Mixture of ingredients has a bitter taste
I put ginger, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno and garlic in a blender for a dish I'm preparing. This mixture was going to be fried in oil. I noticed that it had an extremely bitter taste - what could be the reason?
What's the best way to counteract this bitter taste? My dish has tomatoes, some Indian spices like dried cilantro powder, chilly powder, turmeric, etc.
Best Answer
Likely the bitterness has nothing to do with this particular combination of ingredients. Rather, the blending process can break down the structures of each of the ingredients far more thoroughly then chopping and allows bitter compounds to leach out and saturate the overall mixture. Garlic in particular can be bitter if it's been pulverized, but it gets milder as it cooks. Did you notice that the bitterness ruined the dish after it was cooked?
Also, is there a reason to blend these ingredients? It's often preferable to chop ingredients by hand, or even use a food processor.
Also, I'd warn against cooking all of these ingredients at the same time anyway. They all cook at slightly different rates. For example, if you put onions and garlic in the pan at the same time, the garlic will burn long before the onions are done. EDIT: The warning against cooking them at the same time only applies if you are indeed intending to sweat or sauté them. If they are buffered with a liquid, then they won't burn. However, some of the ingredients might get mushy or even dissolve completely before the other ingredients are finished.
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What makes bitter taste?
Taste buds are able to distinguish between different tastes through detecting interaction with different molecules or ions. Sweet, savoriness, and bitter tastes are triggered by the binding of molecules to G protein-coupled receptors on the cell membranes of taste buds.What seasonings are bitter?
Examples of bitter flavors include Ajwain Seeds, Bay Leaves, Black Cumin Seed, Celery Seed, Fenugreek Seeds, Greek Oregano, Horseradish Root Powder, Lavender, Mace, Marjoram Leaf, Mediterranean Thyme, Mustard, Turmeric.What makes bitter foods bitter?
Compounds that are perceived as bitter do not share a similar chemical structure. In addition to peptides and salts, bitter compounds in foods may include plant-derived phenols and polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, and caffeine.How to Reduce Bitter Taste - 9 Ways to Reduce Bitter Taste in Any Food - Fitness and Nutrition Guide
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