Red hot ghost peppers

India had some spicy hot news in July when bhut jolokia mdash the hottest chilli in the world that wears its GI geographical indications tag in Northeast India mdash was exported from Nagaland to London for the first time To gauge our spiciest chilli the Scoville scale comes in to measure the pungency spiciness or heat of chili peppers as recorded in Scoville Heat Units SHU and based on the concentration of capsaicin content On it bhut jolokia scores 1041427 For comparison Tabasco scores between 25005000Spice it upArjun Rastogi cofounder of Naagin Sauce gives us the backgrounder ldquoIt is local to Assam Nagaland Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring states The bhut jolokia experience has a signature lsquoslow burnrsquo mdash the heat creeps up on you and just when you think itrsquos not that bad it hits you Expect watery eyes maybe hiccups and sweating But if you love your spice yoursquoll appreciate that the heat doesnrsquot just sting instead therersquos this incredibly unique almost fruity lsquobloomrsquo of flavour and heat that you canrsquot get with any other chillirdquoLil Naagin ghost pepper pizzaThere are spicier chillies elsewhere like Carolina Reaper and Pepper X but these are hybrids and variations using the bhut jolokia he explainsldquoThe lsquohottest pepper in the worldrsquo race led to the hybridisation of bhut jolokia Its popularity worldwide and its standing as a previous world record holder for hottest chilli helps The fact that it has an English name like lsquoGhost Pepperrsquo which has such a great ring to it hasnrsquot hurt either The ghost pepper has also birthed some viral content classics over the years YouTube is littered with videos of people challenging themselves to eat a whole bhut jolokia mdash only to crumble to the floor guzzling down cartons of milkrdquo shares RastogiFire upAt London Taxi chef Rahul Desai sources the chillies from Manipur and pickles them for Death Wings ldquoApart from the spice levels these chillies have a sweet flavour profile too The hot sauce for the dish is made with Habanero peppers and Sriracha sauce which gives this dish a spicy and mildly sweet and smoky flavourrdquo says DesaiArjun RastogiOn Monday delivery pizza kitchen Little Gamby launches a Ghost Pepper Pizza with mushroom sauce truffle oil parmesan shavings onion and potato chips Chef Sushil Multani knows pairing the chillies and mushrooms can be a sort of vendetta between the two ingredients ldquoThe mushroom and truffle flavour provides umami and ghost pepper cuts through it after a few seconds yoursquove had your bite Parmesan cheese gives the perfect balancerdquo says MultaniThe chillies are most popularly used as sauce rubs Suprio Bose of The Nomad Chef uses it as a base sauce or a rub for grills just enough for it to give the heat and play with your senses along with the sweet tangy and umami notes ldquoThe idea is to balance it with other elements so diners can feel the heat but at the same time they donrsquot get overwhelmed by itrdquo says BoseHandle with careAt Andherirsquos House of Asia restaurant in Mirador Hotel executive chef Kamlesh Salve uses the chilli in various forms like fermented dried and fresh for curries sauces and chutneys including an Assamesestyle barbequed chicken called Kukura khorika aru bhut jolokia chutney Assamesestyle barbequed chicken ldquoAdequate precaution has to be taken while processing the bhut jolokia Wear proper eye goggles doublevinyl gloves and a mask to prevent the direct intense aroma If someone consumes it accidentally drink cold milk the natural fat in the milk helps soak the capsaicin Yogurt and honey can help stop a burning stomach while a spoonful of ghee will aid in coating your throatrdquo Salve suggestsBhut jolokia chicken curryPicPradeep DhivarINGREDIENTSgtgt 500 gm chicken curry cutgtgt 1 bhut jolokia soaked in 12 cup warm watergtgt 2 onion slicedgtgt 12 inch ginger choppedgtgt 1 tbsp garlic choppedgtgt 1 12 tbsp gheegtgt 12 tsp methi seedsgtgt 1 tsp turmeric powdergtgt 2 tbsp cumin powdergtgt 1 tbsp coriander powdergtgt 2 tsp garam masala powdergtgt 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powdergtgt 3 tbsp tomato pastegtgt 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves choppedgtgt Salt to tasteMETHODWash the chicken properly and marinate with salt turmeric red chilli powder and ginger garlic paste Soak the bhut jolokia in a bowl of warm water For chilli paste heat ghee in a pan add methi seeds sliced onion ginger and garlic add the soaked chilli with little water and make a fine paste In a pan heat ghee and add the rest of the spices Sauteacute until done and add chicken pieces and cook Add the chilli paste to the curry adjust seasoning Cook till the chicken is done Garnish with the fresh chopped corianderNOTE If the curry turns out to be spicy you may balance it with fresh cream or a dash of lemonChef Kamlesh Salve executive chef Mirador HotelChilli TrackerSmoky Bhoot sauceLog on to naaginsaucecomshopAvailable in major retail stores in MumbaiEmail hellonaaginsaucecomLil Naagin ghost pepper pizzaAt Little GambyCall 9988164444Log on to Swiggy Thrive and ZomatoGrilled chicken in bhoot jolakia BBQ rubAt The Nomad ChefCall 9137308550 Deliveries for weekend lunches onlyDeath wingsAt London TaxiCall 7021290740Log on to Swiggy Thrive and DotPe