Let's just agree, raw garlic is one of those ingredients that divides the room. Some love it for its bold punch, while others find it way too intense. It can overpower your chutneys, burn your tongue in salad dressings, and even make you breathe pungently. But if you're trying to enjoy garlic in its natural form, for its flavour and health benefits, here's some good news. You don't always have to cook it. A few simple hacks can actually remove the raw garlic smell while keeping its nutrition intact. So, check out these quick hacks to reduce raw garlic's flavour without cooking it!
Also Read: Is Your Garlic Real or Fake? 6 Quick Checks You Need to Try
Here Are 5 Quick Hacks To Lessen Raw Garlic's Strong Flavour
1. Soak It In Lemon Juice Or Vinegar
One of the easiest ways to lessen raw garlic is to let it soak in something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar. Just a 10-minute soak is enough to neutralise a good chunk of its harshness. The acidity softens the bite and brightens the flavour, making it more balanced in raw preparations like chutneys, dips, and salad dressings. This will lessen the flavour and also add a little tang to your dishes for a refreshing taste.
2. Add A Pinch Of Salt And Smash It
Salt doesn't just season but also helps reduce garlic's strong flavour. When you sprinkle salt over chopped or crushed garlic and mash it with a spoon, it can help tackle garlic's flavour. The salt helps break down the garlic's texture and reduces its pungency. This paste-like garlic is slightly creamy and slightly mellow. This would work perfectly for spreads and marinades.
3. Let It Sit After Chopping
This one's as easy as it gets. All you have to do is chop and crush the garlic and leave it alone. Letting garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes will allow the strong taste of it to settle down. During this wait, the intensity of the garlic softens and the flavour becomes more rounded. It still remains garlicky, but not the type that'll make you regret eating it again.
4. Mix It With Yoghurt Or Ghee
If you have ever had garlic-flavoured yoghurt or garlic-infused ghee, you would know how a fat base can mellow down raw garlic's intensity. When you mix chopped garlic in a fatty base, like yoghurt or ghee, it softens dramatically. The fat coats your taste buds and blunts that overpowering flavour. This way, you will get a more subtle and smoother flavour.
5. Rinse It Under Cold Water
Yes, it might sound like a bluff, but this actually works. After you chop or mince raw garlic, rinse it under cold water for about 15-20 seconds. This quick rinse washes away some of the compounds that are responsible for garlic's stark taste. While it doesn't remove the flavour entirely, it definitely takes the strong flavour away. It is especially useful for recipes where raw garlic goes directly into salads, sauces, or cold toppings.
Also Read:How To Braid Garlic: An Easy Way To Preserve Garlic For Months
For some quick garlic-based recipes, click here.