TIPS AND TRICKS
- Eggplants Retaining Color : When cooking eggplant add a spoon of milk to a bowl of water and add the cut up pieces to that water. The eggplant will retain their color without becoming black.
- Remedy for Salty Curry : Wash a potato. Cut into two. Place a the two halves of the raw potato in the curry and it will absorb the extra salt
- How to cut an onion without crying ? Indian food requires a lot of onions sometimes. Use sweet onions. Peeling and cutting under running water, chopping near a gas flame, and refrigerating onions before chopping, all methods for reducing the volatility of the sulfide that causes the irritation.
- Buying Lemons and Lime :Buy large lemons and limes, they tend to be much sweeter. Make sure that the skin is thin, those are much juicer. To obtain more of the juice from lemons, limes or oranges, microwave on high for 30 seconds and then let stand for a couple of minutes before cutting and squeezing. Rolling them between your hand and the counter will also help release more juice.
- Overripe Tomatoes: Dip them in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight. They will be fresh and firm to the touch the next day.
- Tips for Making Dosa : To ensure that the griddle (tawa) is hot enough before spreading dosa, sprinkle a little water over it. If it sizzles immediately, then the griddle is hot enough. Wipe with a clean rag or half a raw onion and proceed.
- Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.
- Egg fresh: Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.
- Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.
- Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.
- Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
- Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.
- Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
- Celery: To keep celery fresh for long time, wrap it in aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator.
- Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.
- Lemon/Lime: If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.
- Milk: Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk to stick at the bottom.
- Keep a spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. It will avoid sticking the milk at the bottom of the vessel.
- Mixer/Grinder: Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder fro some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.
- Noodles: When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.
- Potato: To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking.
- Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions.
- Tomato: To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off.
- Retaining the "whiteness" of white rice : While cooking rice add a few drops of lemon juice. The color of the grains become bright white.
- Peeling a whole Garlic : To peel garlic, place your knife flat on the garlic clove and whack with your other hand. The covering will burst open and the clove can be easily removed
- Avoiding over-spilling milk when boiling : Before pouring milk into a pot for boiling rub butter along the top edge and inside lip of the pot. When the milk foams up, it will stop over spilling when it hits the butter.
- Cure Garlicky Hands : Immediately after chopping raw garlic or after a marinating process, rub your fingers thoroughly with the bottom of a stainless steel spoon under running water. Then wash your hands with soap. The metal magically neutralizes the garlic fumes!
- Cleaning A Messy Blender : To clean a blender, add a cup of warm water, run for a few seconds. Now add a drop of dish washing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let is sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean.
