Sometimes there are occasions when you have misjudged the spice blend or heat of chilli or, by mistake, made the curry too hot to eat. So, how do you adjust the spice level in curry and enjoy the dish without compromising the taste? Here’s the complete indian curry spice level guide to tone down too much spicy food after adding too much chilli. In this blog, all the preventive tips are shared to make the food less spicy during food preparation and to follow the guidelines for a good curry spice level. If you add too many spices to food, then follow the easy steps to make it less spicy or maintain the spice level. These tips can help to fix the spice level and can be used for any dish, especially for those that are gravy-based, such as soups, curries and semi-dry stir-fries.
Difference between spicy and too hot
Most people describe heat in food as spicy! But there’s a difference between chilli or spicy and too hot. You can relate spicy to the dish in which the spices are added. This can range in the form of any spices that are used to prepare the food. It could be cinnamon, cumin powder or coriander powder.
How food becomes spicy
The food can become spicy by adding chillies in the form of red chilli powder, black pepper, chilli flakes, fresh chillies or chilli sauce available in markets, which can make the dish spicy.
Tips to reduce spice in curry
It can happen when chilli is too spicy, which can only be released once it is added to the dish. Now the concern is how to adjust the spice level in the dish. Honestly, it is difficult to reduce the spice level in the dish once it is added. But there are ways with the help of which chefs in restaurants can reduce Indian curry spice level in Sydney. Hacks are mentioned below:
Add nutty paste
- If you are preparing the Indian curry, then you can add the nutty paste of peanut, cashew nut, almond or even coconut paste to reduce the spice level.
- You can add the nut paste or butter to soups also.
- The fat content added in the curry helps to reduce the spice level in the curry.
- This is the best option for vegans who add too much chilli to dishes.
Dairy products for balancing the chilli heat
- The major fact about capsaicin found in chilli is that it can easily combine with the milk compound and help to balance the spice level.
- So adding a little bit of dairy products such as yogurt and cream cheese helps to reduce the burning sensation of chilli.
- Vegan and non-dairy alternatives such as almond milk and coconut milk are sweet, which adds creaminess to the dish.
- Yogurt is served as an accompaniment with Indian curries to neutralise the heat of spices.
Serve or add with starch
- Another way to adjust the spices in the dishes is to add starch to it.
- For that, sweet potatoes and potatoes are the best ingredients; just boil them and add them to the dish.
- If you don’t want to add them to the dish, then the other alternative is to serve the spicy food with starchy food.
- Pasta, rice, boiled potatoes and bread are the best options; the combination of bold with bland goes well.
Balance the taste by adding acid or sugar
- This is the number one and favourite trick to follow if you feel that too much spice is added in the dish.
- Acids such as lime juice, lemon juice, sour yogurt, vinegar and chopped tomatoes can help to reduce the intensity of chilli.
- After adding any type of acid, balance the tartness by adding something sweet. This can be honey, sugar or any type of sweetener.
- The two combined together balance the heat, and make sure to taste it after adding both ingredients so that the actual taste of the dish remains the same.
Increase the amount of added ingredients
- Another tip to reduce the heat in the dish is to add more supplementary ingredients to the dish. This means adding more legumes, proteins, and vegetables depending on what you are making.
- If too much spice is added to the soup, then increase the amount of the main ingredient, which will surely adjust the level of spice.
- You can also shift the recipe by adding grated carrots, potatoes or any starchy or sweet vegetable to the dish.
- The plus of adding extra is that there will be leftovers, which is always good.
To conclude
It’s difficult to eliminate the spices from the dish when it’s burning your tongue. What to do is try to balance the spice level so that the dish doesn’t go to waste and is still edible. If you like a little heat in your food and don’t want to get bored of the heat, then being cautious about how much chilli you add to your dish is recommended. It’s better to add a small amount to spice up the dish, so it’s always recommended to taste throughout the cooking. When you visit restaurants like Crown Indian Cuisine, where multiple cuisines are served, North Indian and north indian and south indian are some of them. Both cuisines contain spicy and aromatic spices, but no worries; you can request the chef to adjust the spice level according to your taste.
The chefs of our restaurant prepare the food according to guidelines provided by you regarding your taste and following the hygiene standards. Sometimes they can also ask the Indian curry spice level questions to our expert Sandeep, who guides them well to adjust the spice level.
FAQ’S
What are the tips to adjust the spice level of curry which is spicy?
To adjust the spice level, add dairy products, nutty paste, increase the ingredients or balance with sweetness.
How to add spice if curry is too sweet?
To add spice to curry, you can add black pepper or layer the flavours correctly by adding additional sizzlers.
What are the tips to prevent the curry from being too spicy?
The tips to prevent curry from being spicy are to add mild flavours and taste while cooking.
What to do if we don’t have nutty paste or dairy products?
If you don’t have nutty paste or dairy products, just increase the amount of ingredients in the fish.
Do sweeteners help to balance the spice level in curry?
Yes, sweeteners help to balance the spice level in curry.
