Cooking Tips

* Cook carrots, peas, beetroot or corn adding a pinch of sugar to the water to keep the flavour.

* Keep the lemons in hot water for twenty minutes before squeezing. They will yeild more juice.

* Add a few drops of lemon juice while preparing sugar syrup. The impurities will collect on the surface of the syrup, which you can then remove.

* Dip nuts in milk before placing them on top of the cakes or biscuits to prevent them from falling off while baking.

* Chapattis would come out very soft if a little rice flour is used while rolling out the dough•

* If you have to make cutlets in a hurry and have no breadcrumbs use semolina for coating them.

* While kneading dough for puris add two to four tablespoons of rawa to make the puris crisper.

* Place rolled puris in the fridge for ten minutes before frying them, they will consume less oil and will be crisper.

* A little rice flour added to bhajia batter will not only make the bhajias crisper but also less oily.

* To make creamier raitas, add a little fresh cream. It will however make the dish richer.

* To make the 'poori' more tastier, add one tablespoon semolina 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.

* Adding turmeric will help pickles from getting spoilt.

* 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.