Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: How to Fix a Spicy Dish When Cooking
• Method 2 of 2: Serving Spicy Foods with Softeners
• Tips
• Warnings

Even if you prefer very spicy food, it will be helpful for you to know how you can make it less pungent if necessary.Knowing how to soften an overly spicy dish will come in handy for anyone who prepares food on their own. Among other things, this will allow you to get new dishes!

Steps

Method 1 of 2: How to Fix a Spicy Dish When Cooking

1. 1 Add cream or milk to a liquid dish or sauce. Unlike solid foods, which require gravies or gravy, you can simply add dairy products to liquid foods - this not only helps to remove over-spiciness, but often improves the taste and texture of the dish.
   • Heavy cream or low-fat milk can be added to many soups and sauces to make them less spicy.
   • Spoon some of the soup and taste it before adding cream or milk.
   • If you are low on cream or milk, you can add a spoonful of sour cream to each bowl of soup - this will not only make the soup less spicy, but also make it more appealing. This method is suitable for a variety of vegetable and puree soups.
2. 2 Remove over-spiciness with cheese. Like other dairy products, cheese contains fats that make the food less spicy. In addition, cheese can make a dish more appetizing.
   • To reduce the spiciness, add some cheese (grated or even whole slice) to each serving.
   • Cheddar can be added to potato sausage soup, and Swiss cheese or provolone can be added to vegetable broth soup.
   • Parmesan goes well with many chicken broth soups and Italian soups, while soft cheeses go well with tortilla soup or tomato puree soup.
3. 3 Stir in the nut milk or butter into the dish. Nut products are delicate in flavor and help thicken the soup. Try adding some peanut butter to the gumbo soup to make it less spicy and add extra flavor. Peanut butter goes well with Asian dishes such as pad thai.
   • Many people do not tolerate or dislike dairy products, in which case coconut or almond milk can be used instead of cow's milk or cream. Similarly, cheese can be substituted with peanut butter or chia seed paste.
   • Do not forget to stir the dish thoroughly, as fat is released from the nut butter when heated. This will help dissolve the paste and avoid clumping.
4. 4 Try adding other neutral-flavored, fatty ingredients to make the dish less spicy. For these purposes, you can use avocados, eggs, and even tofu. The fat they contain will protect the taste buds from overly spicy foods!
5. 5 Take advantage of the Thai cooking experience and add sour ingredients. Many Thai dishes made with chili and other hot spices also contain citrus fruits or vinegar. While these ingredients do not reduce the pungency in the same way as fat, they also mask or tone it down.
   • Sprinkle lemon or lime juice on the dish - the acid will help hide the pungency.
   • Instead of citrus juice, you can add vinegar to the dish. It is best to use white rice or wine vinegar.
6. 6 Add new ingredients that go well with the dish. Cereals, vegetables, and meats help reduce the spiciness and are suitable for many dishes. They do not eliminate the pungency, but add additional flavor and thereby mask it.
   • For Indian curries, you can add potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, rice, coconut milk, or plain yogurt (Greek yogurt or sour cream is also fine).
   • For Mexican food, you can use bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, cheese, onions, corn, sour cream, or rice.
   • For Asian dishes, broccoli, onions, carrots, peas, bell peppers, cabbage, or rice are usually suitable.

Method 2 of 2: Serving Spicy Foods with Softeners

1. 1 Serve spicy foods with a dairy-based gravy or sauce. Capsaicin makes food spicy, and the fats in dairy products neutralize it better than, for example, water.Dairy products will help protect your taste buds and get rid of burning mouth faster.
   • You can add sour cream, plain yogurt, or a creamy sauce to make meat and vegetable dishes like Cajun chicken or curried potatoes and carrots less spicy.
   • Try to reduce the spiciness with cheese gravy or butter sauce.
   • You can use a little cottage cheese or dairy gravy as a side dish. The advantage of gravy or sauce is that guests can add them themselves and reduce the spiciness of the dish to their liking.
2. 2 Serve milk or sour drinks with the dish. Milk and sour drinks like lemonade or some wines help neutralize spicy foods.
   • Consider product compatibility. For example, lemonade works well with relatively light meals such as grilled chicken tortillas. At the same time, wine goes well with almost all dishes!
   • Get creative: for example, you can add orange juice or other citrus fruits.
3. 3 Add sugar, honey, or another sweetener to mask the spiciness. Sprinkle honey on the dish or sprinkle with a pinch of brown sugar. Like fat, sugar protects the taste buds from pungent ingredients. This method is especially useful for Asian food, chicken and pork, as well as dishes with fruits or seafood.
   • It is generally best not to add sugary ingredients during the cooking phase, as they can change the flavor noticeably. Let everyone decide for themselves how much to sweeten the dish.
   • If you're worried that the sweetener will greatly change the flavor of your dish, add it in a small serving before using it for the entire dish.
   • Brown sugar works well for Cajun-seasoned dishes, while honey goes best with pizza or spaghetti.
4. 4 If possible, get the hot seasoning out. Some dishes contain hot seasoning in large enough chunks or flakes that you can get your hands on. Even if the seasoning is partially absorbed by the other ingredients, it is best to remove the hot pepper slices so they don't end up in your mouth.
   • Use a spoon, fork, or something else to remove the hot seasoning so it doesn't get on your fingers. Even after washing your hands, they may still have pungent oil on them, which can irritate your skin and eyes.

Tips

• Try not to alter the dish itself, but rather serve it with bread and butter, plain rice, potatoes, or other starchy or cereal foods that can soften the spiciness and make the food less pungent.
• When preparing a spicy dish, it is best to use fewer seasonings so that everyone can add them later to taste. Serve the finished dish with the seasoning in a pepper shaker or on a separate plate. You can also place a sauce on the table for spicy food lovers to add to taste.
• Another way is to serve the hot seasonings separately so that everyone can add them to taste!

Warnings

• Do not add water or other liquids based on it to make the soup or sauce less spicy, as the hot ingredient (capsaicin) will dissolve in water. As a result, it spreads even more over a liquid dish, sauce or drink and makes it even spicier.