Cooking always used to be something that i enjoyed doing.For me it's not "a process of preparing something by the use of heat" as they say!!i've always considered it an art just like music,dancing,painting etc.And whenever i cook something for my family or friends i always make sure to add that important ingredient and that is Love.I remember the very first tip i got from my Grandma and it was "the food won't taste good unless you add some love to it".I've been in the kitchen since i was a 9 year old kid helping out my mom and grandma,serving the food,chopping ,grinding,mixing,baking,frying,oh and ya dishwashing!!my friends always ask me do'nt you get bored and tired of cooking in the kitchen ....my reply to them would be always like this "it's my passion just like others sing or dance  and Lord has given me that superpower to cook".it's also a great workout!!

It's my dream to become a Superchef [more than a Masterchef] and own my Restaurant where i can share my love with everyone..well hopefully one day i can make that come true just like someone said if "i follow my dream".Maybe i might forget about the marriage thing  but i'll never forget what my dream is and to achieve it.

Okay now let's come to the point ...in this blog basically i'm gonna share some of those tips and tricks that i follow while cooking...and hopefully it might help you as well.this tips and tricks are basically taken from my Grandma's cookbook.it took me some time to get the English words for items and for the translation work!!


Tips & Tricks

• For soft Dosas, add some boiled rice to white gram and rice, while grinding.
• Put some neem and turmeric pieces or garlic flakes in the container where you store rice or grains, in order to keep away insects.
• To adjust salt in curries add roasted rice powder.  
• If the curd is too sour, add 4 cups of water to it. After half an hour, remove the water collected on top.  
• When you cook Lentils  add some refined oil or garlic. It will reduce gas trouble.
• Keep rice flour and basin in a polythene cover in refrigerator when you want them stored for a long time.
• Add some vinegar in the boiling water before steaming potato.
• For crispy dosas, add a teaspoon of yellow pegeon peas) and some fenugreek seeds while soaking rice  
• Add a pinch of corn flour to the jar of salt to prevent it from getting damp.
• While chopping raw bananas and potatoes, put the pieces in a bowl of water to avoid it from turning black.
• A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture.
• To peel garlic flakes easily, wash and soak them in cold water for about an hour.
• Green peas will retain their original colour, if you add a pinch of sugar while boiling.
• Leafy vegetables will remain fresh longer, if wrapped in news papers when you are storing.
• If you don't have any cream to add in the soup or gravy, add a mixture of butter and milk.
• Apply some oil on the sides of the vessel in which you boil milk, in order to avoid it from overflowing.  
• After extracting butter from milk cream, add a little milk or curd to the residue and boil. You will get soft 'Cottage cheese'.
• For thick cream, cover the milk vessel with a thin muslin cloth and refrigerate over night.
• Barley powder will increase the taste of meat and vegetable curries.
• You can make tasty chappathi[flat bread] by mixing equal proportion of wheat flour and barley.
• While boiling eggs, put a hole with a pin on the rounded portion of the egg so that the shell won't break when boiling.
• Keep boiled eggs in cold water for 5 minutes, this will make removal of the shell easier.
• Cut boiled eggs with a knife dipped in hot water to avoid breaking.  
• Boiled eggs will last longer, if you store the shelled eggs in a bowl of cold water in a refrigerator.
• If the bread is too soft to cut into pieces, hold the knife close to a flame  and then slice the bread with it.  
• If you need only the egg white, for storing the remaining yolk, cover the yolk with water or milk and keep in a cool dark place. Just drain off the liquid before using  the yolk.
• Add a little powdered lemon rind to puddings or deserts to avoid the smell of egg.
• If you want to make crispy potatoes or banana chips, sprinkle salt water over them while frying.
• Soak almonds in warm water for a minute, if you need to peel them quickly.
• If a curry turns out too salty, garnish it with some grated coconut mix with cumin powder.
• Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach, it will retain its green colour.
• Lentils will cook well, if you add a little sesame oil while cooking.
• To make the 'poori' more tastier, add one tablespoon semoline for each 100g wheat flour.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda while mixing the dough for 'chappathi' to make it soft.
• For making soft sauce, add some paneer[Cottage cheese].
• Adding turmeric will help pickles from getting spoilt.