Is Indian food, in general, spicy?

Question

I'm looking at a recipe for chicken curry and there are some ingredients (such as Garam Masala) that I have never heard of. So, is it generally spicy? Also, any good recipes are appreciated! I would like to try it, but there isn't a restaurant around that serves Indian food...so, I'll have to make it myself. Thanks!

Answer 1

Indian food can be spicy but you can always eat mild versions. The spicy-ness comes from fresh or dried chilies (green or red) or red chili powder. Omit these in any recipe and you will have a very flavorful dish but NOT spicy hot.

Garam masala is NOT spicy, it is a mixtures of spices (like cumin, coriander, cloves, mace...).

Look for chicken curries that are tomato or coconut based. Chicken Korma is mild, also Butter Chicken. You can always omit the chilies & chili powder.

ENJOY!

Answer 2

Indian food is generally spicy.
'Garam Masala' is a powdered mix of various spices. It enhances the flavor of a dish and also adds an aroma to it. Some recipes demand Garam Masala to be used while preparing a dish while it is added to others later.
It is red chili powder which gives Indian food a nice fiery taste and colour.
Garam Masala can be bought at stores stocking Indian stuff.

Answer 3

Indian food is always spicy but not always hot. What I mean is, Indian food uses a lot of spices but they're not always the burn your mouth kind of spices. For example, a lot of cumin, coriander, turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, etc. These spices/veggies add a lot of flavor without any real heat.

Of course, Indian food is often spicy in a hot way from using red and green chilies. But that kind of heat can be controlled by using less of those ingredients.

Garam Masala is a spice blend. If you can't find Garam Masala in your regular grocery store, you can try your local Indian grocery store. If you don't want to do that, then you can find recipes online for the spices you'll need to toast and then grind up.

I like allrecipes.com for their recipes. I trust the user ratings on there.

Best regards,
mari

Answer 4

The spiciness of Indian food varies with the region,in general north Indian dishes are less spicy that the southern dishes.Chillie powder & garam masala are the ones you will want to curtail if you wish to make your curry less spicy,(hot /pungent) the other spices provide flavour & aroma ,so are not so much of a concern .follow your recipe & go easy with the two mentioned ingredients ,also avoid green chillies even if the recipe calls for it.

Answer 5

This is the dish I make for anyone that is new to Indian food. This website has a video as well so u can watch and learn how to make
Chicken curry with Spinach.

http://www.showmethecurry.com/2007/05/14/chicken-curry-with-spinach/

If u r in the USA, than u can find an Indian store to buy the Garam Masala...just type in your zip code.

http://www.showmethecurry.com/indian-grocery-stores/

G'Luck

Answer 6

Any food can be spicy if you add spices.

Not all Indian foods are spicy.

Garam masala is a mixture of 9 different spices.

If you want less spicy, I suggest you add little at a time.

You can always add more later but cannot take out once in the food.

I hope this helped!

Answer 7

i am sorta indian..well my grandmother is from india....and i ma from a pretty tranditional family...but since u are gonna cook the food yourself..than u can control the amount of spicyness in the food. and garam masala is pretty spicy soo just put a little...traditionally the food is pretty spicy...but again since u are gonna cook the food than u can control the amount..if u go to the restaurant they dunt...but try it...it's realli good food...try butter chicken or chicken korma...

Answer 8

No not always, from what ive tried, there is a fair amount of both spicy and no spicy, but curry comes in the spicy types and non spicy types, it just depends on what kind u buy.

Answer 9

Not all of it is spicy. Their chicken is similar to plain baked chicken with paprika on the outside to give it a red color. The spinach dish is served with cheese mixed in and is very popular, also non-spicey. Of course, rice is the center of any Indian Dish. You can serve the spices on the side if you are concerned about it...I would.

Answer 10

try this Curry Chicken recipe.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces
onion, and potato, cut into 8's, and cut scallions
curry powder, and a stick butter.
put the butter and curry into a dutch oven or any kind of big pot. add the onions, and scallions, cook until the onions are transparent. add the chicken. let that cook until, its no longer pink, then add potatoes and add some water. u will see the gravy starting to form and u just add a little more seasoning or whatever u like. I usually season my meat with a little sazon, adobo, black pepper, garlic and onion powder while its cooking with the onions.