Easy Kitchen and Cooking Tips :)

In this section u will find some easy kitchen and cooking tips.. They will make  ur work easier in kitchen and some times they will also help in reducing cooking time , keeping fruits and veggies fresh.. The list is sooo long.... Heyyy... or simply I should say they will help you a lot in kitchen...

This is a collection and tips from my mumma , granny , cook-books and few from word of mouth. Hope this section will be of great help to all the readers. This is will be updated daily. So keep checking :)

Cooking Tips

1. If you have forgotten to soak pulses like chana, rajma overnight, just put them in a flask full of boiling water for an hour. They are ready for cooking....

2.Always add salt to the water while boiling vegetables. This enhances their natural flavour and diminishes the need to add salt at the table....

3.Onions will brown faster if half a teaspoon of salt is added to the onions while frying....

4. A pinch of salt , turmeric powder and a teaspoon full of ghee or oil added to daal before pressure-cooking it will give it a better flavour...

5. Set lemon juice with sugar and a little salt in ice trays to make cubes which can be used to make instant lemonade... Plain lemon juice cubes can be used in curries and daal just like normal lemon juice...

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6. Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. 

They will look fresh for a longer time.

7.  Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don`t use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.

8. Avoid cooking sour dishes (like tamarind based dishes) in a non-stick pan as the sourness will remove coating faster. 

9.  Crust removed from bread for making sandwiches etc. can be sun dried or oven dried and powdered in a mixer to form fine breadcrumbs. Refrigerate and use as required.

10. Add cardamom peels to the tea canister, instead of throwing them away. It will lend a very subtle flavour of cardamom to every cup of tea you brew !

11. Boil tomatoes , make puree in grinder and use it in curries for a thick
tangy gravy. Trust me , taste is different when tomatoes used this way.

12. Peel tomatoes with ease! Cut an X in the top, and then simmer in a pot of
hot water for 15 to 30 seconds. Cool down and the skin will fall right off.

13. After handling garlic, rub your fingers on stainless steel, like your sink, to get rid of the odour.

14. Ignore cooking times. Check your dishes by using your own senses (smell, taste, touch) to decide when they are done.

15. For a great hard-boiled egg every time, bring your pot to a boil and then turn off the stove. Let your eggs sit in the heated pot for 12 minutes and then transfer to cold water.

16.  Crack eggs on a paper towel on the counter-no shells and easy cleanup !!!

17. Keep your spices away from sources of heat like the stove or lights. Herbs and spices can lose their flavor when exposed to humidity and heat.

18. Fresh green Celery/Coriander getting floppy? Try wrapping it in tin foil before storing in the refrigerator.

19.  Roll citrus fruits on the counter using the palm of your hand to help release all of the juice pockets.

20.  You can store butter in the freezer for up to six months.

21.  When sautéing, it is important to first heat the pan, then heat the oil, then add the ingredients.

22. Before baking, remove butter and eggs from the fridge and let them reach room temperature.

23. Take it as a golden rule , and always remember to measure when baking. Baking is a science and any wrong measurements can be disastrous.

24 Please always remember that to preserve flavor and prevent burning, it's very important to cook on slow/ medium flame.

25. 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. It really works very well.