- Clean your pressure cooker thoroughly after each use by washing and drying.
- Avoid using abrasives or metal scouring pads.
- Use soap and water with a plastic scouring pad for cleaning.
- Store your pressure cooker with the lid slightly open.
- Replace gasket at the first sign of cracking, flaking or tearing.
- Ensure all handles and knobs are securely fastened before using pressure cooker.
- Tighten nuts or screws if required.
- To prepare crisp, golden dosai (Dosa), add a teaspoonful of fenugreek while grinding for it.
- To prepare soft dosai, add some old cooked rice while grinding for it.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice and a tsp of oil while boiling rice to separate one another.
- To remove the shell easy from boiled eggs, keep them in cold water for about 5 minutes.
- Don’t keep stainless steel spoons permanently with pickles.
- To Peel garlic easy, heat them for a while.
- To store green chilies longer, remove stems from them before storing them.
- To remove excessive salt in the dish being prepared, add a few pieces of potato.
- To retain the green color of spinach while cooking, add a pinch of sugar.
- To separate noodles immediately after boiling, put them in cold water.
- To prevent foaming and spilling over of oil while deep frying, add a small piece of tamarind to the oil.
- Asparagus - Asparagus - Thanneer vittaan Kizhangu
- Asafoetida / Asafetida - Hing- Perungayam
- Brinjal / Eggplant- Bengan - Kattharikkai
- Cabbage - Bandh gobi - Muttai khos
- Cardamom - Elaichi - Elakkai
- Cashewnut - Khaju - Mundiri
- Chickpea /Bengal gram -Channa dal-Konndai kadalai
- Chili / Chilly- Mirchi - Milakai
- Cinnamon - Dal chini - Pattai
- Coconut - Narial - Thengai
- Coriander - Dhania – Kottha malli
- Cucumber - Kheera / Kaakkadi - Vellari
- Curry leaves - Kari pattha - Kari veppilai
- Drumstick - sajna - Murungaikai
- French bean – Sem phalli - Avaraikkai
- Fennel - Sonf- Sombu / perunjeeragam
- Fenugreek - Methi - Vendhayam
- Groundnut / Peanut - Moongphalli – Verkadalai
- Lady’s finger -Bindi - Vendaikkai
- Lettuce / Amaranthus / Spinach - Palak - Keerai
- Green gram - Moong - Pasippayaru
- Millet - Ragi – Kelvaragu
- Mustard- Sarson - Rai- Kadugu
- Nutmeg - Jaiphal - Jadhikkai
- Parboiled rice - Pulungal arisi
- Pigeon pea - Arhar dal/Tuar dal - Thuvaramparuppu
- Potato - Aloo -Urulaikkilangu
- Pumpkin - Kaththoo - Poosani
- Raw rice / Kolam rice- Kacha chaval - Pacharisi
- Semolina – Suji – Rava / Ravai
- Turmeric - Haldi - Manjal
- Urad dal - Ulundham paruppu
Frying:
- Heat oil thoroughly before seasoning; Fry until change of color (colour), to get full flavor (flavour).
- Fry the ground masala in reduced flame, so that it retains its color and taste.
- Onion will turn brown faster if a little salt is added while frying.
- If oil is less, masala will stick to the pan.
- To make crispy puris, add a little rice flour to the wheat flour while kneading.
- To make crispy pakodas add a little corn flour to the gram flour (besan) while preparing the batter.
- Steam can cause severe burns. Be a little away from steaming pan while opening it.
- Add vegetables that take the longest to cook first, followed by others.
cutting:
- Cut vegetables uniformly to cook evenly.
- To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface.
- To shred cheese easily, refrigerate it for about 20 minutes.
Microwave cooking:
- Microwave cooking is a good way of cooking; as it takes very less cooking time with less lose of nutrients.
- The microwave oven will damage if operated without any food in it.
Storing:
- Keep coriander leaves, curry leaves etc.in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
- Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
- Try to keep foods in sealed bags or closed containers. This helps to keep them fresh.
- Don't store food or drinks near chemicals such as cleansers.
- If soup is more salty,add small pieces of potato.
- For long time preservation of pickle, Use dry container and dry spoon only.
- To avoid wasting left over idlies and to have them later, cut them into pieces, fry in oil (Idly fry).
- Slice watermelon thin to separate seeds easily.
- While boiling egg, add a little salt to prevent egg shells from cracking.
- Rubbing a slice of raw potato will take food stains off your hands.
- Carrots with green tops may be avoided as they are bitter to taste.
- Add fresh or leftover cauliflower to soups or stews.
- Keep your kitchen clean. It is essential to keep food safe. Otherwise bacteria can grow and spread.
- Always wash worktops before you start preparing food.
- Wash and dry kitchen cloths and sponges regularly and keep different cloths for different jobs.
- Wash knives, spoons, tongs, etc. thoroughly after using them with raw meat.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before starting to prepare food.
- Washing your hands with soap and water will remove onion smell, garlic smell, etc.
- Arrange all the items used for cooking, so as to be easily accessible.
- Label the containers for quick reference.
- Wash vegetables before cutting to avoid loss of soluble vitamins and minerals.
- Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.
- Do not throw the water used to boil vegetables.
- Soak onion in water before peeling it.
- Soak rice for a while before cooking.
- The order of preference of food should be steamed, boiled followed by fried.
- To obtain maximum juice from lemon, soak it in luke warm water for a while before cutting.
- To reduce fat in the chicken, remove the skin before marinating it.
- The thicker the fish, the longer is the duration of cooking it.
- Don’t overcook fish if you don’t want to lose its flavour and texture.
- During non-season of tomatoes, tomato puree, ketchup or sauce can be used in gravies.
- Use thick bottom vessels to avoid burning.
- Before boiling milk, pour a little water in the empty vessel. This prevents sticking.
- Add a pinch of salt on oil while deep frying to have less oil consumption.
- To remove stains from cooking utensils, rub with a little salt while washing.
- In the U.S., one cup (8 fluid ounces) is equal to 237 milliliters, In the U.K., one cup is 227 millilitres and in Australia, one cup is 250 milliliters.
- Three teaspoons equal one table spoon.
- One table spoon equals half ounce. Therefore two tablespoonfuls (2tbsp) make an ounce.
Cooking is an art, which is to be undertaken scientifically. It forms part of our everyday life . Improper cooking leads to illhealth and intake of medicine. Various cooking methods are being followed for different varieties of food item. I take opportunity to use this blog to offer easy tips.
