The Best Hot And Spicy Foods To Get Your Labour Going
Ok, so there’s debate about how effective spicy food is for getting labour started – it’s thought chilli and spices stimulate your tummy, which in turns triggers contractions in your womb – but if you're already on your third night in a row of curry, you'll be pleased to know there are other options you can try, and even if it doesn’t get things going, these foods are still seriously tasty
Curry sauce
Often the go-to choice for women who want to kick start labour, curry heat and spices can vary (so if you really can’t stomach a hot curry, you can still enjoy it). Really Indian cook in curry sauces all contain less than 1% fat and are available in three strengths – mild, medium and hot. (£2.75, ReallyIndian.com)
Wasabi peas
Warning! These hot, crunchy peas are ridiculously addictive, and you’ll keep eating even when tears are streaming down your face and you can’t stop sneezing. Try Humdinger Wasabi Peas, £1.29, Tesco
Kimchi
This Korean relish is made from pickled cabbage and is served alongside noodle dishes and barbecued meat. However, the latest trend is to serve up kimchi in a beef burger for a fiery fast food hit. We’re sold…
Mexican sauce
Get the same punch as a Mexican “luchador” wrestler with these Kankun sauces (£2.99, kankunsauce.com). Made from chipotle jalapeno peppers, they have a smoky spiciness and are perfect for adding extra heat to sauces, or used on their own as a dip for crisps.
Tom Yum soup
This spicy, Thai clear soup is both hot and sour and is made from lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, and lots of crushed chili peppers. It’s a great soup to have when you’re feeling bunged up with cold as the heat and spices will definitely clear out congestion.
Jerk seasoning
For the best style of Caribbean cooking, it’s got to be jerk. Meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture made of scotch bonnet chillies, thyme and ginger. Rub some jerk seasoning onto pork chops or chicken thighs and serve with rice and peas. Try Jamaica Sun Jerk Seasoning, £2.99, Africarr.com
Middle Eastern cooking sauces
BisBas Fozia Arabian cooking sauce is a sweet tomato and coriander sauce which contains black onion seeds and green chillies. Cook chunks of lamb or chicken and serve with pitta bread and plenty of natural yogurt if you want to cool it down. £3.50, Harrods
Chilli con Carne
Whether you make it yourself or opt for a ready meal (we like the Tex Mex ready meal range from Co-Op), chilli con carne can produce a suitably fiery hit to get things moving…if you’re lucky.
Piri-piri sauce
If you’re too tired to waddle down to your nearest Nando’s, why not use one of their famous sauces spread over a grilled chicken breast? The piri-piri sauces contain a blend of onion, tomato, garlic, lemon, spices and the key ingredient – the super-hot African bird’s eye chilli. Available from Tesco, £1.99.
Mustard
Interesting fact: mustard seeds are neither hot nor pungent until they’re cracked or ground and mixed with a cold liquid. This combination results in mustard oil, which is extremely hot and potent. Hot-Headz! Hot 'n' Spicy Mustard (£3.49, hot-headz.com) combines chillies and mustard for a head-exploding sauce to go with sausages, pork chops or beef.
Spicy popcorn
Sweet and salty popcorn is over. This is popcorn for gourmets, with some serious heat in Madras Curry Lime and Caramel Pepper and Chilli. The flavour combos may seem a little different, but somehow, they work. £14.50 for pack of 5 bags, qvcuk.com
Thai salad
If you can’t face a heavy curry, a hot and spicy Thai salad is a good option. A classic dish from Thailand is a papaya salad which is raw green papaya (which like pineapple, can help to trigger contractions – so only tuck into this if you’ve reached full term and want to get things moving) and chillies.
Bourbon bhuna
Curry and whiskey? Yep, sounds strange but this sauce is surprisingly tasty. Don’t worry about the alcohol content during pregnancy as it will all evaporate during the cooking process, leaving the lovely flavour of the bourbon paired with the heat and spices of the bhuna. £3, justingredients.co.uk
Horseradish sauce
While we wouldn’t recommend eating great dollops of horseradish on its own to get your labour started (although some of you may be desperate enough to do anything), it will provide a fiery flavour to a Sunday roast beef, or has a gentler taste when added to mayonnaise or cream cheese. Try The Bit On The Side Hot Horseradish Sauce, £3.19, TheBitOnTheSide.co.uk
Harissa rub
Fragrant and fiery, this traditional blend of North African spices contains a mix of smoked paprika, cumin, caraway and coriander. Rub onto steak, fish or vegetables before placing on the BBQ for a char-grilled taste or mix olive oil and vinegar into the spice blend to make a traditional harissa paste and spoon over chicken thighs, halloumi or spare ribs before cooking. We like Spicentice Harissa Rub, £2.95, spicesofindia.co.uk
