Topic: Best way to spice up a curry at the end?

[hezzie]

How do you spice up a curry near the end of cooking, lets say you either made it for yourself or you cooked it for friends and they all wanted different heat, do you just chuck in some chilli powder to the curry? Fry the chilli powder first to release the flavour then add the curry or add an evil nasty, kick your ass chilli sauce like Marks and spencer 100% pain  (now that is hot!) or just add fresh chilli's?

What method do you prefer?

I gave a mate who eats Phalls (too hot for me) just a touch on the end of a teaspoon and he cried like a baby. 

I use about half a teaspoon in my chillis to liven things up and I normally eat Madras/vindaloo strength depending on the chef who cooks it and that makes me sweat....good stuff. 

[hezzie]

There was a company I used to buy from (I'll not mention the name 'cos I'm new and you'll think I'm spamming) and they used to do a range of chilli sauces and the base they used was made from carrot juice, this gave it a really sweet flavour, then the heat hit you afterwards, which was delightful and much better than the harsh vinegar bases every other company seems to use. I think they've gone out of business now and I can't find anyone else who makes chilli sauce with a base of carrot juice so I'm going to have a crack at my own 'cos I've got a juicer, it can't be that hard.

But if you know of anyone please let me know.

[chonk]

Hi hezzie!

I try to add the right amount of chili powder (and/or fresh chilis) to begin with, but if I have to add some heat afterwards (usually doesn't happen), I will just add some more chili powder (without frying) or, depending on the dish, more fresh red or green chilis - either whole or as a paste. I would put a cup or glass with selfmade chili flakes on the table, so everyone could add some heat if he/she feels the need to (:

[spiceyokooko]

There's a variety of different ways you can do this, which you go for depends on your situation and what flavours you like.

One of the most common ways of producing varying heat dishes from the same curry (particularly useful if you have children) is to cook the curry without any chilli powder - when it's ready, spoon out the portions for the children (or whoever) and then add chilli powder to the remainder and cook it in for 10-15 minutes. As long as the curry has oil in it, the flavour and the heat from the chilli powder will cook into the dish.

You can add sliced/chopped green finger chilli's towards the end to spice it up (I do this a lot as I like the flavour of green chilli's) or as you suggest yourself you can add a hot sauce towards the end of cooking as well.

One of the most recent dishes I cooked had a couple of teaspoons of hot sauce added into the diluted tomato puree mixture added at the start of cooking.

[Geezah]

I used to enjoy a Vindaloo, and a madras was a basic dish for me when I was younger but these days I prefer tasting the layers of spiced flavours in a dish rather than have it spicey hot.
I really dont understand how anyone can enjoy a meal if they are sweating it out while eating it.... is it a bravado thing?

[Curryking32000]

I used to enjoy a Vindaloo, and a madras was a basic dish for me when I was younger but these days I prefer tasting the layers of spiced flavours in a dish rather than have it spicey hot.
I really dont understand how anyone can enjoy a meal if they are sweating it out while eating it.... is it a bravado thing?

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It's a myth that the heat destroys the flavour and some of the most flavoursome curries are the hottest.  I find that those that can't handle the heat use this as en excuse...usually British wimps.  I eat hot curries because I prefer the flavour, the weaker curries like madras are less flavoursome.  It's like the difference between strong and weaker beer..

[Peripatetic Phil]

I find that those that can't handle the heat use this as en excuse...usually British wimps.

As opposed to machismo morons of unspecified race ?
** Phil.

[spiceyokooko]

It's a myth that the heat destroys the flavour and some of the most flavoursome curries are the hottest.

...in your opinion.

I find that those that can't handle the heat use this as en excuse...usually British wimps.

...in your opinion.

...the weaker curries like madras are less flavoursome.

...in your opinion.

Thank goodness we're not all the same.

 :

[Curryking32000]

Well virtually every entry in this forum is based on someone's opinion of course.  I just to like dispell a commonly used myth, in my opinion learnt from personal experience and the experience of many of my Indian friends.

[spiceyokooko]

I just to like dispell a commonly used myth...

Out of curiosity, how is it a myth if too much heat in a Curry dish impairs or impedes the underlying depth of flavour for someone's taste buds?

Unless of course they're simply a British Wimp?