I temper a combination of garlic, pepper corns, a dry red chili and
coriander seeds in hot oil for 45 second and pour this on Dal ... just
let the oil sit on top as a garnish and then scoop some when serving to
the plate. I use the small porridge sauce pan for this...My technique is
don't chop the garlic.
I peel the cloves, then one smash it with the flat part of a cooks
knife. You can't do this with a paring knife. You also smash to crack,
peel, the smash again. Keep the results of garlic prep should be
chunky...don't smashing down to a soft paste
AP
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http://www.rasam.ie/how-to-temper-spices/
How To Temper Spices
If you have spent some time talking to us about our food, no doubt you
will have heard us mention, tempering our spices. In authentic Indian
cooking, the key to making a truly delicious meal is not only choosing
the right spices but also adding them in the right order and tempering
them correctly.
Tempering of spices is a traditional method to extract the full flavour
from spices and is also known as “Tadka”. Essentially this method is
when whole or ground spices are heated in hot oil and then added to a
dish. The hot oil or ghee makes the spices more fragrant and
flavoursome and brings the essence of the spices to the fore and
maintains this essence when it is added to a dish. Not only does
tempering add flavour but it also unlocks the nutritional benefits of
the spices.
The ingredients used in a Tadka varies dependant on the area the dish
originated from. Dishes from the North of India tend to favour cumin
whilst dishes from the south prefer curry leaves.
Some things to remember
1) If you are making a curry, then temper at the start. If you are
making a dahl, rasam or sambar then it is best to temper at the end. If
you are tempering at the end of a dish, then use a separate pan and
simply add to the dish
2) Not sure what to temper? You can try powdered spices, cumin
seeds, red dry chillies, mustard seeds, grated ginger or garlic, bay
leaves or cloves. The choice is yours
3) You don’t need lots of oil. One or two tablespoons is plenty
4) Ideally use Ghee, sunflower or vegetable oil. Olive oil in this
case is not the best choice
5) The whole process only takes a few seconds, so make sure you are
prepared before you start
6) Heat the oil, then add the seeds, followed by your other dry
ingredients. The order in which you add your spices is very important
and should be based on their individual cooking time
7) The oil or ghee should be very hot at first, then reduced to
medium, then add the spices. You know the oil is hot enough when you can
see a slight shimmer.
8) You will know your tempering is done when the spices are crackling
or have changed colour. Make sure if you are using cumin or mustard
seeds you let them pop in the oil
9) If you burn the spices, you’ll have to throw your mixture out and
start again, as the burnt flavour will ruin your whole dish. The key to
tempering is heat control
10) Once your tempering is complete, you can start to add your other
ingredients such as onions, meat & vegetables
11) As you add more ingredients the temperature in your pot will start
to drop, so you may need to add more heat
12) Don’t temper fresh herbs, rather add them at the end of the cooking
process directly to the dish
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Albert Peres
afpe...@3129.ca
416.660.0847 cell
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[Goanet] What is "tempering" or फोण्ण in Konkani?
Frederick Noronha fredericknoronha2 at gmail.com
Mon Jun 22 09:16:50 PDT 2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempering_(spices)
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