Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Grow Your Own Spices and Herbs => Topic started by: chriswg on July 09, 2009, 10:11 AM
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My Dorset Naga plant has a few nice fat chillis on it which should be ready to pick in a month or so (weather allowing). I've never tried eating one and I'm a bit concerned they will just be too hot. Has anyone here ever tried cooking with them? Did you survive? What would be a good recipe to use them for? Maybe we should invent a Chicken Vindanagaloo!
On a separate note, anyone serious about hot curries should grow their own Super Chillies. They are really easy to grow in pots on a windowsill (or conservatory or greenhouse if you are lucky). They seem to be a similar heat to birdseye chillies so they have plenty of kick. Each plant can produce up to 300 chillies. I stupidly planted 8 of them!
See resized photos in new post below - SnS
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Photos were a bit large - Sorry.
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Those super chilies look awesome. Oddly enough I had the same concern over Dorset Nagas. They have started stocking them in large Tesco stores with a new level of hotness like "devilishly hot" or something silly. I thought about buying them (you only get 2 or 3 small ones in a pack) but thought the food might be inedible. Anyone tried them? I know SnS grows them.
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One of our local BIR's does Naga curries. They are extremely hot, but have a nice flavour to them.
They are supposed to be the hottest chili ever according to the Scoville scale. 923,000 SHU ( Scoville Heat Units.
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If you look around the internet there are some amusing videos and stories of people eating them. One guy was ill for days with terrible stomach pains, but then he did eat a whole one raw.
Unless anyone has some real world experience with them, I'll probably start off with 1 chilli for about 10 portions of sauce. They are about 20 times hotter than hot green finger chillies so that would seem about right.
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One of our local BIR's does Naga curries. They are extremely hot, but have a nice flavour to them.
They are supposed to be the hottest chili ever according to the Scoville scale. 923,000 SHU ( Scoville Heat Units.
I'll bet you they are using Scotch Bonnets not Naga chillies. There is one of the new fancy style BIRs round this way that does a so called Naga Curry but the taste is definitely SB, very distinctive and certainly hot but nowhere near as hot as a real Naga. Never seen any on sale anywhere, I think you would need to be a bit mental to attempt eating them TBH.
Regards
Cor
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Interesting thought, as I've said previously, very very hot, but nice flavour. Not once compared to anything else in an Indian take away. I've always thought, for the supposedly hottest chili , it was not that hot.
As a side note, went to see the Stranglers in concert tonight, met friends and went to Wetherspoons for eats and a beer or two. As it happens, it was curry night and thought why not. Not your usual BIR fayre, but a curry non the less. A good selection of various curries, but the ingredients listed, left a lot to be desired. Any how plumped for their Chicken Vindaloo, reason being it stated " our hottest curry, try it if you dare" that was it , red flag to a bull. To say i was disappointed would be a little unfair. A very hot curry, but not a Vindaloo by any stretch of the imagination. Very hot, from chili powder alone and that's all you could taste apart from the Cinnamon. Not that sure it's an ingrediant I've tasted before in a Vindaloo.
Going back to the thread, this leads me to say I have not had a real Naga Curry. Very disappointing if true, as I would love to try the real thing. Will buy Dorset Naga Chili seeds next year and then maybe develop a real Naga Curry. Will keep you all informed. If there is a recipe for a Naga Curry out there somewhere, it would be very much appreciated.
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One of our local BIR's does Naga curries. They are extremely hot, but have a nice flavour to them.
They are supposed to be the hottest chili ever according to the Scoville scale. 923,000 SHU ( Scoville Heat Units.
I'll bet you they are using Scotch Bonnets not Naga chillies. There is one of the new fancy style BIRs round this way that does a so called Naga Curry but the taste is definitely SB, very distinctive and certainly hot but nowhere near as hot as a real Naga. Never seen any on sale anywhere, I think you would need to be a bit mental to attempt eating them TBH.
Regards
Cor
My local tesco had these tonight, and they really looked like dorset naga not generic habanero, I had to get some anyway. I can tell you I'm a real chilli head, I get fresh chillies from the south devon chilli farm, collect the super hot sauces (blairs, dave's gourmet etc) and these chillies were the real deal. I'm not stupid, I tried a bit about 4mm square, it was extremely hot, instant hiccups (uncomfortable :(). If you see these in your local tesco, grab some :D
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My second Naga plant has finally managed to start producing fruit. For months the flowers have just been dropping off. I tried lots of manual pollination ant all times of day but with no effect, there was no pollen being generated. I decided to let nature have a go and put it outside by a lavender bush for a week. I've now got 15 chillis growing through. Good old bumblebees!
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I am using Dorset Naga's in my recipes. I have been experimenting for a
few months now and I have to admit I enjoy the heat and flavour.
Recently completed a Chicken Jalfrezi which originally wanted 8 Birdseye
chilli's but I replaced this with 2 Naga. Wow what an excellent chili buzz ;D
Careful when handling Naga's as the can leave a nasty bite if not handled correctly.
I have found that slicing them with a very sharp knife and fork works well and do this on a regular basis now :D
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I find the taste a bit overwhelming, it really seems to take over the whole dish. I made a chilli sauce a couple of days ago using half a Naga and about 8 super chillies. I love the heat of them, but the taste isn't quite right for me (which is a shame given the amount that are growing!).
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So tell me please.......
How does everyone here treat a chilli?
Do you cut it up and discard the seeds? Do you keep the seeds in? What in you're opinion makes a chilli hot?
When I recently went on an Indian Cookery course, the tutor there had a degree in Food Science. She said, its not the seeds that make a chilli hot, its the waxy oily stuff just under the skin.........
But as the seeds are porous, they will easily soak up the heat from the juices expelled when cutting a chilli.......
I have tried both ways and to be honest, I don't find any difference to the heat whether I cut it up and discard the seeds or not. I guess it's down to the type of Chilli you use which determines the heat factor......
What are all your views? :)
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I always leave the seeds in. Whether it affects the heat or not I don't know, I just don't see the point of discarding them. Usually when a chef says to discard the seeds it is because they want the chilli taste without the fire so I guess they must contain a lot of the heat.
I think next year I'm going to grow green finger chillies as they seem to work best in Indian cooking, and Jalape?os for on pizza. The super chillies are good and plentiful but I'm not sure they work very well in curries. The Nagas have been a fun experiment but I don't think I'll be repeating it. To give you an idea of heat, I cut one open and just touched it on the tip of my tongue. It felt like I had physically burned it for about 30 mins. I also think I rubbed my eyelid with a chilli covered finger which wasn't wise. It felt like I had badly scratched it for hours.
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I currently have a finger chilli plant on the go, some have turned red some are still green, they'll turn red the longer you leave them on the plant.
I'll take some pics, and try to post them on here :)
Haven't tried them yet though, am waiting for them to ripen just a little more first :)...
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Best thing to do with Dorset Nagas?
Forget curries - a nice mature cheddar cheese on toast, VERY finely chopped naga ( I use scissors so I don`t have the "I feel a bit sleepy - I`ve got tired dry eyes - rub rub ARGHH!!!!!!)
Just to lift things slightly, a splash of 50/50 mix of Lea & Perrins and Thai fish sauce!!!
Otherwise, Super Chillies are a great variety and very productive but ( and this is only my second year growing chillies ) Ring Of Fire are the nearest thing I`ve tried to the kind found in typical restaurant Jal Frezis and also those sold in Asda as long green chillies (as long as they are produce of India).
CheeryBye!
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Cheese on Toast will never be the same again.... :)
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Last night, I used half a naga on a pizza - wow!
Since pizza places usually have volcanic references for their spicy offerings (Vesuvio, Stromboli etc), perhaps I should call it Pizza St. Helens or Pizza Krakatoa ;D
CheeryBye
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Do you guys like the taste of the Nagas? I find they completely overpower everything and the taste isn't that great. I put half of one on a pizza once and loved the heat but it tasted pretty gross.
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Do you guys like the taste of the Nagas? I find they completely overpower everything and the taste isn't that great. I put half of one on a pizza once and loved the heat but it tasted pretty gross.
Actually, the weekend before last I went out with some guys from the golf club for an Indian. There was a guy there that had a jar of Naga paste, which he puts on his curries because they just don't do it for him without....
I put a little on a teaspoon and tried it. Yep it had the same effect on me that I had when i was in Turkey and had a screaming hot chilli. It gave me the hiccups for about 45 minutes. Anything too hot has that effect on my diaphram......
However, apart from that I found they had a rather sweet taste. I'll have to find out where he got that jar from and what it contained and will report back :)
It was certainly a toilet roll in the freezer that night ready for the following morning!!! ;D
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I don't know about anyone else but whilst I find the heat of Dorset Naga almost unbearable in a curry it has none of the afterburn effects of say a cayenne despite the latter being nowhere near as hot.
On the subject of whether to take out the seeds, I have been told it's an old wives tale. Apparently the heat is in the membrane, which lines the flesh and surrounds the seeds. The only heat in the seeds is where they have been in contact with the membrane so taking them out makes little if any difference unless you remove the whole core, in which case you get a lot of the membrane as well.
Has anyone tried making Naga chilli oil?
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The bit to which you refer (the hottest part) is called the placenta and its where the seeds are attached.
;)
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Those super chilies look awesome. Oddly enough I had the same concern over Dorset Nagas. They have started stocking them in large Tesco stores with a new level of hotness like "devilishly hot" or something silly. I thought about buying them (you only get 2 or 3 small ones in a pack) but thought the food might be inedible. Anyone tried them? I know SnS grows them.
I have bought 10 packs from Tesco and tried a few, There are really hot! I have grown different chilli's every year but nothing as hot as these. I havealso dryed a few out and planted the seeds (Late on for planting i know!) But out of 12, 1 is growing well! Where do you get your seeds from?
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The bit to which you refer (the hottest part) is called the placenta and its where the seeds are attached.
;)
SnS It sounds as though you are preparing to deliver one hot baby!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D
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I have bought 10 packs from Tesco and tried a few, There are really hot! I have grown different chilli's every year but nothing as hot as these. I havealso dryed a few out and planted the seeds (Late on for planting i know!) But out of 12, 1 is growing well! Where do you get your seeds from?
I've always got my seeds off ebay. Never failed yet.
Not impressed with Naga's though - hot but tasteless when compared to habenero chillies (which have a fruity taste but are still extremely hot).
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The variety, Bhut Jolokia is being grown for sale at Doddington Hall near Lincoln. It measures one million on the Scoville Scale of chilli hotness - five times the level of varieties we'd normally consider hot like Jalapeno. Pepper spray which is used to control crowds, measures five million on the Scoville Scale.
In 2007, it was confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the hottest chilli in the world.
The chilli can be dangerous, and should be handled with care to avoid it transferring into your eyes.
The chillies are in limited supply at Doddington Hall, but have been very popular with customers so far. They come in a sealed bag with a warning label advising customers that the chilli is extremely hot!
Doddington's cookery demonstrator Amy Claridge spoke to William Wright on the Breakfast Show about it.
http://feeds.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2009/09/17/hot_chilli_feature.shtml (http://feeds.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2009/09/17/hot_chilli_feature.shtml)
http://www.doddingtonhall.com/ (http://www.doddingtonhall.com/)
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I have grown dorset nagas and bhut jolokia for a few years. They are extremely hot and should be used with caution. For anyone interested in growing chillis, check out this forum.
http://firefoods.phpbbhosts.co.uk/index.php (http://firefoods.phpbbhosts.co.uk/index.php)
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I have used Dorset Naga for making chilli sauce. Using a can of plum tomatoes as a base and adding onion, various spices, white wine vinegar, lemon and lime juices, garlic and a carrot, I have produced nearly one pint of the hottest sauce it is possible to eat without breaking into an uncontrollable sweat. I am keeping the precise recipe a secret but the Naga content was only 6 mature red chillis. All you need is a blender and some small bottles. It's vet quick and easy to do. Try it.
:P
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I am keeping the precise recipe a secret but the Naga content was only 6 mature red chillis. All you need is a blender and some small bottles. It's vet quick and easy to do. Try it.
How can we try it if you're going to keep it a secret? ??? ::)
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My local deli have started selling THESE (http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?target=products&product_id=129) for ?3 per 10g bag. Now unless my maths have let me down that means they are worth ?300/kilo.
Think I'll get a gro bag for the kitchen window sill!
Regards
CoR
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Photos were a bit large - Sorry.
whoa it like farm town lol
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Here's a video of a chillihead who's well known to chile internetters as an objective sampler of chiles and chile products. It's Neil from The Hippyseed Company in Australia.
He's impressed!
chilli tests ,, Dorset Naga (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR7jvw9W-TQ#normal)
I grow the Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia amongst other chiles. If you like a really hot curry this is the way to go. Definately not for those who prize flavour over heat, but if you like heat and flavour it also imparts a distinctive Naga fruity flavour to any dish along with ferocious heat.
My first post by the way, so hello! :)
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I ended up binning about 50 Nagas. I liked the heat they produced, but the flavour was too overpowering for whatever it went in or on.
Next year I'm going to grow some Jalapenos for on pizza and some Pusa Jwala and Hot Summer chillies for in the curries. If anyone knows of any better varieties for Indian cooking then please let me know.
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One of our local BIR's does Naga curries. They are extremely hot, but have a nice flavour to them.
They are supposed to be the hottest chili ever according to the Scoville scale. 923,000 SHU ( Scoville Heat Units.
I saw this on the South Devon Chilli farm web site http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=1 (http://www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=1)
Quote. New seed now in!
World?s Hottest Chilli.
The Bhut Jolokia (A.K.A. Naga Jolokia) was officially measured at over one million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) in 2006 and replaces the Red Savina Habanero (557,000 SHU, measured in 1994) as the current record holder.
Being three times hotter than an Orange Habanero, our suggestion for cooking with these chillies is to use a small amount, very finely ground (dry or rehydrated and reduced to a paste). As a rough guide, try ? of a pod per person for a hot dish.
Heat rating: 10!/10 unquote.
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Yes, I have some growing in my garden...can't wait to try them!
Interesting comments about drying them and rehydrating them as a paste...does anyone have any suggestions on how to best dry them? Just leave them in the sun or put them in an oven?
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Yes, I have some growing in my garden...can't wait to try them!
Interesting comments about drying them and rehydrating them as a paste...does anyone have any suggestions on how to best dry them? Just leave them in the sun or put them in an oven?
I tried some of those South Devon Chilli Farm Nagas but I don't really think they are any good for a BIR style curry taking far too long to cook IMO. They seem to need at least an hour or so of simmering so they are OK in a chili con carne or a traditional style curry, if you try to cook them quickly they are very, very hot with an overpowering harsh taste but cook them on a bit and although still hot they develop a nice earthy/fruity flavour.
Regards
CoR
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I tried some of those South Devon Chilli Farm Nagas but I don't really think they are any good for a BIR style curry taking far too long to cook IMO. They seem to need at least an hour or so of simmering
Sounds like you need to make a precooked chilli paste with them then, BIR style, so that they can just be spooned in at the spice frying stage of the curry making.
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Yes, I have some growing in my garden...can't wait to try them!
Interesting comments about drying them and rehydrating them as a paste...does anyone have any suggestions on how to best dry them? Just leave them in the sun or put them in an oven?
We just thread ours onto a strong length of cotton and hang them up in the kitchen where they dry off over a period of time. I suppose hanging them in an airing cupboard would hasten the process.
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Yes, I have some growing in my garden...can't wait to try them!
Interesting comments about drying them and rehydrating them as a paste...does anyone have any suggestions on how to best dry them? Just leave them in the sun or put them in an oven?
Cory
Im Irsh living in Turkey now
Turks all dry their Chillies using the sun only open air, so sugest a slow dry in an oven if in Europe
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Thanks AP, I'll try that (or both, since I'm in Australia :P)