Taste the dish a few times while cooking and identify which flavor dimension (salty/sweet/sour/bitter/umami) is missing.

Add salt in small amounts as you add ingredients, rather than all at once.

If the dish is too sour, add a pinch of sugar; if it is too sweet, add a few drops of lemon juice. Stir and taste again.

Dip a wooden spoon into the sauce and draw a line across the back with your finger; if the line stays clear, the consistency is right.

Add an umami-rich ingredient (tomato paste, soy sauce, or mushrooms) or a pinch of acid, then taste again.