Salt and chilli powder Quantity

[smile2006]

Hi,
I am new to cooking I Want to atleast now approximately how much salt and chilli powder or chillies they put in spicy dishes.please tell me which all vegetables consume more salt and which all wont .Any suggestions will be appreciated

 

[Andy M.]

Hi, smile. Welcome to DC.

Unfortunately, that's not an answerable question. There are too many variables that effect the answer:

1. How salty do you like your food, as salty as I do as less salty as my SO does?
2. How hot do you like your food? I like it hotter than SO does
3. What dish are you making - the proportions may vary according to what you are cooking. Chili is different from a posole.
4. What kinds of chiles are you using. Very hot ones vs. milder ones. You may use only a hlf a habanero or several jalapenos.

You get the idea.

If you're trying to develop a recipe, look at an existing recipe to get an idea of proportions. Then make adjustments, adding or subtracting salt and different kinds of chiles, to get to where you want to go.

 

[JDP]

As with many questions here the answers will all be subjective as our tastes for spice and salt vary greatly. You asked about chili powder which in most cases is a spice blend of ground chilis, garlic, cumin and onion powder found in most grocery stores. If you want true ground chilis your best bet is a Latin market where you can find pure ground chilis. As for amounts let your tongue be your guide. For experimantal purposes use scrambled eggs as your base and add a little of you powders so you can see how hot they are and the flavors they impart to your dish. Then take that knowledge and apply it to other dishes. As for veggies that absorb or need more seasoning your starchy root veggies like potatoes, yucca, name or fruits like plantains require more seasoning then something like broccoli, zucchinni or green beans.

Merry Christmas,

JDP

 

[Andy M.]

This same question was posted in two places so I merged them.