Frying mustard oils in indian tempering (tadka) Many Indian recipes call for a quick frying of mustard seeds until they start popping. If the oil is really hot the mustard seeds pop right away - But as I'm always afraid letting my oil get to the smoke point, I sometimes add the mustard seeds when the oil is not hot enough, but then they change color but don't pop, even after 1 minute. Should I be waiting for them to pop at the risk of them burning?
You don't have to put the seeds after the oil heats up. I'm Indian and we put it with the oil and then turn the stove on, and when the seeds pop, its like a timer and tells us when the other stuff needs to be added