On controlling heat

One of my problems with cooking Indian food is getting the spiciness correct. There's a number of different issues here.
1) The actual spices. Americans don't differentiate between heat and flavor when talking about spice, but it's important. Getting the right mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel, etc. is critical. That's why people rely on mixes so often.

2) The amount of heat. I find this particularly tough because of the source of the heat. Peppers are not an easily quantifiable heat source. Different peppers have different amounts of heat, but even among peppers of a single type the amount of heat varies. Preparation has an effect, too. If you cut out the seed pods and the ribs, the hear goes away. So, the cleanliness of the cut is crucial.

To deal with this problem, I try to get the heat close, then adjust by either adding cayenne pepper or yogurt. When making GFCF/Vegan food, it's more difficult to adjust down, so I try to hit it a little mild and adjust upwards.

3) The quality of the heat. Different heat sources taste different. Black pepper is a thin, biting heat. Mustard is a fuller heat, with hot peppers being the fullest. All heat sources also change their qualities when cooked, becoming fuller and more complex.

In general, it's a good idea to cook all your heat sources well. This is what we're doing in the stage where we flavor the oil. Part of that is to impart flavor to the oil, part to make the whole seeds more edible, and a large part is to change the tone of the flavors. This works in all cuisines. For instance, Mexican chili powders and Southern American rubs all taste better after being cooked.


So, to get Indian spicing correct, do this:
1) Use a mix when possible. If not, be prepared to taste the oil (on some rice or white bread) and adjust on the fly.
2) Adjust spiciness by removing some of the seed pods and ribs of the peppers. Be prepared to adjust further when the dish is done
3) Whenever possible, cook your spices, particularly over high heat.