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They say if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen, but when it comes to dishes like these ones, you better make sure you're well equipped.
We already know eating spicy food in general is great for your health — a recent study, published in the BMJ Journal, found eating spicy food can be linked to a lower risk of death. While other studies have noted eating spicy dishes on the regular can help prevent high blood pressure and some forms of cancer.
If you are a hot sauce or chili flake lover, you're probably used to adding spice to every mild meal you eat, but is there a such thing as too much spice?
Salima Jivraj, editor and owner of Halal Foodie says although eating spicy food is fine, you might want to watch out for balancing flavours.
"Spice can heighten other flavours but it can also mask them if you don't have that happy medium. When foods are over spiced, they end up tasting the same,' she says. "The wonderful thing about foods from various cultures is how they combine ingredients and prepare with various cooking methods, you want to maintain that as the foreground of any dish and keep the spice as a highlight."
And for anyone who can't handle that heat (in the kitchen or in general), Jivraj suggests keeping naan or bread on the side of your meal to even out the taste. You also want to chew slowly, drink water or have yogurt to ease your stomach and digestion.
Below, Jivraj has come up 17 dishes that just taste better spicy — even if you can get them mild. We've also attached some recipes for you to try out at home. Of course, this list is just scratching the surface of all things spicy, so let us know, which foods do you love to make hot?
