Cooking with spices is not a supremely complicated job, but if one is completely unaware of what it entails, it can be understandably perplexing. Also, practice definitely makes perfect in this sort of thing, so if it does not come out right the first time, not to worry. All you need are a few more practice sessions and you are good to go. Once you get the hang of it, you can even have some fun experimenting with dishes and flavour profiles, finding out which spices go with which types of food as well. In the meanwhile, why not take a look at the following tips & tricks that are sure to delight the most ardent spice lover, as we think they would be useful in upping your culinary prowess as well?
Crushing
There are some herbs and spices that can be crushed, so crush them. Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and basil are just a few examples that come to mind. You can really extract their flavour without much effort this way. Or, you can even look at soaking them in hot water for a few seconds, which incidentally, is also a way of reviving old spices that have grown rather stale over time. You can use a mortar or pestle if you wish, since that is pretty effective when it comes to mixing spices, crushing them or making sambals.
Sweeten Things Up
A common mistake those new to cooking with spices make is going overboard with the spices, but there is nothing to panic about. All you need to do is add a neutralizing ingredient like honey, coconut milk or sugar for instance, depending on the dish in question of course. The sweeteners will not take over, so long as you add only a little bit. Of course you will need to taste it as you go, to ensure that all the flavours are now in balance. A good option would be to look at how to use turmeric powder in food, or whichever spice you’re cooking with for that matter.
Infuse
There could be herbs that are quite strong and are not meant to be eaten. They are simply for flavour enhancement. Picking these herbs out of dishes can be a nightmare, and if you are really ravenous, drive you mad. A handy solution would be to infuse the herbs in a tea infuser, and then add the concoction into the dish. This way, you get to extract all of the herbs’ goodness, without any of the hassle, which we think your guests would love especially at a special event. It can be our little secret!
Grow Them
You may think it is quite complex to grow spices, but they are not. All you need are the right ingredients and techniques, and you are good to go. If you can enlist someone to help you out, so much the better. You will then have spices at your disposal at any time, which can be invaluable. Who knows, if you get good enough, you might even be able to sell them and make an extra buck or two.
