And no, this isn’t some cheap trick to get you to read this post. I’m talking about the spiciest pepper in the world. Bhut Jolokia, also known as the ghost pepper.

Last week, we tasted Amma’s and Anusuya’s Pacchai Milagai Thokku, a fiery green chutney made with serrano and Thai green chilies. That lunch quickly turned into a conversation about heat levels and the spiciest peppers on the planet. Did you know that Bhut Jolokia measures anywhere from 800,000 to over 1 million Scoville units, the standard scale used to measure pepper heat? That makes it nearly three times hotter than the habanero, which I had always assumed was the hottest pepper I’d eaten.

By now, you probably know that we’re a family that genuinely loves spicy food, from my nine-year-old to my seventy-five-year-old mother-in-law. So naturally, this discussion was enough to spark both curiosity and a mission to hunt down this infamous pepper at local stores.

It may have been sheer coincidence, but later that same day, while shopping at Central Market, Nikhil spotted exactly what we were talking about in the produce aisle. I wasn’t expecting to find it so quickly and was amused that our lunchtime conversation had stayed with him long enough for him to recognize it. This wasn’t the fresh variety, but dried ghost pepper, and the warning label on the package left little doubt that this was the real deal.

We got straight to work making Milagai Thokku, using serrano peppers along with the ghost pepper. The serranos helped balance the heat, since one ghost pepper alone is said to be enough to make steam come out of your ears. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you could try this chutney with Thai green chilies instead. Next time, I’d also like to try using fresh ghost pepper rather than dried. My only issue with the dried version was its slightly smoky, almost chipotle-like flavor, which, in my opinion, skewed the chutney toward a Tex-Mex profile rather than a traditional South Indian one.

Ingredients

  • Serrano chilies, finely chopped – 1/2 pound
  • Dried ghost peppers – 2, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes
  • Tamarind paste – 1 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Sesame oil (gingelly oil) – 2 tbsp
    (The oil helps preserve the chutney for a few days)
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Asafoetida, crushed or powdered – 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Grind the chopped serrano chilies, soaked ghost peppers, tamarind paste, and salt into a fine paste. Do not add water — the salt will help release enough moisture.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and asafoetida.

3. Add the ground chili paste to the pan and sauté in the hot oil.

4. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate and appear around the edges of the chutney. The color will shift from bright green to a deeper greenish-brown.

5. Allow the chutney to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container.

6. Serve with dosa, idli, rice, or alongside just about any Indian dish that can handle serious heat.

A small batch, a powerful punch, and a reminder that when it comes to spice, Bhut Jolokia is not to be taken lightly.