What’s Cooking: Salting composed dishes

Balance the salt in composed meals – Dhal, Rice, Vegetables and Seafood (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)

Hi Everyone,

What’s Cooking is a series in which I answer questions and share advice about food and cooking that you have but may be too shy to ask.

As friends and I gathered recently for a sumptuous meal of dhal, rice, vegetables, bunjal shrimp and fried salt fish, all to be eaten in the style of 7-curry, someone in the group commented that whenever they cook a meal to be eaten mixed like we were having, they sometimes do not get the salting right. In other words, when everything is mixed together – dhal, rice, veggies etc, the food tastes a little rich of salt. Can you relate? I can.

You can have the same experience of the food tasting salty when mixed and eaten together with dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy; Shepherd’s pie; Macaroni and Cheese or a dish of pasta with any type of sauce. Have you ever made the mistake of adding too much salt to your bread or roti only to find them assertively salty when eaten with accompaniments? See? You’re not alone.