Simple trick to make spicy food less hot.

Chilli season is in full swing and all you chilli enthusiasts out there are probably trying to use your precious chillies in all dishes to prove that your chillies are best. Sometimes however, you may get carried out a bit and use too much. Right? And if you do, is there any way to save the overly spicy dish?

Over-seasoned food can be salvaged fairly easily, but first you need to know what actually happens on the molecular level. Sometimes, it is hard to get the right amount because the famous alkaloid called capsaicin may be little bit tricky sometimes.

How capsaicin behaves and how to neutralize it

If you have eaten a very hot chilli or dish for that matter, you probably wanted to drink cold water right away but it did not work as expected, right? Milk and other dairy products work much better because they contain fat, which suppresses the burning effects of capsaicin. So, if you add cream to a spicy a dish it will burn less.

Photo: Pixabay

The good news is that it does not have to be cream or fat of animal origin because plant fat works in the same way. So, if your chilli con carne goes well with a coconut milk for example, use it.

Vinegar to fight too much chilli or black pepper

If you are not fond of dairy products do not despair because acidic products will also help you reduce the burning sensation. Take for example vinegar, lime or lemon juice. Add little by little and taste. You can also use sugar to balance the acidity.

Choose the dominant food ingredient and use it

Another option is to use more of the dominant ingredient that is already in the dish – for example tomatoes. Add more tomatoes to reduce the burning. You may also add few pieces of potatoes or apples which will reduce the burning sensation. Cook a little longer and when done, remove the apples or even the extra potatoes if you like. This way you should save your favourite dishes rather easily.

Preview photo: Pixabay

Source: https://www.apetitonline.cz/tipy-triky/jak-zachranit-prilis-palive-jidlo, https://www.chillipikanterie.cz/chilli-blog/prehnali-jste-to-s-chilli-jeste-se-to-da-zachranit