When should you salt a dish? Here's the answer to cooking’s oldest question

Every kitchen has it. Every cook reaches for it. Yet few ingredients spark as much quiet debate as salt. One pinch can make a curry come alive, another can turn fish dry or lentils hard. Ask two home cooks when to add salt and you may get two different answers. The truth is, timing matters as much as quantity. Salt changes how food cooks, not just how it tastes. It draws out water, firms up proteins, balances sweetness, and deepens flavour.

World over, cooks have developed their own rhythm with salt, but some broad rules can guide you through the daily puzzle of when to reach for the salt jar.

Vegetables and sautéed dishes When onions, tomatoes, or vegetables hit the pan, a touch of salt helps them soften and release their juices. This makes it easier to build a base for curries or stir-fries. But if you only salt at the start, flavours may feel flat. The best way is to season lightly at the beginning and adjust at the end.

• Rule: A little at the start to draw out moisture, finish with a sprinkle for balance.

Meat and poultry
Salt works into meat best when given time. In marinades, it tenderises and seasons from within. When cooking curries or braises, adding it early allows the flavour to seep through as the dish simmers. For grilling or frying, salting just before cooking keeps meat juicy.

• Rule: Use salt in marinades or while cooking for depth, and adjust at the end if needed.

Seafood
Fish and prawns are delicate. Salt them too early and they lose moisture, turning rubbery. A light touch just before cooking is usually enough. In curries or gravies, add salt to the sauce instead of the raw fish.

• Rule: Salt close to cooking time to preserve tenderness.

Rice, pasta, and grains
This one is straightforward. Once rice, pasta, or grains are cooked, they cannot absorb seasoning. The only way to get flavour inside is to salt the water before boiling. Think of pasta water as the foundation of the dish.

• Rule: Always salt the water generously before cooking.

Pulses and lentils

Adding salt at the start can slow down cooking because it hardens the skin. That is why most cooks wait until lentils or beans are tender before seasoning. This keeps the texture soft without losing flavour.

• Rule: Add salt after the pulses have softened.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms behave like sponges. If salted too early, they release water and steam in their own juices, turning limp. For flavourful, golden-brown mushrooms, let them cook first and season only after they have caramelised.

• Rule: Hold the salt until mushrooms have browned.

Soups and stews
Slow-cooked dishes need layers of seasoning. A pinch at the beginning helps the ingredients meld, but the real adjustment happens at the end. Always taste before serving. That last sprinkle is what balances the whole pot.

• Rule: Season in stages and correct before serving.

Baking
In breads, cakes, and pastries, salt is not just flavour. It strengthens gluten in dough, controls yeast activity, and balances sweetness in desserts. Here, there is no question of timing. Salt must go in with the dry ingredients from the start.

• Rule: Always add salt at the mixing stage.

Final taste
Salt is both science and art. Add it early when you want to draw out juices or build flavour, save it for later when working with delicate ingredients, and never skip the final taste check before serving. A well-salted dish does not taste salty. It simply tastes right.