Useful Tips

Useful Tips:

I will share some of the basic useful tips that I am aware of related to cooking/any other kitchen stuffs. These tips I have noted from my mom, my sister, some from my friends and some from TV shows.
You can also add to this list if you have any.. :)





1. If you want your pressure cooker to be clean as new, you can add tamarind piece/half cut lemon while cooking rice outside the container.
2. You must have observed some traces of tea inside your tea cups which does not go even if you wash them thoroughly, to avoid these traces you can keep water inside the tea cups after using them if you are not immediately washing them.
3. Our eyes usually starts watering while cutting onion. To avoid this we can a place a piece of onion on your head and then you wont cry while cutting the onions.. :) Not sure how this works / if this is a myth. But it works for me, hence sharing :)
4. If you are finding it hard to separate coconut from its skull, then you can keep it in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs and then you can hit it with a pestle or any hard material  and then remove the skill using a spoon/knife, it easily comes out.

5. If you want the rice to be more smooth then after the 2 vissels in the pressure cooker you can reduce the flame and make it sim so that it takes more time for the 3rd vissel and rice gets cooked smoothely, also u can soak the rice for 10-15 mins in water before keeping it for cooking this will make the rice smooth.
6. If you wish to add more oil to the sabzi you are preparing then add it from the sides so that until it reaches the sabzi / gets mixed with sabzi it will be heated.
7. Never store salt in steel containers it might create pores, its always better to store salt in plastic containers.
8.Always add salt after you add the onions while preparing any dish, this will make the onions to get cook faster.
9. If you want to store cut apple pieces in your kids lunch box then you can wash the apple pieces after cutting in water containing salt. This will make apple last for longer time without getting affected by oxidation process.
10. Its always better to roast the groundnuts and keep for storing this will reduce the  probability of getting spoilt.
11. Its better to store cereals in refrigerator to prevent deterioration.
12. We can cut the cabbage with the help of a steel glass very easily than knife. Just make 2 pieces of cabbage with knife and then use sharp edges of glass and beat over the cabbage this will help in cutting the cabbage faster.
13. Before using its better to wash the cauliflowers in a water containing turmeric powder and salt over a medium flame until water becomes warm an drain the water.
14. Always keep the Brinjal pieces in water after cutting to prevent oxidation.
15. Same for potatoes after cutting it we can keep the pieces in water to prevent it from becoming brown.
16. Its better we make small pieces of curry leaves and then add it to any of our dishes since usually people have the habit of keeping aside. Its very good for eyes.
17. If you are finding it very difficult to wash the steel vessel with oil traces, then boil some water in the vessel. Hot water helps in removing the oil.
18. Never make a mistake of storing eggs in refrigerator, this will make the egg break due to low temperature.
19. If you have by mistakenly added more salt to the gravy sabzi then you can cut the potato and add the pieces in the cooking gravy. Potatoes will absorb salt from the sabzi.
20. If you want the rice to be smooth and you do not have enough time to soak the grain, then you can add a a spoon of oil to the water along with rice while cooking. This makes the rice smoother.
21. If the grains like chole (chick peas) dont cook soon in the pressure cooker then you can add a pinch of baking soda in the water this will make the chick peas to get cooked faster.
22. If you want to retain color of vegetable when cooking in pressure cooker, when they get cooked after certain number of vissels you can release the vissel and allow the air to get released. This will help in retaining the color of vegertable like carrot or green peas.
23. I always prefer to add half of the chopped coriander to be added in oil while cooking and the rest half after the cooking. Adding it during cooking will add the  coriander aroma to the dish and later adding it will help in garnishing.
24. Even if the dal does not get cooked early in pressure cooker then you can soak it for 15-30 mins before cooking it.
25. We sometimes cut the vegetables previous night and keep in refrigerator to save time in the cooking for next day. It is not good practice to chop the onions and keep it as it might easily catch bacteria and leaves its smell due to which you might get pungent odor in your refrigerator.
26. Add little more of oil to the flour while kneading so that chapatis will become softer.
27. If you raw bananas at home and want them to get ripen soon then you can over them with a cotton clot.
28. Its not mandatory to use egg in baking cakes it just acts as an binding agent. If you are a pure vegetarian you can add ripe banana for making cakes.