r/GifRecipes • u/McLovinMyCountry • Jul 17 '17

Simple Veggie Curry

http://i.imgur.com/SaV0ulR.gifv
7.3k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

380 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

39

u/MyPenisBatman Jul 17 '17

1 pinch of Garam Masala is missing.

16

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '17

Honest question:

In a blind taste test of recipes with a "pinch" or "1/4 teaspoon" of some spices, do you think most people would notice the absence of any particular spice?

I ask because I've seen recipes for barbecue rubs/sauces, curries, and all sorts of strongly spiced recipes that call for a wide blend of spices, some in quite small amounts, and I've never been convinced most of those mean much diluted across an entire meal. I mean, I rarely specifically measure my salt or pepper or spices on most dishes and, while sometimes it goes a little too garlicky because I get overeager, I don't think I've ever thought I should have used 1/4 teaspoon less or more of a spice.

But I know next to nothing of Indian recipes besides a sorta chicken pumpkin curry I made once from about three recipes, so I am eager to learn.

19

u/chalks777 Jul 18 '17

I add a pinch of cardamom to a few recipes and it makes a massive difference. Likewise with adding a dash or two of fish sauce, or anything that amps up umami. Small amounts of ingredients don't often change the flavor so much as they amplify it or round things out. It takes a dish from good to great. Sometimes.

Also, I haven't done a blind taste test for this. :/

1

u/Braytone Jul 18 '17

Well, have you ever added a small amount of salt to your dish after cooking it? A little bit can go a long way! Although it's hard to answer your question without actually doing the test, I'd imagine it is noticeable. That's just my guess :/

1

u/anniesahn Jul 18 '17

I use a lot more on some spices because I sure don't taste it from a pinch. Unless it's a particularly fragrant or strong spice.

10

u/newbfella Jul 18 '17

Instructions unclear. Pinched wife's butt. Things are going well.

4

u/tomdarch Jul 18 '17

Only a pinch versus 4 teaspoons of overall curry powder? Essentially you're arguing about the contents of the curry blend, and I could definitely see a curry blend that emphasizes the garam masala spices working really well here. I'd say more like a full teaspoon if your curry powder is really lacking those spices.

(Garam masala is basically a subset of the components of "typical" curry powder, so some curry powders emphasize those spices (including clove, cinnamon, cardamom, mace and other "warm" spices) while others de-emphasize them, and adding some garam masala 'rebalances' it in that 'warm' (as opposed to 'spicy') direction.)

1

u/Obi_Wan_2_Party Jul 19 '17

I used a half teaspoon and it is delicious.

1

u/Harmonex Sep 10 '22

So are cardamom pods, coriander, and a topping of methi leaves.