Every cook adds a little too much salt or water sometimes. The good news is that most dals, kadhis and gravies can be rescued in a few minutes. This guide covers the common problems and the fixes that actually work.
The short answer
Most fixes come down to balance:
- Too salty: add more of the unsalted base (dal, water, vegetables), not a potato.
- Too watery: simmer uncovered, or mash some of the dal to thicken it.
- Too thick: add hot water a little at a time and bring it back to a boil.
- Lumpy kadhi: whisk the besan into the buttermilk before heating.
Too salty
The only reliable fix is to dilute the salt. Add more of whatever the dish is made of, without salt: some extra boiled dal, a little water, or more vegetables in a sabzi. Taste after each addition and adjust the other spices if the flavour thins out.
A squeeze of lemon juice or a spoonful of curd can also take the edge off saltiness in many dishes.
What does not work: dropping in a raw potato. It absorbs some liquid, but it removes so little salt that you will hardly taste a difference.
Too watery
- Simmer uncovered on a medium flame, stirring now and then, so the extra water evaporates.
- For dal, mash some of the cooked dal against the side of the pan with the back of a ladle. It thickens the rest.
- Remember that dal and kadhi keep thickening as they cool, so stop a little before it looks right.
Too thick
- Add hot water, a little at a time, and stir it in. Hot water keeps the dish simmering.
- Bring it back to a boil after adding water so it blends in smoothly.
- Taste again for salt and spice, since you have added volume.
Too spicy
- Add more of the unspiced base, such as dal, vegetables or tomato.
- Serve it with curd, raita or buttermilk on the side, which cool the heat at the table.
- A spoonful of ghee, butter or cream stirred into a gravy softens the heat.
Lumpy kadhi
Lumps form when gram flour hits hot liquid before it is mixed in. Siddhi avoids them by whisking the besan into the cold buttermilk or curd first: in her Gujarati Kadhi she whisks the gram flour into the buttermilk, and in her Moong Dal Kadhi she whisks it with the curd into a smooth batter with no lumps. If your kadhi is already lumpy, whisk it hard off the heat or pass it through a strainer, then bring it back to a boil.
Bitter tadka
A bitter taste usually means something burnt in the hot ghee or oil, most often garlic, hing or chilli powder. There is no way to take the bitterness out, so make a fresh tadka and pour that over instead. Our guide on how to make the perfect tadka explains the order that stops spices burning.
FAQs
Does a potato fix salty dal?
Not really. A potato soaks up some liquid, but it removes very little salt. Adding more unsalted dal, water or vegetables works much better.
How do I thicken watery dal?
Simmer it uncovered, stirring now and then, so some of the water evaporates. You can also mash some of the cooked dal against the side of the pan to thicken it.
My dal became too thick after cooling. What do I do?
Dal keeps thickening as it cools. Add hot water a little at a time and bring it back to a boil, stirring, until it is as thin as you like. Check the salt again afterwards.
How do I stop kadhi going lumpy?
Whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk or curd until smooth before it goes on the heat. Siddhi does this in both her Gujarati kadhi and moong dal kadhi.
Why does my tadka taste bitter?
Bitterness usually means a spice burnt in the hot fat, often garlic, hing or chilli powder. It is best to make a fresh tadka rather than add the burnt one.
More cooking guides
- How to Make the Perfect Tadka
- How to Cook Dal and Khichdi in a Pressure Cooker
- How to Thicken Milk for Kheer and Kulfi
- Cooking With Jaggery: Chikki, Ladoo and Sukhdi
- How to Fry Pakoda, Vada and Cutlets
- Rice for Pulao, Fried Rice and Flavoured Rice
- The Spices in Siddhi’s Kitchen
- Indian Kitchen Measures: Cup, Spoon, Katori and Grams
- How to Make Hung Curd at Home