Tempering Spices in Ghee
This process is not about cooking the spices through, but about waking them up. When you drop whole seeds into molten ghee, the rapid release of fragrance tells you that the flavors are ready to be dispersed throughout your dish.
Timing is your only real challenge here.
Because the fat is hot, spices can go from aromatic to scorched in seconds. Have your ingredients pre-measured and sitting right next to the stove before you strike the match.
- small stainless steel saucepan or seasoning ladle
- heat-resistant spoon
What goes in.
- 2 tbspghee
- 1 tspwhole cumin seeds
- 1/2 tspwhole mustard seeds
- 1dried red chili, broken in half
- 5-6fresh curry leaves
Listen for the pop
The mustard seeds must audibly crackle. If they stay silent, the ghee is too cool; if they turn dark gray immediately, it is too hot.
The method.
Heat the ghee
Place your pan over medium heat. Add the ghee and let it melt until it shimmers. If you see it beginning to smoke, take it off the heat for thirty seconds.
Add the seeds
Drop in the mustard seeds first. Once they begin to jump and pop, add the cumin seeds and the broken chili.
Add aromatics
Stir for ten seconds. Add the curry leaves—the ghee will hiss aggressively. As soon as the leaves look translucent and crisp, remove the pan from the heat.
Finish the dish
Immediately pour the hot ghee and spice mixture over your prepared dish. Use a spoon to scrape every bit of the fragrant oil from the pan.
Other turns to take.
Garlic Tempering
Add two cloves of thinly sliced garlic after the cumin seeds; fry until they turn a pale, light gold.
Hing Infusion
Add a pinch of asafoetida powder into the hot ghee at the very end to provide a deep, onion-like undertone.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always add the curry leaves last; they contain water and will cause the hot ghee to splatter significantly.
If your spices burn, do not try to rescue the ghee. Clean the pan and start over; burnt spices will introduce a bitter, acrid taste that cannot be masked.
Keep the pan small so the ghee is deep enough to submerge the spices rather than just frying them on a flat surface.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use butter instead of ghee?
Butter contains milk solids that will burn before the spices finish blooming. Stick to ghee or a high-smoke-point oil.
How do I know if the mustard seeds are cooked?
They will change from a smooth, hard sphere to a slightly puffed, grayish seed that creates a rhythmic popping sound.
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