The Naga chilli has been claimed to be the hottest chilli in the world. Commonly consumed in Bangladesh, the Naga-bih Jolokia or ‘Ghost Chlli’ usually comes in a form a 2cm long red, green or yellow chilli. It has an official Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) of up to and over 855,000. To put this into lay mans terms - this is the equivilant heat of 855,000 capsicums.

More recently a Naga has been grown in the UK by a Mr and Mrs Michaud which has broken the world record as the hottest chilli pepper in the world measuring a whopping 923,000 SHU’s (Scoville heat units). The Dorset Naga, which has been named after the town where it has been grown has beaten the previous hottest chilli, the Red Savina Habanero which measured at 577,00 SHU’s. It is thought to be from the ‘Naga Jolokia’ family from Bangladesh.

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To cook authentic Indian food you need to learn the basic Indian cooking techniques. Like Indian spices, Indian cooking techniques are also of utmost importance for cooking Indian delicacies. If you wish to follow any Indian recipe, you need to learn the cooking techniques first and also know the Indian terms that are used to address them. This is because names of all Indian cooking techniques can’t be literally translated to English or other languages. You can check our Currypedia A-Z for some translations of common words and items in Indian cooking.  Following are the basic Indian cooking techniques.

Tadka/Bagar/Chonk/Sambara: This technique is referred by different names in different regions of India hence, so many names! In this technique oil is heated and chosen lentils/spices are added to add flavor to a recipe. This can be done before or after cooking.

Bhuna: This technique is used to prepare rich and yummy curry base for many recipes. Chopped onions are stirred for a long time on medium/high heat till they turn brown. Later, tomatoes and/or spices are added.

Bhapa: This method is better known as steam cooking. However, in the Eastern Indian technique, this is done in banana leaves, or a foil.

Dum: Another process of steam cooking that was invented by the royal chefs of Indian Nawabs. In this process half cooked food (vegetables and/or rice and/or meat) and spices are sealed with wheat flour dough in a pot to produce mouth watering biryanis.

Talna/Biraan: This means frying, deep or shallow. It is used to prepare Indian tikkis, delectable kebabs, pakora’s and onion bhaji’s to name but a few.

Sekna: This technique involves roasting Indian breads and nuts.

Tandoori: Perhaps the most special way of Indian cooking techniques and almost equal to western barbeque. However, it cooks faster as compared to barbeque. It is done in a clay oven specially meant for cooking tandoori dishes like meats, stuffed parathas and rotis, naans and kebabs. Check out our detailed description of Tandoori in the A-Z.

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