If you are an adventurous eater who loves spices, I am sure your opinion has struck multiple conversations with other non-spice eaters. You might also have heard several people stating statement after statement how spicy foods are bad for you and your health.
So, if you are one of those spicy eaters, what preference do you prefer? The mild salsa, the medium, or the three-alarm hot version? And if you are tired of listening to how ineffective those spices are for your health, how about the turns of the tables? What if I say about their health benefits?
Unlike other people’s statements, spices hold health benefits in more than one form, and you are backed up by science. Here, the herbs are not only chili but also others, such as cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cumin.
Five Spicy Food Recipes To Try
Before we move on to the health benefits of spicy foods, below are some recipes to try.
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Ingredients Needed: chicken wings, vegetable oil, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, hot sauce, honey, and butter.
- Marinate and season the chicken wings with oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 400° and toss the marinated chicken wings in it.
- Bake until chicken is golden and skin is crispy as you flip them halfway through.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together hot sauce and honey. Cook them for about two minutes until the butter is melted and slightly reduced.
- Add the chicken wings to the bowl with buffalo sauce until completely coated.
Gorkhali Lamb Curry
Ingredients Needed: lamb chops, red peppers, bay leaves, minced garlic, chopped onions, tomatoes, black pepper, cumin, turmeric powder, mustard oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt to taste.
- Takes roasted chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, cumin seeds, lemon juice, mustard oil, and soy sauce into a blender and makes a smooth paste.
- Now, take the lamb chops and pour the paste all over them. Mix it well, then cover it and leave it for at least six hours.
- Then, grill the marinated lamb chops on a charcoal grill and cook it well on every side. Chop them into small cubes.
- After that, heat two tablespoons of mustard oil in a saucepan. Fry fenugreek and bay leaves, and dry whole red peppers till they turn dark. Then add sauteed onions and turmeric powder.
- Then add garlic, ginger, red chilies, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt.
- Again, add tomato-onion mixture and simmer for 10 minutes until it turns thick. Now, add the lamb chops and garnish them.
Choila
Ingredients Needed: boneless and skinless chicken thighs, soybean oil, chopped garlic, salt to taste, black pepper, cumin, diced leeks, ginger, paprika, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, chili powder, and mustard oil.
- Mix the chicken, soybean oil, garlic, cumin, salt to taste, and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Grill the meat on both sides until cooked through. Then, cut it into one-inch cubes.
- Mix the chicken, leeks, ginger, paprika, chili powder, and garlic in a bowl.
- Heat a saucepan with soybean oil, and then add fenugreek seeds.
- Add turmeric as soon as the fenugreek seeds turn dark, and immediately pour the hot oil over the bowl of chicken. Hence, your chhoila is ready.
Laphing
Ingredients Required: Maida (All Purpose Flour), salt, garlic, baking powder, turmeric powder, cooking oil, red chili pepper, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar.
- First, make the dough using maida and baking powder. Let it rest for a minimum of 20-30 minutes.
- After that, add enough water in a container to cover the dough to separate starch and gluten from it.
- Now, squeeze the dough to remove the water. Cover the starch water for 2-3 hrs while we use the gluten part for the fillings.
- For the filling, wash the gluten in the running water, then add 1/2 tsp of yeast or baking powder. After you mix it well, let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Now, place the gluten on the steamer tray greased with oil and cook for 15-20 mins.
- Mix chopped garlic, red chili powder, salt, Sichuan pepper, and water to make the chili paste. Then, add heated oil to it.
- Take the starch you separated from the water before and add turmeric powder. Again, add a little oil and mix them all well.
- After the batter is ready, oil the pan and bake them as thin pancakes for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- As you get the pancake-like wrapper, spread the chili paste on it. Then add gluten bread, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Mix them all well and make the roll.
Chilli Chicken
Ingredients Required: Boneless chicken, soy sauce, bell peppers, garlic, chili sauce, salt, pepper powder, cornflour, chili powder, oil, vinegar, ketchup, green onions, onions, and capsicum.
- First, take boneless cubed chicken meat and add soy sauce, chili sauce, and pepper powder. Mix them well, and sprinkle cornflour to get the crunchy-like taste.
- Then add chili powder and paprika with a bit of oil and remix them.
- Now, fry your chicken in hot oil. After you do, prepare the sauce for seasoning.
- To prepare the seasoning, add soya sauce, vinegar, sugar, red chili powder, and ketchup in a bowl. Mix them well by adding a little water.
- Then, add a little oil to a pan and saute your garlic, green onion, capsicum, and chilies.
- Add your sauces to the mixture and as it bubbles, add your chicken and toss them around until it looks dry.
Health Benefits Of Spicy Foods
- Spicy foods help with your weight loss. The element capsaicin in the spices increases your core temperature and metabolism, which later helps burn calories faster.
- As you eat spicy foods, it increases endorphins in your body, which helps to reduce the risk of depression or stress.
- The similar element capsaicin works as an antioxidant to protect cells from free radicals that cause Cancer.
- Also, chili peppers reduce your bad cholesterol and help fight inflammation.
Words Of Caution
Having said all this, if you can not tolerate spices, it is also better to keep them away. Often herbs have short-term symptoms, like stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting in those who consume extreme amounts.
However, there is no permanent damage to the intestinal lining, as some rumors suggest.