Flavour Rescue: Four Easy Ways To Save Your Curry (2024)

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Don’t let anything come between your family and a delicious plate of curry. Every now and then even master chefs have an off day in the kitchen. It could happen that your curry turns out to be a bit of a flop, but don’t despair. Here are some easy ways that can save the day if your curry is on the way to becoming a disaster.

These tips will help you quickly transform your meal from a potential failure to a lip-smacking masterpiece.

How to Save Curry that’s Too Hot

Curry is meant to be spicy and flavourful, but it is not supposed to burn your tongue. When everyone is grabbing tissues to dry their eyes and wipe away sweat, they may not be able to enjoy the meal you’ve just prepared. Little ones also battle with hot food and even when the dish is perfectly acceptable to adults, they might be inclined to push their plates away.

Solution: Add dairy. A curry that is too hot to handle can be defused by the addition of a little dairy. A tablespoon of yoghurt, a dollop of cream or even a sprinkle of cheese does wonders to cool the hot spices in the dish.

Top Tip: Add the dairy when serving but don’t add it while cooking on the stove. It may curdle on high heat.

For a mild curry taste why not try Boerewors Meatball Stew with Butternut Isijingi. Made with , it’s ideal for those who prefer fragrant to fiery.


How to Save Curry that’s Too Watery

Just as flavour is important, so is presentation. When your curry is too watery, it may not look as appetising as you would like. The perfect curry has a rich, thick sauce that clings to the rice and vegetables it coats.

Solution: Combine a teaspoon of corn flour with two tablespoons of water to form a paste. Pour this paste into the food and allow to simmer on low to medium heat. Voila! Your sauce will slowly get thicker and creamier - delicious!

Solution: Combine a teaspoon of corn flour with two tablespoons of water or the exact amount you need to form a paste. Pour this paste into the food and allow to simmer on low to medium heat for the sauce to thicken.

This Beef and Sweet Potato Curry is a curry recipe that delivers the perfect consistency. With a meaty sauce that covers the veggies you cannot go wrong when serving this hearty meal to your family and friends.


How to Save Curry that Tastes Bitter

Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you’ve added too much fenugreek to the dish. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat. Doing this will bring out its flavour and is all you need for the perfect curry base.

Solution: While cooking your curry spices, add a pinch of salt to bring out the natural sweetness of the spices. Alternatively, add a teaspoon of sugar and stir well before tasting.

Top Tip: If you’ve added too much sugar, you can counteract this by adding a few drops of lemon juice.

How to Save Burnt Food

In the hustle and bustle of life it is easy to get distracted and forget about the pot on the stove. You might be multitasking; helping a child with homework while your pot is bubbling away or perhaps you were engrossed in a book or captivated by the TV series you’re watching. If you’ve burnt the food, don’t panic!

Solution:

  1. First things first, remove the pot from the stove.
  2. Then change the pot the food was cooked in, making sure not to scrape the burnt food at the bottom.
  3. Cut up a potato or two and add it to the food.
  4. Simmer on a low to medium heat for about 45 minutes.
  5. The potatoes will absorb the flavours and smells, which will take the burnt taste away.

Top Tip: Did you know that adding a teaspoon of peanut butter to the pot can help mask the burnt flavour?

Relax! Everyone has their off days, and no home cook is perfect. Remember that even the biggest mistakes usually have a workaround. If you are new to making curry and you want to get better at preparing this beloved South African dish, check out our Tips For The Perfect Curry.

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Flavour Rescue: Four Easy Ways To Save Your Curry (2024)

FAQs

How do I save my curry? ›

Solution: Add dairy. A curry that is too hot to handle can be defused by the addition of a little dairy. A tablespoon of yoghurt, a dollop of cream or even a sprinkle of cheese does wonders to cool the hot spices in the dish.

How do I make my curry taste more like curry? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

How do you salvage a curry? ›

You can add more of the non-burnt vegetables, additional spices, herbs, or even a bit of broth to dilute the burnt taste. Adding a touch of acidity can help counteract the bitterness of burnt flavours. Consider adding a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, or a spoonful of yogurt to the curry.

How long can you save curry? ›

03/7​​Cooked meat curries​

Cooked meat, poultry, and fish curries can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. However, it is important to heat and cool the meat dishes properly before refrigerating them and make sure you store them in airtight containers.

What is the secret to perfect curry? ›

Sizzle your spice:

Kick off your curry by heating whole spices in hot oil to unleash their flavor. Choose from cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and seeds for the perfect base to your dish. Fresh spices are the best choice and will keep for longer in the freezer.

What can I add to curry sauce to make it taste better? ›

Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries. You can add them to the sauce while it's cooking. Add a touch of sweetness: Some store-bought curry sauces can be quite sour.

What is the secret ingredient in Indian curry? ›

TURMERIC. That is the go to spice in any South Indian kitchen to enhance a dish.

How do you get the taste out of curry? ›

Add a tin of coconut milk or cream, or plain yogurt or sour cream, stir it well and taste. You can also add it just a little at a time, before mixing and tasting. I tend to add lots, because my kids don't like a very spicy curry, so it can never be too mild.

How to spice up curry? ›

If you want to bring a bit of heat to the curry, try adding some chili powder or cayenne pepper. If you want to add a bit of smokiness, try adding some smoked paprika or cumin. You can also add fresh herbs such as cilantro or mint to bring freshness and flavor.

How do you rescue a bland curry? ›

Adding spices and herbs is an easy way to fix bland dishes. Experiment with different spice blends, such as curry powder, cumin, or chili powder, to add a depth of flavour. You can also add in some fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, or thyme can also add a burst of freshness to your dish.

How to make curry taste less tomatoey? ›

To balance out tomato-ness, you either need something bland like dal, something with body and sweetness like onion (I also usually add a little palm jaggery or coconut sugar to wet curries and other sauces that have tomatoes), or some oily fatty creamy rich stuff (or all of them :D).

How do you revive leftover curry? ›

Stovetop: Gently heat the curry on low heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally to avoid sauce separation and burning. Oven: Preferable for larger portions, heat at 350°F (175°C) in an oven-safe dish. Add a bit of water or broth, cover with foil or a lid, and heat for 10-15 minutes.

Where do you store leftover curry? ›

Curries and gravies:

In the fridge- Upto 3 days, once the food is completely cooled transfer to a container, make sure the container is air-tight, keep it refrigerated until ready to eat and do not expose them to extreme temperatures again and again (eg: in and out of the fridge repeatedly).

How do you save a curry with too much coconut milk? ›

Now just in case you want to get rid of the coconut milk taste simply add some curry paste(without coconut) or simply add some garam masala, this should get rid of the coconut milk taste.

Does leftover curry taste better? ›

A report from BBC Science Focus says that when your bolognese, stew or curry is sitting on the shelf in your fridge, it's getting more flavoursome by the minute even though it's no longer on the stove, because the ingredients are still marinating and breaking down like they would in a super slow cook.

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