It's that time of year again, a popular Manchester curry house is bringing back the 'world's hottest' curry for those daring enough to give it a try.
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill on Chester Street is serving up the very spicy dish to celebrate National Chilli Day on Thursday, February 23. Chefs will be preparing the Reaper Karahi dish using the Carolina Reaper - which holds the Guinness Book of Records title of World’s Hottest Chilli.
They'll be cooking up the extremely spicy dish as a special from Monday, February 20, until Friday 24, and will also be holding their annual Chilli Challenge on Thursday, February 23. The competitive eating challenge is hugely popular, with queues down the street - and this year they're expecting even more people to get involved.
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Owner Tayub Amjad commented: "The Carolina Reaper is a chilli that packs a serious punch. Manchester has some real chilli lovers out there and every year we are amazed by how many people want to take on the Reaper! This year we have three dishes for diners to try."
Dishes span the Chicken Reaper Curry, the Veg Reaper Curry and the new Reaper Kebab. As an added incentive for taking on the challenge, there's a range of prizes and anyone bold enough to see off the Reaper Karahi will get it for free.
A traditional Karahi originates from the Northwest region of Pakistan and is usually made in a wok and cooked over hot flames with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and cumin forming the sauce of the base. The dish can be cooked with chicken, lamb, seafood or vegetables but for this year's Carolina Reaper Karahi, Zouk is using chicken or veg.
The curry includes dried Carolina Reapers which are the hottest chilli in the world deemed suitable for human consumption. While some may wonder what would drive someone to try the Carolina Karahi, the restaurant says "there are just some people who love the heat" and seem to be less sensitive to such a hot chilli.
However, even Zouk’s chefs struggle with the heat when preparing the dish, and the team believe it to be the World’s hottest curry and the world’s hottest kebab.
Tayub adds: ‘Our food is usually more about flavour than heat but it’s National Chilli Day, and we know our customers love this challenge. Plus, for anybody who manages to finish the reaper dishes there is a free ice cream sundae to revive their tastebuds and their reaper is on us too."
Those who complete the Reaper Kebab will win a £10 gift card, while customers brave enough to take on the Reaper Curry will win a Bottomless Brunch for two worth £70. And for the hardiest of competitive eaters, a Sunday Roast Platter for two plus drinks, worth £100, will be awarded for taking on both challenges.
Those wishing to try the curry are being encouraged to make a reservation for February 23, specifying the 'Reaper Challenge’ as quantities of the dish will be limited. As well as prizes and ice cream, there is also a special Chilli Margarita Cocktail to enjoy all week as part of the chilli day celebrations.
The Carolina Reaper Chicken Karahi is £15.95, The Caroline Reaper Veg Karahi is £14.95 and The Reaper Kebab is £7.95. All three are available Monday, February 20, to Friday, February 24.
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