his last day in office, Britain’s Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron ordered for hot Indian spicy food, including Hyderabadi Saffron Chicken, Kashmiri Rogan Josh, Chicken Zalfrazi, Saag Paneer and Veg Samosas for his last supper in office! So, what is it that makes Indian spicy food such a favourite? Of course, its ingredients!

Of all the various ingredients, one of the most important ingredient also one of the deciding factor as to how the dish will turn out to be is the type of chilli used. You may be thinking, a chilli is a chilli, why to worry about its types? Well, if that’s so, it’s time that you knew about the various types of the hottest chillies found in India!

Kashmiri Chilli

One of the most consumed red chilli across India is the Kashmiri chilli. This chilli has a wonderful red colour and is mostly ground into a powder for use. The chilli is used in Kashmiri as well as many other cuisines in India. The colour not only gives a beautiful colour to the dishes, but also increases the hotness of the dish.

Jwala Chilli

This Gujarati green chilli is another popular one for Indian cooking. As the name suggests, the chilli is quite hot and should be used with care. The chilli is cut in small pieces and put in the dish while cooking, as per taste. Make sure you wash your hands after cutting/slicing this chilli as you may end up running for water if your hands come in contact with your mouth or eyes by mistake.

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons WorldFish

Rajasthani Chilli

This is a variety of the Jwala chilli and is hot as fire! Similar to the Jwala chilli, this green chilli should be used with care while preparing your dishes. This chilli is also used for making a speciality pickle in Rajasthan, called hari mirch ke tipore. This green chilli pickle is a must in every Rajasthani meal and enhances the taste manifold.

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons Soniya Goyal

Bird’s Eye Chilli (Dhani)

A spicy chilli from the Northeast, the Bird’s Eye Chilli is blood red in colour and is highly pungent. This is harvested during the months of October to December. This is mainly grown in Mizoram and some areas of Manipur and is used in preparing food as well as in chutneys and pickles.

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons aislinnv

Kanthari Chilli

This is a variant of the Bird’s Eye Chilli and is grown in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. The chilli is short in length and turns into white or ivory colour on maturity. It is available in the markets throughout the year. The chilli is highly pungent and lends a very hot quotient to the dishes.

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons Natural Majesty

Guntur Sannam Chilli

Sannam chillis have many varieties grown across the country in states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The Guntur Sannam chilli from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh is another chilli to watch out for when consuming. Andhra cuisine is famous for its spicy curries and Guntur Sannam is the major reason for this spiciness. The chilli is skin thick, red and smoking hot!

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons Pepe Pont

Ghost Chilli (Bhoot Jolokia)

Well, you have a reason to be proud of now. The Ghost Chilli, also known as Bhoot Jolokia, Naga Chilli, Red Naga and Ghost Pepper, is rated as one of the hottest chillies in the world and has also found a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. This chilli is certified to be 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce! Bhoot Jolokia is grown mainly in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur and is exported around the world. Beware, eating this chilli may result in teary eyes, leaking nose, stomach ache, and vomiting!

Image Source: Flickr Creative Commons Sally Crossthwaite