Tone down that overly spicy soup so you can enjoy it.
If you cook a lot, most likely you've already make the mistake of being a little too heavy-handed with the hot spices in your dish, or perhaps a really hot pepper burst in your chili. Whatever the case, your dish is now way too hot to serve. You don't have to throw the whole batch away, however. There are additional ingredients you can add that will neutralize or reduce the heat so that you can salvage and enjoy the dish.
Instructions
1. Add a few potato slices to hot stews or sauces. The starchiness of the potatoes will absorb some of the spices. It also absorbs some of the liquid and other spices in the process, so you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
2. Add sugar or honey to the dish. The sweetness of the sugar will counterbalance the spiciness. Don't overdo it, however. Add about 1 tbsp. at a time so you don't end up turning a savory dish into an overly sweet one.
3. Add citrus to the dish. The acid found in lemons and limes helps to neutralize the heat in an overly spicy dish, as well as adding a little tart flavor.
4. Add dairy products, if possible. For tacos that are too hot, for example, a dollop of sour cream, a common taco topping, will have a cooling effect as you eat. You can also add a dash of milk or yogurt to a chili or stew to tone down the heat.
5. Add more of the other ingredients. If you are still cooking when you realize that your dish is too hot, adding more of the other ingredients will reduce the heat, and on the upside, you'll have leftovers to take to work or school.
Tags: your dish, more other, more other ingredients, other ingredients, reduce heat
