SOME HELPFUL HINTS FOR COOKING

HELPFUL HINTS FOR COOKING

1. To prevent the discoloration of peeled and sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes, brinjals and raw bananas, always keep them immersed in plenty of fresh water to which a little salt has been added.
2. In order to prevent the onions from bringing tears to your eyes while slicing, keep them in fridge for some time (about 20 minutes) and then cut them.
3. To remove the bitterness from fenugreek leaves, sprinkle the leaves with salt and set aside for 15 minutes and then squeeze out all the water, wash the leaves thoroughly before putting them to cook.
4. To remove smell from fish, make a batter of a little gram flour, water and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder and apply nicely on the fish; set aside for half an hour, then wash nicely and use it in any called for recipe.
5. To get strong aroma from saffron, always soak it in either hot water or milk for 10 minutes.
6. In boiling all kinds of pulses, rice and vegetables, skimming is most important. As the white frothy scum rises, it should be taken off with the help of a spoon as both flavor and appearances of the food are changed by it.
7. Before preparing cauliflower put in lukewarm water to which little salt or vinegar has been added, set aside for 15 minutes and it will be free of all the dirt and insects.
8. When making curds, add only very little quantity curds to start. Make curds in separate small bowls for table use so that you can use a fresh bowl of curds each time.
9. In order to avoid colour change, use little lime juice or put cut fruits that turns colour into lightly salted water.
10. When you buy flesh and meat in large quantities, pack them into small packets which can be used for a meal without taking the whole out, defrosting and putting it back again.

11. It is better to keep a separate griddle stone for chapattis and dosas. Sprinkle some cold water when the griddle stone is too hot to make dosas.

12. Always put the bottle on a piece of wood before you pour boiling and hot liquids into it, to avoid breakage of the bottle.

13. While boiling egg pour a little vinegar and salt in the water to avoid its breakage.

14. To make mashed potatoes light and fluffy, add hot milk into it.

15. Put the left over raw yolk in a bottle in a small bowl of water when you keep them in the fridge, otherwise it would get dry.

16. When you make white sauce or custard, it should be done on a low fire and remove from fire before it gets dry because it will be further cooked as the pan will be still hot.

17. If you bake a cake in a very hot oven, the top browns quickly before the inside is cooked, it will crack the top and flow out. Cake will get dry if you keep it longer in the oven after it is cooked. Also if it is cooked in a slow oven, there is a tendency to get a dry texture. When you make cakes, don’t use cold eggs, butter, dry fruits directly out of the fridge. Take them out earlier.

18. Half cut onion on a fork can be used to oil griddle stones. Onion can also be used to remove the rust formed on knifes made of iron by rubbing the cut portion of onion gently over the rusty surface.

19. Soak whole pulses overnight or soak in boiling water for 20 minutes to soften the skin. This reduces cooking time. Add few drops of oil during cooking to reduce frothing. Do not use cooking soda as it destroys the thiamine content though it shortens the cooking time.

20. Soak the rice for about half an hour before cooking. Cook the rice in just enough water so that all of it is absorbed during cooking (use 2 cups of water for every cup of rice but if cooked in a pressure cooker 1 ½ cups of water to 1 cup of rice).

21. Add a little lemon juice or citric acid during cooking to whiten and flavour the grains.

22. Use clean, strong flavoured stock to make soups.

23. Do not allow sautéed vegetables to discolour.

24. Pare vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the vitamins and minerals which are present just under the skin. Cook vegetables in jar with enough water. Do not overcook the vegetables. Do not use cooking soda, as the vitamins B and C may get lost.

25. Avoid acid solutions (lime juice, tamarind) for green vegetables and alkaline solutions (soda) for red vegetables in order to preserve their colour.

26. To make the salad greens crisp, dip them in ice water for a short time.

27. Use a stainless steel knife to cut fruits to avoid discolouration. Sprinkle fruits with lemon juice or mix immediately with a salad dressing to retard discolouration.

28. For fresh appearance, combine or arrange salads and add dressing just before serving. Do not add too much dressing. Do not over crowd the plate with the salad.

29. Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and swell it. Dissolve the gelatin in hot water just before you need to add it to a preparation, stir until the gelatin is entirely dissolved.

30. Do not put jellied mixtures in the freezer as they form ice crystals rather than forming a gel. To serve, dip the mould in lukewarm water for few seconds, remove, put the chilled serving plate over it and invert.