A moment's distraction and the rice can catch at the bottom of the pot, or the pulao or a curry can burn. The scorched smell and bitter taste then seem to spoil the whole dish. Mobasir Hasan, a chef with long experience in a well-known Kolkata hotel chain, shared what to do, in a piece on Bangla Tribune's lifestyle page.
First, as soon as you realise the bottom has caught, turn off the heat and take the pot off. Do not scrape the bottom with a spatula: that mixes the burnt layer with the rice above and spreads the smell and bitterness.
Then lay a slice of white bread on top of the rice or pulao and close the lid. The many pores in the bread absorb steam and the burnt smell within a few minutes. At the same time, set the pot carefully on a damp towel or cloth. Food burns because the base gets very hot, and the damp cloth cools it quickly.
After a few minutes, without disturbing the burnt part, gently lift the rice or pulao from the top into a clean pot. Throw away the blackened layer at the bottom, since mixing it in brings a bitter taste.
The same rule applies to a curry that has caught: turn off the heat, lift the curry from the top into another pot without scraping, then check the taste and smell. If the burnt smell is strong or the taste seems wrong, it is better not to eat it.
The simplest way to stop food burning, the chef says, is to control the heat, stir when needed and keep an eye on the pot. A damp towel or bread cannot fully restore burnt food; at most they help a little.
Photo: pulao (file), Shah Naisargi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Bangla Tribune
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