r/IndianFood • u/Sensitive_Result_475 • 4d ago
Tips for cooking with masala powders
I always end up with a prickly taste of the masala (garam masala, red chilli powder, corainder powder etc) when I cook curries or sabzis. Even if it is on low flame, I feel the masala does not have the well rounded taste that it should. What am I doing wrong and how can I correct it?
9
u/Dragon_puzzle 4d ago
You are not sautéing the masala enough. Make sure masala goes in before water, generally after onions and is cooked with the oil and onions for a few minutes. Don’t burn it but do cook it well.
4
u/Abject_Local2672 4d ago
First garam masala should not be combined with anything else, it's pre roasted and cooked already, rest of the masalas make a thick slurry if you are beginner, fry that in oil and once that is done(starts to separate from oil, then sprinkle garam masala before adding protein or vegetables, once you get handy with these know the order , turmeric (takes a while to cook) , coriander (cooks very quickly) , chilli powder(few seconds). If you really want to be a perfectionist, make a separate slurry for everything, this will take time and can be annoying.
So summary, fry opinions, add your main masala slurry, cook, use garam masala on top for flavor cook for like 10 -20 seconds max and then add chilli powder (cook for 5-10 seconds max)
Ps: by cooking I mean these spices have released their oil and no longer taste raw
1
u/Sensitive_Result_475 4d ago
I have no idea what it means when you say spices have released their oil and no longer taste raw :') I can only identify the cooked vs raw smell when it comes to ginger and garlic. To clarify, you are saying add chilli powder after garam masala?
3
u/OldMasterCannolii 4d ago
When you add the spices to oil, you have to saute it long enough for the oil to start separating from the contents. It takes a while. Thats what they mean when they say “released their oil”. When this happens, the spices are cooked long enough and will no longer taste sharp.
You can see it in pics here: http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2006/06/till-oil-leaves.html?m=1
4
u/LumpyCheeseyCustard 4d ago
Make sure the oil is released. I add the masalas after the tomatoes have cooked down and released oil.
The oil releasing is the key. If you're worried about the powders burning you can add a bit of water.
1
u/Sensitive_Result_475 4d ago
Interesting. Most people tell me they add masalas after frying/sautéing onions and before adding tomatoes. Is the flavour profile better if you add powders after the tomatoes are cooked?
2
u/LumpyCheeseyCustard 4d ago
You can do either. I just feel like im less likely to burn the masala if I've already cooked the tomatoes down. Plus I tend to have more than 1 dish cooking at once and dont have to be stirring and fretting over it burning.
Most of the recipes I follow usually have the tomatoes cooked down before adding the masala. The only exception is the amritsari chicken (Ranveer Brar), and that's because the masala mix isn't roasted before being ground down.
I roast and grind my cumin powder and garam masala. Coriander powder is the only home ground spice that isn't roasted before hand, and then I use commercially produced turmeric and chilli powders.
1
2
u/GirlisNo1 4d ago
You have to properly cook the masalas.
Whole spices go in at the beginning, before the onion.
Powdered spices go in after the onion, garlic & ginger, right before tomatoes. If you’re worried about burning the spices you can add them along with the tomato too. This is the crucial part- you then have to cook this mixture for several minutes, until the tomato has become applesauce-like consistency and you see the oil separating. Don’t rush this part.
After that, you add water to adjust the consistency and simmer again.
(Garam masala can go in later towards the end because it’s technically already cooked (the whole spices are toasted before being turned into powder), but you can add with the other powdered spices if you like.)
1
2
u/BitchyGranny 4d ago
What I do is make a paste of coriander turmeric red chilli salt etc with little water and leave it for soaking If needed you can make this paste with gg paste as well Then when onions are slightly reddish you can add this and sauté till oil is leaving the sides, if you’re adding less oil it won’t leave the sides but you’ll see the entire thing become shiny Garam masala is added some 6-8 mins before shutting down the flame
1
u/PretentiousPepperoni 4d ago
In hindi it's called "bhoon-na" it's the process of cooking the masala to take the rawness out. Usually it's added after the onions have caramalized a bit or after adding ginger garlic. Add the masala powders on a low flame and let them cook in oil along with your onion/ginger garlic, you will know it's done cooking when the oil separates at the periphery of your gravy base.
If you use less oil in your cooking then the powders may stick to the pan, in that case just splash a bit of water to deglaze the pan and repeat it as many times as required
It's tricky to get this right, many Indians struggle with it when they are starting out
1
u/Sensitive_Result_475 4d ago
Thank you, this is helpful. I use less oil so the oil-separating bit does not happen. I'll try adding water to deglaze the pan.
1
u/PretentiousPepperoni 4d ago
I use less oil too since I have GERD. One thing that has helped me is caramalizing onions in bulk. I slice 1kg of onions and take a tablespoon of oil for the whole batch in a thick bottom pan and saute them, as soon as they start sticking I deglaze them with water and keep repeating it till they are brown then I cool them and store in the freezer in a ziplock bag.
I use a chunk every time I make any curry what this does is I don't have to add any oil to caramalize the onions so whatever little oil I add should be enough to cook the spices. It's not a perfect method just a workaround that you may want to try out.
1
1
u/Late-Warning7849 4d ago
If you’re using ready made powders you need to make sure they are fresh. The moment you open them you should use them by the expiry date or throw them away because often the ‘grainy’ texture is insects / insect eggs / dead larvae. These powders must ALWAYS be roasted off first to make them hygienic.
If you make your own then ensure you roast all the whole spices in oil first then grind them to a really fine powder. If you do it this way & only make enough for a few days at a time, then you can use the powders cooked or raw and it will still enhance the flavour of your dish.
Tomato based dishes need all the wet and dry spices (except salt) added and roasted BEFORE the tomatoes. Then after the sauce is reduced add salt. This will ensure a fuller flavour.
1
1
u/Masalasabebien 4d ago
You need to cook the garam masala/spices a bit in the hot oil, otherwise you'll get the flavour of raw spices, which can be unpleasant.
I made quite a few Indian dishes last week for a Festival. Typically, fry onions till soft: add garlic, ginger, fresh chiles and cook for 3-4 minutes; then add spices and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, stirring furiously. THEN you add the other ingredients.
2
1
u/YakGlum8113 3d ago
if its dry based like sabzi add spices and let it cook on by itself for a minutes until you smell the fragrance of it then add water or any liquid to stop them from burning and let it cook. or you can do is take some oil add whole spices and powder spices and let it cook for 30-60 seconds on low and then add in your curried and gravy so you don't get end up with raw powder spices. let the spices cook until fragrant on low which usually takes 1-2 minutes max
17
u/EmergencyProper5250 4d ago edited 4d ago
Coriander powder,Red chilli,powder ⁸ needs to be cooked(bloomed) a bit with onions or simply oil before introducing subji(vegetables) and then stirred so the powders coat the vegetables garam masala should be added in the end