Cooking Tips

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:43:13 +0100

To brown onions faster add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the onions while frying.
Remedy for salty curry:- Wash a potato. Cut into two. Place the two halves of the raw potato in the curry and it will absorb the extra salt.
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.
Retaining the "whiteness" of white rice:-While cooking rice add a few drops of lemon juice. The color of the grains become bright white.
If you want to keep any salad fresh for an evening party, first chill the bowl or tray in which you intend to serve the salad.
While cooking cabbage, add a bay leaf. This will reduce the smell during cooking and also give a subtle flavor.
To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.
Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pouring water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.
To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).
To keep chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.
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.
If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.
To avoid crying, cut the onion into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them.
To save oil while frying, add a pinch of salt to the oil while frying ‘pakodas’ or ‘koftas’ and you will use up less oil.
To remove bitterness from karela, slit it from the middle and rub a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd over it. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour, before cooking.
To determine if baking powder is still active add 1 teaspoon to 1/3 cup of hot water. If it bubbles vigorously, it's still active and will give good baking results.
To keep your bananas from going too ripe too fast keep them in a plastic bag.
Chapattis reheated with a little water on the tava become as good as fresh. If reheated with oil they will be crisp.
When boiling milk, smear ghee on the edges of the vessel to prevent overflow.
Place rolled ‘puris’ in the fridge for 10 minutes before frying them. They will consume less oil and turn out crisper.
To boil a cracked egg, add some vinegar to the water and place the egg in it. The egg shell will remain inside.
Sprinkle some salt in a frying pan to prevent oil from splashing.
Add a little sugar while frying onions, they will turn pink or brown faster.
To make your omelets more spongy and soft, add two - three spoons of milk to the egg batter and mix properly.
To remove the smell of garlic or onions from your hands rub a tablespoon of salt mixed with a little water and rub for a few seconds then rinse under cold water.
When you bake cookies and they come out too hard, simply put the cookies in a bag with a piece of bread overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture out of the bread and will be soft in the morning.
To peel garlic cloves quicker, microwave them first for 10 seconds. They pop out of their skin instantly.
Dont store apples and carrots in the same fridge compartment. The apples emit a gas that makes the carrots bitter.

tips

Cooking Tips