Recipe 1:
If raw syrup is left then, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice for 1 cup of syrup. Boil for 5 minutes. Add saffron and banana slices in it. It makes delicious SudhaRas. This tastes delicious on pancakes. Variation is instead of bananas, one can add pineapples or strawberries.
Recipe 2:
One can use it in all curries and vegetables as a substitute to jaggery.
Recipe 3:
One can make Sakharbhat /like sakkara pongal using the same syrup. If one-string syrup is left, then boil it for a minute and then add chopped almonds, saffron,cardamom powder, raisins and 1 cup cooked rice for 1/2 cup of syrup.
Just sprinkle some water over the Medu Vada and nuke it on high for 2 mins. Meanwhile beat curds with a little sugar, chopped green chillies and some kothimbir. Mix in the warm medu vada and adjust taste.
You can roast peanuts in microwave too. Just use any microwave safe bowl,preferably square.Take 2 cups of peanuts & put them in microwave for 3 minutes first. Take them out & stir them for few seconds. Then put them again in microwave for 2 minutes.Just watch it carefully otherwise they will burn. You will know from their color when they are completely roasted. Generally it will take around 7minutes. Try it.
Use of Residue after making ghee
When making ghee from butter – do not throw away the residue after straining the ghee. Add 2 cups of water to the residue. Boil for a few minutes. Strain it. Use this rich water for mixing your rotis or for your gravies. Furthermore, the vessel used can be cleaned more easily.
To Prevent Milk From Spoiling
In summer to prevent milk from spoiling, boil once more in the evening, change the vessel, let it get cold , cover and keep in fridge. If there are signs of spoiling – mix 1/4 tsp of soda with little milk and mix into the milk before boiling . It prevents Spoilage. If it does spoil make paneer.
To Make Sprouts ( Payir Mulai kattuthal)
To make sprouts – take whole green gram, soak overnight in water. Next morning wash well, drain off all water and keep covered in a vessel. Sprinkle a little water in the night, cover again and keep overnight. Next morning , long sprouts would have grown. If you want longer sprouts – repeat procedure for one more day. Otherwise, wash well, remove skin which will float on top of the water and use fresh for salads or spring rolls.
How to get Tandoori Color
Tandoori colouring is 2 drops of red colouring and 3 drops of yellow food colouring – mix and brush over paneer,chicken etc to get tandoori orange colouring.
For Faster Fermentation
Fermenting in cold weather is slow, so it is advisable to use an insulated box to help fermentation. An electric lamp kept inside the box can help fasten fermentation. Covering the vessel of batter of curds with a blanket also helps.What is Baking Powder /
Substitution for baking powder
Baking powder is 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 1/4 cream of tartar.
Easy Peeling of Tomato
To peel tomatoes – cut across with a sharp knife on the eye of the tomatoes, pour boiling water to cover tomatoes, cover with a lid and keep for 5 – 10 minutes.The skin of the tomatoes peel off easily when you pull it
How to make Curd Faster
To make curds in a hurry – take warm milk and put a tsp of curd culture and a whole green raw chilli with stalk in it. Cover and keep aside in a warm place. In 2 hours time , you have thick, tasty curds.
What is Kasoothi methi
Kasoothi methi is dried methi leaves – it is available in almost all indian stores . If put in curries, gives an unique flavour of its own.
Moor Milagai / Curd Milagai
Dried curds chilli is green chillies, which have been soaked in curds with salt and dried in the sun for a few days.They can be bought at all south indian stores.
How to make Koya
To make khoa – Boil 1 – 1 1/2 litres of milk till very thick stirring all the time. Stir till the mass of milk becomes absolutely dry. Collect and keep in freezer.
How to make good amount of Cardamom Powder
To make a good amount of cardamom powder without having the headache of peeling each cardamom, take a good amount of cardamoms with skin intact. Roast in a dry kadai for a few minutes. When cold, powder with the skin into a fine powder in the mixie. Store it in a jar. Quite economic to use.
How to make Bread Crumbs
Make bread crumbs by toasting bread either in the oven or letting it dry out on its own . Powder in mixie and bottle it.
How to make Paneer Spongy and soft
To make paneer spongy and soft – for paneer makkani, paneer tikka etc, shallow fry the whole slab of paneer in ghee on both sides – till golden in color. Remove from ghee and cut into cubes and put into warm water which has a little salt, turmeric and me juice in it.The paneer can be kept in the fridge, in the water for a day. Just strain it and add to any dish. Remains very soft.
Tips for cutting Jack fruit
To cut raw jack fruit – generously apply oil on hands, knife and cutting board. Cut off the skin with the thorns and also the pit in the center. The fleshy part is used for the biryani – cut into cubes and drop it in water – as it discolours fast. Wash well and use it. Again after cutting -smear oil on hand, board, knife etc. and scrub with soap to clean everything.
Tips for making Biscuit Powder
To make biscuit powder (also for bread crumbs) put the biscuits into a plastic bag – put this bag into another plastic bag.Holding the mouth of the second plastic bag closed with the hand – pound with a pestle till all biscuits are powdered
How to Make Paneer
To make paneer – When milk is boiling add lime juice, curds or citric acid. Enough to set the milk curdling. When milk curdles completely – strain in a muslin cloth, tie it and let the cloth with the paneer hang from the kitchen tap. Let all the water drain off for 5 minutes. Remove cloth from a tap and keep under a weight – for the paneer to flatten and for all the water to drain off.Keep for 1/2 hour. Remove paneer from cloth and freeze it.
To test if Cake is done or not
To test if a cake is done – insert a knitting needle into the baked cake – if it comes out clean – the cake is done.The same holds for dhoklas.
To get rid of Flies or Mosquitos
If you do not want to see flies or mosquitos in the house , put some salt in the water while cleaning the hard floor.
How to prevent Camphor from melting
If you put few pepper corn in camphor box it will not melt soon.
How to clean Glassware
You have to clean glassware with salt water first and then with clean water to make them spotless
How to keep nuts fresh for longer time
Cooking Tips : If you put few cloves in the nuts(cashew,badam) jar they will stay fresh for longer time.
To get rid of bad smell from Spoons,Plates etc
Cooking Tips : If you want to get rid of the stingy smell from spoons, plates,pans etc then add some cooking soda to the cleaning water.
Vegetable cooking tips
Cooking Tips : You should not keep the lid if you are boiling vegetables like plantain, brijal, bottle gourd, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, ridge gourd, tindoora
Frying tips
Cooking Tips : When making puris or vadas add little salt to the oil so that they would not absorb too much of oil
How to get Fluffy Puris/ flyffy poori’s
Cooking Tips : Add sooji and rice flour to puri dough to get Fluffy puris.
Tips while making Birayani
Cooking Tips : While making biryani if you put some lime juice and milk ,rice will not stick.
How to get Original tase from dries LadoosCooking Tips : If laddoos become dry , mash and mix them with milk and make small balls again to get the original taste.
How to make big and thick Omlette
Cooking Tips : To make a big and thick omlette add a tsp of maida to egg and mix it well
Cooker Gasket Tips
Tips:If Cooker gasket becomes loose put it in the freezer for sometime
How to keep corriander leaves fresh for long time
Cooking Tips : Instead of keeping Coriander leaves in plastic bag if u put it in paper bag it will last long
How to retain vitamins while cooking leafy vegetables
Cooking Tips :While boiling leafy vegetables put some sugar in it to retain the vitamins.
To get rid of ants Cooking Tips :
If you see black ants in ur kitchen or some other place sprinkle some salt to get rid of them.
Instant Butter Milk
Cooking Tips : To make instant buttermilk add some lime juice and salt to the milk.
To avid tears while cutting onions Cooking Tips : To avoid tears while cutting onions put them in water for 30mins before cutting.
To control pests
Cooking Tips : To control pests in rice and dals add few red chillies to it.
How to get rid of bad smell from hands after washing fish
Cooking Tips : After cleaning the fish wash your hands with sour butter milk to get rid of the smell.
To remove ink from clothes
Cooking Tips : To remove the ink marks from clothes, rub them with tooth paste and keep them aside for some time and wash with detergent.
Recipe from left over Rice
Cooking Tips : Mix wheat flour, salt, chilli powder and onion with the leftover rice and flatten them with your hand and deep fry them. Tasty snack is ready.
Variation of left over Rasam
Cooking Tips : To the leftover rasam add a teaspoon of gram flour to get a different taste.
To Cook meat faster Tips: To make the meat cook faster, add a mango leaf to the meat.
To keep Coconut Fresh
Cooking Tips : If you want to keep the coconut fresh then put it in salt water and keep changing the water every 2 days.
To get rid of Cabbage smell.
Cooking Tips : If you dont like the smell of cabbage, just put a piece of bread while cooking. It will absorb all the smell.
After bananas have ripened, store in the refrigerator to help slow down ripening. The skin will turn dark brown, but this does not damage the fruit inside.Put two to three cloves in the container or jar of sugar to keep the ants at bay.
Set lemon juice with sugar and a little salt in ice trays to make cubes which can be used to make instant lemonade.
Dry fifty grams of mint leaves, powder them and add to ten kilograms of rice. Not only will the mint leaves keep insects at bay, they will also impart a delicious flavour to the rice when cooked.
Put chips and biscuits in a polythene bag and store them in a refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.
Tie the shelled green peas in a cloth and dip in boiling water for three minutes. Then dip in chilled water for three minutes. Dry under the fan till the extra moisture is removed and then pack into airtight jars or sealed packets. Freeze and use when peas are out of season.
Coriander leaves will stay fresh if placed in a polythene bag and stored in the fridge.
If you have peeled extra potatoes, keep them dipped in water and store in the refrigerator. They will remain for a couple of days. Storing flour in an airtight container and refrigerating it doubles their storage time.
Put two to three cloves in the sugar to keep ants at bay. To prevent ice-trays from sticking to the freezer surface sprinkle a little salt on the surface of the freezer before placing the ice-trays.
While storing green chillies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time.
Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions therefore store them separately.
Store eggs in a carton and place in the refrigerator itself rather than on the door.
Stale bread should not be discarded, instead toast the bread and powder it in a mixer. Store these breadcrumbs in an airtight container. It can be used for coating food items that are deep-fried to give a crisp outer covering.
To make vinegar last twice as much, divide the vinegar in two bottles and add water, which has been boiled. After a week it will come up to full strength again.
To ripen bananas quickly keep them wrapped in a paper bag in a dark place.
When putting meat joint in the fridge cover it with foil to prevent it from drying.
Sandwiches will keep fresh and moist if put in a polyethylene bag or wrapped in waxed paper or in aluminum foil.
Fresh yeast should be stored in the refrigerator or should be frozen or else it will lose its effectiveness with age.
Salad dressings should always be kept at room temperature and not in the refrigerator as chilling deadens its flavour.
If fish is to be stored for more than a day, clean it thoroughly, rub it with salt and turmeric powder before freezing. You can also use vinegar if you like its flavour.
Mix in fifteen to twenty cloves with every kilogram of dal while storing to prevent it from being attacked by insects. The same cloves can be reused.
When chilling puddings in the refrigerator, cover the containers with cling film or plastic sheet to protect from water and crystal formation in the dish.
Always store aamras and other mango desserts in non-metal containers, because when stored in metal containers they may get discoloured.
Cut off the roots and pack fresh coriander leaves in two to three sheets of newspaper and refrigerate. In this way they remain fresh upto a week or two.
If instant coffee kept in a bottle hardens due to humidity, pour some hot water to dissolve it. Cool and refrigerate. Use as desired but not keep for too many weeks, as it may ferment.
To prevent insects from forming in plain flour store it in clean zip lock bags in a refrigerator. This way the flour will stay fresh much longer.
To retain the crispiness of leftover fried poppadums while refrigerating, keep them in a plastic polythene bag.
To increase the shelf life of dry masalas store them in airtight containers with a cube of asafoetida.
Add a teaspoon of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chilli, along with salt to make them last longer and taste fresher.
Keep roasted chapattis wrapped in a cloth in a closed container. This will help keep them from sweating or getting soggy or getting dry. They will remain soft for a long time.
One may cut and keep vegetables, beans, carrots, etc. previous night for an early meal next day. But put them in a bowl, not tightly packed and slip the bowl into a polythene bag, knotting the mouth loosely. This way the chopped vegetables will stay crisp and fresh till used.
Wrap half-cut raw mangoes in cling film before storing in refrigerator. The mango will stay fresh longer.
Moisture causes baking powder to deteriorate faster. To prevent this store baking powder in airtight containers. Anyway it should not be stored for too long as it loses strength over time.
To keep carrots fresh for longer, cut the tops off and place them in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.
Fresh soft dates should be kept in plastic bags in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for weeks.
Put leftover soup or soup stock in ice cube trays and freeze. The frozen soup cubes can be wrapped and stored in the freezer. This makes it possible to serve small amounts of soup or use the entire batch for another meal.
A pinch of salt added to ginger-garlic paste will help increase its shelf life though it should be stored in the refrigerator. Butter is best kept in the refrigerator, but as it easily absorbs other flavours, it should be well wrapped and kept away from strong smelling foods.
If leaving white sauce to stand for an hour or two, spread melted butter on the surface so that it forms a thin film thereby preventing formation of skin.To prevent fresh coconut milk from turning rancid add a pinch of salt to it. This will help preserve it for a few hours. Store leftover fried papads in a polythene bag. They will remain crisp.
To increase shelf life of coffee powder, store it in an air-tight container and place it in the refrigerator.
To keep cottage cheese fresh, wrap it in a muslin cloth that has been dipped in lemon water.For a sweet and spicy flavour, place a small piece of star anise in the cavity of the chicken or duck before roasting or braising.
You can use the leftover royal icing to pipe clusters and stars. Put them on a sheet of waxed paper to dry and then store them for use when required.
Do not waste egg whites if you have recipes which call for yolks only. They freeze very well and can be stored in batches of 3 or 4 egg whites at a time. In fact when thawed, frozen egg whites make much better foam.
If leaving white sauce to stand for an hour or two, rub the surface of the sauce with a lump of butter so that it melts to form a thin coating.
Fresh coconut milk turns rancid fairly quickly, to prevent this, add a pinch of salt to the coconut milk to help preserve for a few hours.
Butter is best kept in the refrigerator, but as it easily absorbs other flavours, it should be well wrapped and kept away from strong.
Lemon halves shrivel in the fridge when unused. Hence freeze them in polyethylene bags so that they are handy for making cold drinks whenever the need arises.
The egg shell is covered with a protective coating that aids in maintaining the freshness of the egg by covering the many small holes in the shell, if this mucin layer is removed by washing or buffing, the holes are exposed for bacterial penetration and dehydration, thus hastening deterioration of quality. So don’t wash the eggs for storing.
An open packet of tomato puree may get a mould or fungus. To store the puree for longer, pour it into an ice tray and freeze. This serves the dual purpose of storing as well as, a few cubes can be removed at a time as required.
Freshly cut fruits can be kept for a longer period by adding a little limejuice or a small dose of vitamin C tablet.Tomatoes can be kept longer if kept in the freezer, this also helps, when the skins of the tomatoes have to be peeled, as it comes off naturally when the tomatoes thaw.
All ground, dry spices should be stored in a dark place as they tend to lose their flavour in the light.
Before storing spices like coriander, cumin, chilli powder, keep them in the strong sun for few hours or lightly roast them in a frying pan.
When storing cheese in the fridge remove from tin, wrap in cellophane or foil and place in covered container to prevent it from hardening.
Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce during ripening.Cheese will stay fresh longer if wrapped in Clingfilm once seal is broken. Take care to refrigerate
in the chiller tray section of the fridge to keep it good for days.Olive oil oxidizes easily, which results in the loss of its delicate flavours. It should therefore be stored in tinted glass bottles or in tins or cans to protect it from light and air.
Make crumbs of day old chapatis, dry for two to three hours in a wide plate, bottle and refrigerate. Use later like breadcrumbs or as required, will keep for four to five days in refrigerator.
Store banana leaves like a roll, wrapped in a moist muslin cloth, then placed n a polythene bag. They will stay fresh for a week, if refrigerated this way.
