Hot, hotter, hottest

I remember the very first time I had the chicken pepper fry at Andhra Chillies restaurant. Everything had been alright with the world until then. The chicken made me sweat, cry and made my ears hum. For a spice novice like me, it was a slow, steady burning, which lingered on even after I had downed copious amounts of buttermilk and curd to balance the heat. However, I finished it fully, feeling invincible. I became a fan for life.

This was about 15 years ago. The dish is still available, it has loyal fans, who want it exactly the way it was when they first tasted it. Spicier dishes arrived and this one may score only around 7.5 on a scale of 10, but it sure was a game-changer. “The chicken, which is diced to 14 pieces is blended with a thick, fragrant masala of dhania powder, chillies, turmeric and ghee,” says Krishna Mohan, who owns and runs the restaurant. The signature flavour, however, is the chef’s secret recipe of combining tomato and ground black pepper. Served in small steel plates, in a bed of dark brown masala, the chicken pepper fry sets the base for a spice lover on the lookout for more fire.

Here’s a round-up of a few dishes in the city that could make eyes water, noses runny or set your very existence on fire.

Hell Boy burger, The Burger Junction (TBJ)

With a name like that, one does expect a certain degree of daring. But if you thought size-wise, you are wrong. This beef burger might easily be the spiciest you have ever had here. It is the stuff of challenges and has left even the strongest of ‘em in tears. Only 75 % of those who have ordered it have been able to finish it, says Manju Mathew, owner of TBJ. Five different varieties of chillies go into its making, but what gives it the killer punch is the sauce which contains ghost chilli, the bhut jolokia, which scores about a million on the Scoville Scale. The first bite might make you feel like you can take it, but take the second and the spice hits you. “It was introduced about six months ago, and we intended it as a challenge to the Malayali’s love for spice. A lot of customers bring their friends for spice challenges. Even if the burger is half-eaten, we are happy. We usually recommend a milkshake after it,” Manju says.

It isn’t recommended for children or people with sensitive dispositions. The burger is beet red, not so big, but you are sure to remember it all your life.

Fish curry, Mullappanthal Shaap

This fiery red fish curry is notorious, it can make you guzzle a few more bottles of sweet toddy at the end. The spice comes from the authenticity of the chilli powder, says owner Vijayakumar. Red chillies are dried and powdered at the shaap and no artificial flavours or colour are added. As the curry simmers over the fire (the shaap uses firewood), you can smell the spice.

A strong contender is the chutney made of birds’ eye chilli (kanthari), a usual accompaniment to kappa at the shaap, says foodie and food consultant Asvin George. “It is a potent mix of kanthari chillies, coconut oil, shallots and may be several pinches of red chilli powder. It can definitely singe your taste buds.”

Beef Kondattam, Fathima’s (Chullikkal) and Vanitha Hotel (Thammanam)

Food blogger and Instagrammer Rahul N Kutty swears this is one dish that makes him cry. Every time, it makes him feel like he cannot handle it. Yet he keeps going back for more. The beef kondattam is a sensational side to porotta or naadan meals. “The one at Fathima’s is dry, you can spot the chilli flakes on the meat, and I’d give it an 8 on 10 on the spice scale. It gets all the heat from the red chilli and coriander mix.” It is usually paired with mani puttu, a delightful cross between idiyappam and puttu. At Vanitha, run by a group of women, beef kondattam comes in the form of a semi-gravy. “It can be had only with the mor kottaan they serve with rice. Even then, I have to have lime juice later. It would easily score a 9.”

People differ in their spice tolerance and for those who dare, there is enough to tingle and burn.