In India, most of our favourite delicacies are considered incomplete without the burst of spices and the traditional tadka that enhances the taste. However, there’s only a fine line between a well-cooked
tadka raising the vibrancy of your dish and a burnt and bitter mixture ruining your meal completely. A bad tadka turns the same mouthwatering dish into an unpleasant memory, causing a harsh taste to the curry and a bad smell all over your kitchen.
Here are a few effective measures to get the tadka right.
Ground Spices Burn Fast
Ground spices are significantly less adaptable to heat than whole spices used for the Indian dishes. Whole spices survive the medium to high heat as their oils are trapped inside the layers of the skin and shell. However, ground spices like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala burn rapidly, leaving the tadka more likely to turn sour and harsh.
Don’t Overcrowd The Pan
All types of spices require some space for even cooking. When we add too many spices together in the pan, some could remain raw and improperly cooked. It results in a clash of flavours and unwanted bitterness. One is better advised to temper the spices in small portions for proper roasting.
Heat-Sensitive Spices
Different spices are sensitive to the heat to a varying degree. You can’t fry the fenugreek, which burns quickly, the same way as you do the mustard and cumin seeds. The ginger-garlic mixture that is so commonly used in Indian dishes must also never be burnt to a dark brown shade and should be roasted only until it turns golden in colour. Your powdered spices must be cooked on low heat, while spices like cardamom and cinnamon are more tolerant of heat and can be fried for longer.
Revisit The Caramelising Technique
While spices like fennel, coriander, garlic and onion powder give a nutty and sweet twist to the dish when roasted, caramelising them for an extended time turns the mixture bitter in taste.
Natural Oils
When heated correctly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander and fenugreek release natural oils that pack your dishes with the most desired aroma and flavours. Over frying them in the pan, however, causes those natural oils to break down into compounds, resulting in a tasteless tadka.
