Mustard seeds for tempering lentils brought out a little bitter after taste
I am fond of using whole spices for tempering therefore used mustard seeds along with cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida & nigella seeds. Thereafter used some cilantro and kasuri methi for finishing. What I noticed was that the lentils had a lil bitter after taste. Although previously I have used this spice blend minus mustard seeds a number of times without fail. What I know for sure is that I can take out mustard and make the tempering good again but somehow I want to use mustard seeds along. What else should I incorporate to bend mustard seeds in the spice mix to make it balanced?
Best Answer
There's quite some bitter components in there:
- Fenugreek
- Nigella seeds
- Mustard seeds
In general to balance bitterness, you either add salt, fat, or sugar.
In yours case, maybe the addition of the mustard seeds pushed the bitterness just beyond what you like. So quite possibly you could also choose to reduce the amount of nigella seeds and fenugreek.
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Quick Answer about "Mustard seeds for tempering lentils brought out a little bitter after taste"
One thing is, if the mustard seeds are sauteed for a long time than requested it WILL turn bitter. So always keep the seeds in oil just till the last seed pops up and not a second after that. By which i mean, immediately add the next ingredient. (Be it onion or tomato or water, lentils) may be.How do you get the bitterness out of mustard seeds?
Mustard seeds have an inherent bitterness to them. If you feel the resulting condiment is too bitter, try soaking the seeds for longer, or use more honey or sugar. You can also bring the seeds to a quick boil in water then rinse them off a few times to remove the bitter tannins before continuing with the vinegar.Why are my lentils bitter?
When the water starts boiling, it's very important to remove the scum that accumulates at the top \u2014 if you don't do this your daal may taste slightly odd and a bit bitter.Does mustard seed make food bitter?
Raw mustard seeds have a face-warping bitter quality that tastes like it'll scare any illnesses right out of you. That also made them just the thing for covering up the taste of rotting meat.How do you take the bitterness out of lentil soup?
Combine small amounts of an oil or fat such as olive oil or butter into your soup. These help cover up bitter flavors by coating the tongue, and they add a comforting and flavorful taste to your soup. If the previous use of salt or sugar has fixed your soup, you do not need to add fat.How to Make Homegrown Homemade Mustard
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Answer 2
Tempering with whole spices is often a good idea and brings out a nice flavor to the dish. I am an avid south Indian cuisine lover and cook it on an almost daily basis. Which means i use mustard seeds in my cooking everyday and may be 3 times of the day. Not even once i have come across the bitter taste mentioned. One thing is, if the mustard seeds are sauteed for a long time than requested it WILL turn bitter. So always keep the seeds in oil just till the last seed pops up and not a second after that. By which i mean, immediately add the next ingredient. (Be it onion or tomato or water, lentils) may be. Good luck and Tasty cooking!
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