How to Make Foods Less Spicy

Learn how to make foods less spicy

You take that first taste of a new Mexican food recipe you've been slaving away at for hours. Suddenly, fiery heat races across your tongue and throat and you scramble for a glass of water. Your guests will be arriving any minute and, as you frantically ponder the options, your eyes move repeatedly to the fire extinguisher on the wall. This situation doesn't call for panic as there are several ways to tone down spice in a dish. Take a breather, drink some cold milk (not water), and read these tips to help make food less spicy. They are particular useful for Mexican Food recipes and Indian food recipes but can be used for almost anything.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Curries and other Indian food recipes are easy to over-spice. Furthermore, sometimes even the spice called for by an Indian food recipe is too hot for some people to handle. To make a curry or other similar dish less spicy, try adding some yogurt or coconut milk. However, make sure it is plain/natural flavor as you don't want to end up with strawberry curry.

2. Yogurt works to lessen spice because it is a dairy product. Dairy products are effective at decreasing spice where as water is not. If you are dealing with a spicy Mexican food recipe, try adding some sour cream (which is also a dairy product) to make it less spicy.

3. 

   If you are hesitating to alter the dish itself, consider providing a dip based on sour cream, yogurt, or other dairy product. Mango chutney is also useful for helping guests make food less spicy.

4. Add more rice to a Mexican food recipe

   If you have the time, you can try diluting Mexican food recipes or Indian food recipes with more of the same. For instance, if you have made a rice dish that is too spicy, make another half of the recipe, omitting any spicy ingredients. Then mix it in with the original batch. Or, you can add/provide other solid ingredients (not water) that will dilute the taste. For example, mix chopped lettuce in taco filling or serve it with enchiladas that are too spicy.

5. If your recipe uses spicy ingredients that are large and visible such as whole chili peppers or chunks of hot pepper (in fresh salsa perhaps) or large pepper flakes you can try actually picking these out with a fork. Get the kids to help if you are short on time.

6. For soups and other foods of liquid type, you can add some cream or shredded cheese (notice a theme here?) to make it less spicy. You can also put in more of some of the other main ingredients. Cooking wise, dairy products are more easily added in individual servings rather than a big pot. If the soup is still to spicy, cook it down to make it thicker and then serve over rice.

7. Finally, if your dish can tolerate some sweetness, go ahead and add some sugar or honey, both of which will make it less spicy. This works well in some oriental dishes where sweetness is not a problem.

Tips & Warnings

• Think about the flavors of your dish whether it is a Mexican food recipe or Indian food recipe, and which method will both compliment it and make the food less spicy

• If you are cooking a Mexican food recipe, Indian food recipe, or other spicy dish try to anticipate spice problems ahead of time. It is easier to make corrections while you are cooking than afterward.