How to make a curry less spicy (2024)

FAQs

How to make a curry less spicy? ›

Yogurt or sour cream can cool down the curry. Adding a pinch of sugar or ketchup can counteract the spiciness. Starchy foods like potatoes or rice can absorb heat. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar can cut through the spiciness.

Yogurt or sour cream can cool down the curry. Adding a pinch of sugar or ketchup can counteract the spiciness. Starchy foods like potatoes or rice can absorb heat. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar can cut through the spiciness.

If your curry has a tomato base, adding extra tomatoes is a great way of cooling down a hot curry. The choice of using tinned tomatoes, passata, fresh tomatoes or even ketchup is up to you. Another way to reduce heat in curry is by using starch. Adding potatoes or sweet potatoes to a curry will absorb some of the heat.

You can make a curry less spicy by adding coconut milk, cream, yoghurt, or sour cream to your curry dish while cooking. These cooling ingredients aim to reduce the heat of your curry by spreading out the spice. Coconut milk is best used in coconut-based curries to complement the flavours.

Citrus-scented cleaners and deodorizers work well to neutralize curry odor, as the acidity present in lemon counteracts the vaporized cooking oils. So, when you can, reach for citrus-based cleaners and lemon essential oil to improve results.

Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down. (Milk is also acidic, by the way.)

A curry that is too hot to handle can be defused by the addition of a little dairy. A tablespoon of yoghurt, a dollop of cream or even a sprinkle of cheese does wonders to cool the hot spices in the dish. Top Tip: Add the dairy when serving but don't add it while cooking on the stove.

Adding Sweetness

Include sugar or honey: Adding a small amount of sugar or honey can help balance the heat of a spicy curry. Start with a teaspoon and adjust according to your taste preferences. Use fruits: Consider adding fruits like mango, pineapple, or raisins to your curry.

The most commonly espoused home remedy is consuming dairy products, as they contain proteins called caseins that bind neatly with capsaicinoids, preventing any capsaicin that hasn't already hooked onto a receptor from latching on, safely washing the now-neutralized compounds down your gullet instead.

What is the best neutralizer for spicy food? ›

Peanut, almond, or cashew butter are all rich in fat and can help dissolve capsaicin and mitigate some of the heat from chiles. If you're hesitant to add fat, you can also dilute the heat of a curry or stew by adding more water.

Adding fresh cream or milk can also help in balancing the excess salt in sabzis or curries, this is because cream/milk have sugar, which effectively balances out the excess of spice and adds a nice taste to the delicacy.

Depending on the dish, simmer or bake it with a splash of liquid to meld the flavours and allow the grains to absorb the excess salt. If it's a soup, curry or other saucy dish, you can add large chunks of potato to soak up excess salt, then discard once tender.

You can add more of the non-burnt vegetables, additional spices, herbs, or even a bit of broth to dilute the burnt taste. Adding a touch of acidity can help counteract the bitterness of burnt flavours. Consider adding a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, or a spoonful of yogurt to the curry.

Add a tin of coconut milk or cream, or plain yogurt or sour cream, stir it well and taste. You can also add it just a little at a time, before mixing and tasting. I tend to add lots, because my kids don't like a very spicy curry, so it can never be too mild.

If you're hesitant to add fat, you can also dilute the heat of a curry or stew by adding more water. Starchy foods like bread and albumin proteins in eggs can also help prevent capsaicin from binding with nerve receptors.