When to add salt?

Salt enables foods to absorb moisture at normal temperatures. and draw moisture out of food during dry high heat cooking

Marinates and Pickles are two examples of low temperatures. Sautéing onions for curry Masala, grilling or browning meats are examples of high dry high heat cooking.

Which salt should be used?

Meat Marinates

Salt is important ingredients in marinates. Salt helps the meats to absorb moisture. The meats become juicier and flavored with spices in the marinate. Salt also helps to breakdown connective tissues when marinated meats are cooked.

Pickles

Salt helps foods to absorb moisture flavoring the insides of the foods with pickling spices. Salt also slows down growth of bacteria and helps preserves foods.

Roti/Breads

The salt should be added to either dry flour or through the liquid before making dough. The dough should rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Salt will allow the flour to fully absorb the moisture and tenderize the starch

Salt is also used with yeasts and baking powders to control yeasting process. Use iodine free salt for this purpose such as Kosher salt or Pickling/canning salt.

Rice

The salt should be added to the water before adding rice and bring it to a boil for cooking. This allows the grains to absorb salt and flavor the grains. If the rice was cooked in plain water, adding salt will not give you the desired flavor.

Dried Legumes (Dal Beans)

Salt hinders with hydration of dried Legumes. Salt should not be added while pre-soaking or cooking Legumes. The salt should be added after the legumes are fully cooked.

You may add salt during pressure cooking, the salt has minimum effect on hydrating legumes due to high temperatures generated during pressure cooking.

Potatoes

Raw potatoes absorb the salt. Half of the salt in the recipe should be added at the beginning of cooking so that potatoes will absorb salt for flavor. The remaining salt should be added after the potatoes are fully cooked.

Sautéing Onions

Salt draws out moisture from foods at dry high heat cooking. Salt should be added along with chopped onions to hot oil/ghee. Drawing out moisture enables the onions to cook faster. Also the drawn out moisture from the onions adds to the flavor of the dish. In making curry Masala, I always add salt, cayenne pepper, and onions to hot oil and fry as needed.

Browning Meats

Salt draws moisture from foods at dry high heat cooking. In Indian cooking meats are braised; browned in fats and then cooked in sufficient water. Do not salt the exterior surface of raw meat before browning, the moistures will ooze out drying out the meat. If the meats are marinated, remove and wipe off the marinates before browning.