Try these tips and tricks and make your cooking easier and delicious….

For Veggies

• If putting vegetables in the fridge is like putting them in a coma, wrapping them up tightly in a heavy plastic bag is like suffocating them to death, which you don’t want to do. Vegetables need some air to stay fresh, so keep them in bags in which air can circulate.
• Vegetables also spoils very fast if they are peeled off. Peeling causes cellular changes inside the vegetable and they rotten quickly.
• Excess moisture will also age your vegetable, so keep the vegetable unwashed or washed and completely dried, until you’re ready to use it.
• Vegetables that have been lying in the refrigerator tend to look dull and lifeless. If you want to make a salad, and need your veggies to look fresh, soak them in cold water with a few drops of lime for about 15 minutes and they will look bright and delicious.
• Mushrooms, which will go rotten faster in plastic bags and should be kept in paper. Do not wash the mushrooms with water. Clean it with a damp cloth.
• Fresh basil/ coriander keep much better and longer at room temperature with the stems in water.
• Keep leafy vegetables (coriander leaves, spinach etc) in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
• After cutting corn off the cob, use the back side of a knife (not the blade side) to scrape the cob again to extract the sweet milk left behind. This milk adds flavour and body to any corn dish.

• When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.

• If you want to make crispy potato sabzi, soak the peeled potatoes in cold water for 45 minutes and then use it.

For Non vegetarian

• While cooking chicken or meat, you should cook it initially over high flame to absorb the juices and then cook it on low flame till it becomes tender.

• For avoiding kebabs to become harder, marinate them for a longer time and also avoid over cooking them.
• For its better effects, mutton should not be of an older animal. Younger one looks pink and has firm texture. If it is red and looks wrinkled, it will be tough.
• When refrigerating fish for your curries, rub some salt and turmeric so that the fish remains fresh and flavourful for longer.

For Spices

• If you make your own ginger, garlic and fresh chilli pastes at home, ensure a longer life by adding a tablespoon of hot vegetable cooking oil to them and mixing well. Refrigerate and use as required.

• In most Indian recipes we need onions and that need to be sauté till light brown. To get this done quickly, just sprinkle a good pinch of salt on the onions while browning and they will get done sooner.

• It is a good idea to brown onions in advance and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to save time while cooking.

• Smash garlic cloves inside a plastic bag with the back of a knife. That way, your cutting board and knife won’t smell.

• If poppy seeds are used in grinding, soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, if you are grinding it in a blender.

• Store spices in a cool, dark place and not above the stoves. Humidity, light and heat cause spices and herbs to lose their flavours.

For Cooking

• To make crispier “Pakoda” add a little corn flour and semolina (rava) to the gram flour to make “Pakoda” batter.

• Adding few drops of oil to the rice before cooking it will prevent it from becoming sticky.

• To make softer chapatis, take flour in a bowl, add salt and little oil and use lukewarm water to make dough. Keep it aside for 15 minutes before making the chapatis.

• To make crispier puris, add a little rava to the wheat flour while kneading.

• While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking at the bottom.

• Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to separate them each.

• Whenever curd is to be added to any spices or gravy, it should be beaten well and add gradually.

For Frying

• When you deep-fry, hold each piece of food with long tongs as you add it to the oil. Hold it just below the oil’s surface for five seconds before releasing it. This will seal the exterior and stop it from sticking to the pot or the other food.

• When frying, the oil should be in the correct temperature. If it’s too hot, the outside will get browned up too quickly before the inside gets cooked. If it’s not hot enough, the fried food will absorb too much oil before getting cooked.

General

• Slicing cheesecake and other cold desserts is tricky. If you want to make clean slices soak your knife in warm water for a few minutes, then wipe it dry and use to make a clean slice.

• Toasting nuts, rava and dal before cooking with it increases its flavours considerably.

• For best results when you’re baking, leave butter and eggs at room temperature overnight.

• Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they have become hard, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry.

• For reviving crystallized honey, place the container in a bowl of hot water until the honey is smooth and runny, 5 to 10 minutes. To prevent crystals from forming again, store the honey in a cool, dry place and avoid moisture.

• To prevent pieces of cut apple or pear from turning black, squeeze a little lemon juice on it.