Cooking Tips

	Rubbing the inside of the cooking vessel with vegetable oil will also prevent noodles,spaghetti,and similar starches from boiling over.
	Give mashed potatoes a beautiful whipped cream look by adding HOT milk to them before you start mashing.
	To test if the consistency of your dahiwada batter is correct, drop a little batter into a cup of water. If it floats it is ready to be fried.
	Run your ice cream scoop under hot water and it will cut through the ice cream more easily and make neat smooth scoops.
	To ripen tomatoes-put them in a brown paper bag in a dark pantry and they will ripen over night.
	To keep cauliflower white while cooking, add a little milk to the water to cook it.
	Tender corn : When boiling corn, do not add salt to the water, add a little sugar, salt toughens the corn.
	When a recipe calls for adding oil, garlic, and onions to a pan, always add garlic last. This keeps it from burning and tasting bitter.
	To help gelatin hold its shape when unmolded, add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the recipe.
	Turn a thoroughly heated bowl over hard butter and in no time you will get soft butter.
	Keep chapatis soft & fresh by place a few pieces of ginger in the container.
	Add a spoonful of honey to your custard along with sugar for a better taste.
	To cook your dhal faster, add a drop of Castor oil or Ghee.
	While making chaats OR Bhel use cornflakes as a substitute for sev or papdis. It is available everywhere and give the same crunchiness to a dish.
	Smear your hands with a little tamarind juice while collecting butter from churned cream. The butter will not stick to the hands.
	Always use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to trim edges of bread. Much neater and less messy edges as compared to those trimmed with a knife.
	Deep fried dish can be decorated with slices of lemon OR sliced onions OR sliced Eggs.
	Spinach based gravies can be garnished OR decorated with cream.
	Dals & Gravies especially light colored can be garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
	Add little milk while boiling potatoes to soften and to cook faster.
	Salt toughens eggs so add it to the egg dishes only after they're cooked. Also Remember cook all egg dishes at low or moderate heat to avoid toughing.
	Ice-cream won’t form ice crystals in the freezer if you cover the container tightly with a plastic wrap, before putting on the lid.
	Never beat idli batter too much because the air which has already incorporated during fermentation is lost and results in not-so-soft idlis.
	Add a little freshly beaten cream into curds for a creamier raita.
	To avoid the mouldy smell in your breadbox, wash your breadbox once a week with a piece of cotton wool dipped in vinegar.
	Don't use soda bicarbonate for boiling vegetables as it destroys the vitamins present.
	Use aluminum containers instead of steel to set the ice-cream faster.
	Use bread crumbs as a handy thickener for gravies, soups, etc., if they feel too watery.
	Add a few rice grains in the salt shaker to prevent it from becoming lumpy in moist climate.
	For preparing Bhajias- Add a handful of rice flour for crisper and less oily bhajias.
	For preparing Dosas and Idlis - Use thick short grained rice .
	While cooking rice if 1tsp. lemon juice is added, color of the grains become clear white.
	Clean stains from electronic items like TVs, computers, by a cotton doused in spirit. After that wipe with a soft clean moist cloth, followed by a dry flannel cloth.
	Salads taste better and crisp if the vegetables have been soaked in chilled water for a while.
	Regain the color of beetroots and red cabbage, while cooking .Add a little vinegar to the cooking water.
	Baking powder goes flat fairly fast, so buy it in small tins & never put a wet spoon in baking powder as you'll deactivate the whole powder.
	For good aroma & fragrance in rice add some bay leaves to raw rice while cooking.
	If you want to keep any salad fresh for the evening party, first chill the bowl or tray in which you intend to serve your salad.
	When boiling corn, do not add salt to the water as it toughens the corn; Add sugar instead.
	Add a pinch of sugar to tomatoes when cooking them. It enhances the flavor.
	While whisking egg white, add a pinch of salt for quicker results.
	Green chilies will not split and scatter their seeds while being fried until you prick each chili with a fork.
	If using cocoa powder, always dilute it in some cold milk or water before using to get the full taste and prevent lumps.
	Add 1/2 cup vinegar to 4 cups water to soak potato chips or French fries 15 minutes before frying. It makes them very crisp.
	Regain color of green vegetables by adding a pinch of turmeric powder to the oil before adding green vegetables.
	Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly .
	Use the water from tied curds to make softer chappati, paratha and naans
	To remove too much fat from the cooked dishes - Cool the dish in the refrigerator until the fat hardens on the top then lift all the excessive fat off with a spoon.
	Get more juice from a citrus fruit by, warming it slightly in the oven first.
	Coffee will remain fresh longer in the refrigerator.