Reducing acidity in Northern Indian Cuisine (chana masala)
I have been buying various spice mixes to make Pakistani/North Indian food myself. My issue is that in dishes with yoghurt and/or tomatoes, the end result always winds up being too sour. It happens with my karahis and also, most annoyingly, with channa masala.
I have tried various kinds of yoghurts, including plain low-fat yoghurt but also a Turkish one I found which had 10% fat. The result didn't change much. So, I don't think the type of yoghurt I am using is the problem.
Other than the acidity these dishes turn out alright. Which steps can I take to reduce the acidity of my dishes?
Update
I am restricting this question to chana masalas since that's what I have played around with the most. However, I am open for more general answers as well.
I usually put about half the amount of onion as tomatoes. Other than that, I usually follow the recipe on the box. The one I am currently using is this one.
Best Answer
Perhaps you could try using a smaller kind of tomato, like cherry tomatoes. These are usually much sweeter in my experience and in general have a lot more to offer in terms of taste, compared to large tomatoes.
A mixture of both would also work if you don't have enough small tomatos at hand, since the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes will counteract the acidity of the larger ones.
If smaller tomatoes aren't an option, I would also go for high quality canned ones, as other people have suggested.
Pictures about "Reducing acidity in Northern Indian Cuisine (chana masala)"
What is the difference between chole and Chana masala?
Punjabi Chole's distinguishing factors are a dark-brown curry or gravy, and a slight tangy flavor. Chickpeas are cooked with a Chole masala blend with fresh aromatics and very little tomato. Chana masala, on the other hand, is a tomato-onion rich gravy, with a reddish-orange curry.How to cook Indian Chana masala?
Prepare chana Pour 3 \xbd to 4 cups fresh water and soak them overnight or for at least 8 hours. Later drain the water & rinse them well. Pressure cooker: Pour 1 \xbd cups fresh water to the chana and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on a medium heat. If using Instant pot, cook them for 18 minutes on a high pressure.How can I thicken chana masala?
Cornflour Ideal for Chinese sauces or Thai curries but can also be used for Indian curries. Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir. Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.How do you get the tomato taste out of curry?
Cooking 8-10 fresh tomatoes for fifteen minutes is not nearly enough. It needs to be cooked for at least 45 min if not 1-2 hours. That reduces it to near a paste and then you lose that tomatoey flavor.restaurant style chana masala recipe with masala powder | चन्ना मसाला ग्रेवी | chickpea masala
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Answer 2
The questioner reports using fresh tomatoes. At least in my country, fresh tomatoes are always a disappointment: the common large varieties are not very sweet and because they are refrigerated, they have very little flavour. This is one possible reason why the curry comes out too acidic.
To bring out the sweet notes in tomatoes I suggest roasting them first. But it is easier to use high quality tinned tomatoes (for example Italian San Marzano tomatoes). Tomato puree will also significantly increase the sweetness.
Answer 3
You can play with the recipe by avoiding tomatoes and yogurt altogether. Many households here in India make dishes that way. If you want, you can thicken the gravy with a tablespoon of any kind of flour.
Answer 4
You can simply add a pinch of sugar in your sauce to balance the acidity. I always do that when I cook something with tomato sauce, it works like a charm!
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Images: Muhammad Khawar Nazir, Muhammad Khawar Nazir, Muhammad Khawar Nazir, Chan Walrus