Topic: Excluding chilli completely from all curries- what do you think?

[fajfall]

I'm in a debate with someone who says that chilli can be excluded from every dish that calls for it because it's no big deal as food always tastes better without chilli. Her theory is that chilli is overpowering so if you use it you can't taste anything else just like if you add enormous amounts of salt, even when it's a mild amount of chilli. It's rather strange that Iran borders Pakistan and yet most Iranians can't stand chilli in their food.

What do you think about all this?

[Garp]

I don't see any problem with that, my friend. In some ways it is better in that you can actually taste the other spices in the dish

[Secret Santa]

Chilli is an acquired taste. The more you eat of it (frequency and quantity) the less it masks the subtleties of the other flavours. Many years ago now, when I was a Phall addict, I could easily appreciate the subtleties of the other spices despite the otherwise incendiary nature of the dish. So I think your friends theory is not up to scratch.

[Micky Tikka]

I would have to agree with you there SS
Curry is a combination of  spices and  everyone has probably more or less a different fresh hold when it comes to chilli powder
only last week I was in a curry house in spain and I asked for some fresh chillies for obvious reasons
I said to my mate these are pretty good so being a fool he ate a handfull  :
So with his eyes streaming he said how can you eat these
I said one I didn't eat them on there own it was mixed with my curry 
Then I went on to say I've been eating  chillies for thirty years in Sandwiches ,sheperds pie and so on
but I said it doesn't take over the taste of the other flavours
My threshold has gone up over the years
But if someone gave me a curry and all I could taste is heat the that curry would be no good for me
So chillies are  important  for men 

[Ghoulie]

Even in India, not all Indians eat / like curries !

Look at the many recipes on here - not all contain chillies - yet they are very tasty.

Personally I like chillies - but they are not essential.