Spice level guide

Chillies, Spicy, Hot, Fiery, Zesty, Exotic

Just some of the words that may come to your mind when you think of a good ol’ fashioned Indian curry. It can be quite the hot topic around the table. But, as always, Indian cuisine is a lot more complicated than that. Different dishes are known for different spice levels but can always be adjusted to your taste buds. That’s the beauty of Indian cuisine, every palate is catered to.

It might be a little confusing looking through a menu to see if there is anything that will suit your palate. Is the dish that is beautifully pictured going to live up to the expectations of my taste buds? This is why learning the different spice levels, and more importantly if a dish can be changed to fit your palate is a great way to fully enjoy Indian food. Although most dishes are flexible with their flavourings, certain dishes are iconic for how spicy, sweet or tangy it is. Changing that could really affect the overall flavours of the food. I mean can you imagine adding too much chilli powder to a korma… shocking!

So, let’s start with what each of the different spice levels are.

Mild. Medium. Hot.

We’ve all heard about it but what does it really mean? Which spices fall into which categories? Keep on reading to find out and let us know which category you fall into.

Mild

We often assume that all curries are spicy, bright red from the chilli powder with vibrant, long green chillies placed delicately on top. This is not the case for all dishes. It doesn’t have to be a fiery pit in your mouth for the dish to be an authentic curry. You can just as easily opt for milder choices and still enjoy your meal. A lot of milder dishes will often have cream, almonds, and cashews to soften the flavour. Some of the spices they use could range from cinnamon and bay leaves to curry powder and cumin seeds. Along with flavour, Indian cuisine is all about vibrancy. One of the tricks that chefs do to bring out the iconic red colour in dishes is to use Kashmiri chilli powder. Milder in taste, you will still get the beautiful shade without having to add more spice.

Recommended dishes: Chicken Korma, Chicken Panasia (a Shanaz exclusive created by our very own chef), tarka dal, chicken moglai.

Medium

The next step up in the scales is Medium. Dishes that are medium in heat often tingle the tongue, gradually bringing the spiciness into your palate. Medium dishes are great for people who don’t want to be bombarded with the strong flavours of chillies but still want that slight kick. These curries are often infused with peppers, ginger, and panch phoron (Indian five spice). Tomatoes are also often seen in these dishes, bringing that tangy and sweetness into this flavour explosion.

Recommended dishes: Karahi gosth, Chicken tikka masala, rogan josh, and chicken satkhora (another Shanaz exclusive that focuses on the zesty satkhora. Check out our post about hidden gems in the Shanaz menu to learn more about this).

Hot

Lastly, we have Hot. Spice is synonymous to Indian cuisine. It is the reason why many flock to Indian restaurants or a takeaway. However, it can be a little difficult to find the balance. It is easy to assume that a spicy dish is all about throwing spoonful’s of chilli powder but there is more to it than that. Chefs have to strategically balance the pungent heat with other flavours of the meat, vegetables and gravy so that the dish can perform. That is what a curry does right? It is a performance with every bite. Along with chilli powder, spices like garam masala are also used to enhance the heat.

Recommended dishes: Jal king prawns, Naga Mukim chicken and phaal.

Of course, you can’t have a curry without a side of naan or a rice dish. Not only does it create a filling meal, but the mildness of a good naan will help tame the spice levels, perfect for those with a milder palette. The spice lovers will be glad to know about our new Garlic Chilli Cheese Naan, a scrumptious combination of sharp garlic, zesty chilli’s and lots of cheesy goodness all wrapped up in one naan.

For those who may be unsure about what is right for them, our staff are well versed with the menu and will be able to provide you with different suggestions to fit your flavour palates.

Check out our menu for more sumptuous choices.

If you have any queries, please call us on 01872 225895 or 01872 225896.