foto: freepik.com
Brilio.net - Sambal is a food complement that is almost always present on the dining table of Indonesian people. This food is made from a mixture of chilies that are ground or mashed with various ingredients such as salt, garlic, shallots, and shrimp paste. These ingredients create a spicy taste that is appetizing.
Basically, sambal has many variations, such as sambal terasi, sambal matah, sambal bajak, and sambal ijo . Each type of sambal offers unique and different taste characteristics. For many people, eating without sambal feels incomplete, because sambal can enhance the taste of the main dish.
Unfortunately, not everyone likes to eat spicy chili sauce. Indeed, some types of chili have a mild spicy taste, so they can be used for chili sauce mixtures. However, in some cases, some people actually feel that these types of chilies are still too spicy to be processed into chili sauce.
If you often encounter such problems, don't worry, there is a trick that can be done to reduce the excessive spiciness of the chili sauce. This trick was once shared by Instagram user @romilaila55. Through one of the videos uploaded, she admitted to only using two kitchen ingredients.
As reported by BrilioFood on Thursday (8/8), the kitchen ingredients in question are lemon juice and sugar. The method is, simply cut a slice of lemon. If you don't have any, you can use lime juice or tamarind.
photo: Instagram/@romila55
Next, squeeze the lemon juice directly on top of the chili sauce that tastes spicy. Stir for a while and check the taste. If it still feels spicy, add a little granulated sugar, stir again and check the taste. That way, the spiciness of the chili sauce will be reduced drastically.
photo: Instagram/@romila55
Basically, lemon water and sugar can reduce the spiciness of chili sauce because they work in different ways to neutralize or balance the spicy sensation of chili. Lemon water contains citric acid, which has acidic properties. This acid can help neutralize capsaicin, a compound in chili that causes the spicy taste. In addition, the sour taste of lemon can also distract the tongue from the spicy taste, so that the spicy taste feels lighter.
photo: Instagram/@romila55
On the other hand, sugar works to balance the flavor. The sweetness of sugar can balance the intense spiciness. This will create a more balanced flavor. Although sugar does not directly neutralize capsaicin, this spice can provide a soothing sensation on the tongue, so that the spicy taste feels softer.
How? Easy enough, right? You can imitate this trick when making chili sauce that tastes spicier. In addition to chili sauce, this trick can also be practiced on other spicy dishes. That way, the food becomes tastier and fits the tongue.
(brl/jad)
