Kitchen tips

  

·        A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture.

·        Add a piece of coconut shell to a mutton dish while it is getting cooked, the meat remains tender and gets cooked much faster.

·        Add a pinch of salt while frying Puris or Pakoras - this will help absorb less oil.

·        Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach and green leafy vegetables. it will retain its green colour.

·        Add a small amount of sugar when cooking carrots, peas, beets or corn - this will keep the flavour.

·        Add a tsp of vinegar in water while boiling eggs. Even if they crack the contents will not come out.

·        Add some cooked rice while grinding for Dosa. This will give soft Dosas.

·        After boiling noodles, splash some cold water to separate one another.

·        Always fry onions in a little oil and then grind. Raw onion paste will turn bitter immediately.

·        Always soak cut egg plants (brinjal) in water otherwise it will turn black.

·        Avoid eggplant (brinjal) turning black by putting the cut pieces in a bowl of water mixed with a spoon of milk.

·        Before beating eggs, rinse the container with water. The mixture will not stick to the sides of the vessel.

·        Cleaning your grater after shredding cheese can be made easy by grating a raw potato after the cheese. The potato clears the gummy cheese out of the holes.

·        Cut the top of the carrot and store in air tight bag. This will keep it fresh for a longer period.

·        Fat can be removed from hot soup by floating a large lettuce leaf on the surface.

·        For soft idlies like a sponge do not stir the batter after it has got fermented. Pour the batter as it is.

·        If you happen to bite a chili in your food take a sip of cold milk to sustain the heat.

·        Keep boiled eggs in cold water for 5 minutes. This will make removal of the shell easier.

·        Keep the bitter gourd in salty water for about ½ an hour to remove the bitterness from it.

·        Lemon juice added to carrot cooking water will help keep the color bright.

·        Mushrooms readily absorb water, even from atmosphere - they should never be washed. Instead wipe them with a clean and damp cloth.

·        Never cook mushrooms in aluminum pans because the mushrooms will darken.

·        Never keep greens in plastics, it will rot quickly.

·        Never store an apple near a banana unless you want to ripen the banana in a short period of time.

·        Never store potatoes near onions. Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions.

·        Never use metallic bowls to marinate meat - the acids (vinegar or lemon) can react with the metal bowls.

·        Never use stainless steel spoons for pickles. This will react with the acids in the pickle.

·        Placing Potatoes in salt water for 15 minutes before baking make them bake quickly. Salt also adds taste.

·        Potatoes: To keep them from budding, place an apple in the bag with potatoes.

·        Reduce the burning sensation after cutting green chilies by keeping the fingers in a bowl of cold milk added with some sugar.

·        Rub a little oil on the rim of the container, the milk won't overspill while boiling.

·        Sprinkle a bit of salt in the frying pan before adding chicken. It will cut down on the amount of grease splattering.

·        Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher and longer.

·        To avoid sticky rice, add a tsp of oil and a tsp of lemon juice while cooking.

·        To get rid of the smell of eggs in the cakes, add one tablespoon honey to the cake batter while beating it.

·        To keep cauliflower white while cooking, add a little milk to the water.

·        To keep the chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.

·        To keep lemon fresh put them in water and store in refrigerator.

·        To Peel Garlic, fry on hot pan for few seconds peel will come out very easily.

·        To peel the almonds easily, keep them covered in boiling hot water for five minutes.

·        To remove excess salt in the dish you are preparing, add a few pieces of raw potato.

·        To remove the coffee stain in the cup, fill it with any kind of soda for 3 hours.

·        To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes,  rinse and dry.

·        To store chili powder longer, keep a piece of asafetida in the same container.

·        When adding curd to a preparation during the cooking process lower the heat and add gradually otherwise it tends to curdle up.

·        When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.

·        When you make desserts use a heavy bottomed vessel.

·        Whenever gingelli oil is used for deep frying, initially, put a little tamarind in the hot oil. Allow the tamarind to become dark and then remove from oil. Use this oil for deep frying. This prevents foaming of oil.

·        While cooking ladyfingers add a few drops of lemon juice or a spoonful of yogurt to avoid becoming sticky.

·        While frying onions add salt to it so that it will be cooked very fast.

·        While making kachori or kulchas add 1 tbsp of hot oil to the dough.

·        While storing green chilies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a long time.