Topic: emulsifying spices

[bayleafthief]

My problem is that whenever I've cooked spices in oil, all that happens is that very little flavour releases and everything just tastes like wet sand.

What am I doing wrong? Need the spices be more well ground, higher heat in the pan, what is the problem? I read somewhere in this forum about "cracking" the spices.
How do one achieve this?

[spiceyokooko]

Can you describe how you're frying them? That might help pinpoint where you're not getting the results you expect.

[bayleafthief]

I've tried many different ways. In last nights effort I just put them in oil that had reached rather low heat, continiued with the low heat and stirred around. The low heat was due to burning the spices in previous attempts.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I've tried many different ways. In last nights effort I just put them in oil that had reached rather low heat, continiued with the low heat and stirred around. The low heat was due to burning the spices in previous attempts.

I think you need to tell us more.  What exactly are you trying to achieve ?  "Emulsifying" spices in oil is not a common concept in this forum; we tend to think (loosely, perhaps) in terms of "cooking" spices, the idea being to cause the essential oils to be released.  In general, this is accomplished using commercially ground spices (although some perfectionists grind their own), and then the spices are heated in oil plus (optionally) some combination of base, tomatoe puree, ginger and garlic paste, and so on.  I think if you could (a) describe exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, and (b) describe exactly how you are setting about it, and what ingredients you are using, we might be in a better position to advise.

** Phil.

P.S. This article describes rather well what I think of as "emulsifying" in the context of cookery; could you perhaps take a look at it and tell us whether you are trying to achieve what the author describes ?

[spiceyokooko]

I've tried many different ways. In last nights effort I just put them in oil that had reached rather low heat, continiued with the low heat and stirred around. The low heat was due to burning the spices in previous attempts.

Yes, frying spices in hot oil can easily lead to burning if you're not careful, but frying them on a low heat to avoid burning isn't the answer either and would probably lead to the symptoms you describe.

There are a number of ways of frying spices in hot oil to extract their essential oil (which is where the flavour comes from) and which way they do it tends to be the one that works best for them or the one they feel most comfortable with.

Most people have adopted a method of frying spices in hot oil by adding them to a garlic/ginger paste and/or onion puree or even simply chopped onions. I fry mine in a garlic/ginger paste made with water for this reason and the water content stops the spices from burning or sticking to the pan when they're added.

When the oil separates from the fried spices and garlic/ginger puree mixture it's an indication that the water content has gone and if you continue to fry you'll risk burning your spices, so continue with the next stage of the recipe.

I'd suggest you might like to try this method, heating oil to hot (but not smoking) add your garlic/ginger puree mixture and fry till it just changes colour, add your spices and fry stirring all the time and just as the oil separates, add your next set of ingredients, usually a tomato puree watered down.

See if that gets you better results.

[meggeth]

One tip for frying spices - have a few small pieces of onion. When you think the oil is hot, add a piece of onion. If the temperature is about right, the onion will begin to sizzle nicely. If it doesn't, heat the oil a little more and try again. Add spices when onion sizzles, and fry for around 30 seconds. Usually about right.

Or some recipes fry chopped onions first for a few minutes. When onions are done, just take off the heat for a few seconds then add spices and start to fry, return to heat and cook for 30 seconds. Seems to work for me, anyway.

[bayleafthief]

Allright, sorry for being so unspecific. http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2968.0.html

In the thread above JerryM tested different methods for frying spices alongside tomatopuree which then produced a flavoured spicepaste (the good examples). Especially picture number three is what I think it looks like when I eat indian food at a resturant (I understand that this is not a finished product). But mine always look like picture number 1 or worse and tastes like grit no matter what I do.

Are my spices old and to coarse or what?

[meggeth]

Are you grinding your own spices, or using spices typically available from an asian shop? If the latter, it shouldn't be gritty. If the former maybe you need to grind more! Or try spices from a shop.

[spiceyokooko]

Are my spices old and to coarse or what?

Possibly, how old are they? Are you grinding them yourself?

[Stephen Lindsay]

That was my thought - old spices that have gone bitter?