Cheat-sheets for the Kitchen Queen!

It is a bright and beautiful morning in Bangalore (rare weather especially when winter chills are setting in)! 

As I was entering my kitchen, I involuntarily began doing a couple of things - really mundane - only to realise that those were like my cheat-sheets to effective cooking in the kitchen! You know it suddenly hit me that most time we tend to overlook these little modifications or methods that have been passed on to us from generations, never question them and they make our simple meals look oh so perfect! 

Here's my little list of tips and feel free to add what you may think or what has helped you save that meal in the kitchen! 

KITCHEN TIPS

• Rich & Red Tomato Puree: Never grind raw tomatoes while making your puree for a subzi. Always boil the tomatoes for 5-10 mins, peel the skin and grind them to retain its luscious, red, juicy colour

• Shiny gravy/ Masala = More Oil: It's time you got rid of that notion! Ditch that extra spoon of oil and cheat your way to a shiny gravy next time. All you need to do is add a pinch of sugar once the oil is hot before you fry the ingredients for your masala gravy. 

• Trick to crispy okra: Tired of your regular okra subzi of being sticky?! Next time, try cutting the okra and leaving it overnight in an airtight container (either in the fridge or outside) and cook it the next day. Also never keep mixing and stirring the okra while cooking it.

• Crispy Karelas: Don't you just love it if the karela fry (bitter gourd) is crispy and not overbearingly bitter? Toss your finely sliced karela into salt water and bring it to boil and let is rest for 10 mins. Strain all the water and then start frying. Also, don't forget to add a pinch of sugar to the oil when frying the karela for a crispy end-result!

• It's Paneer, Not Rubber: Longing for those soft, fresh paneer (cottage cheese) cubes in your subzi? Never fry them. Instead, always soak the paneer in warm-hot water for about 10 mins and then cut them into cubes and add to the subzi directly.

• Losing Sleep over Cut Fruits darkening: Fruits such as apples and bananas tend to darken once you cut them for your favourite lip-smacking fruit chaat... To avoid this, always add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cut fruits.

• Soft Fluffy Phulkas: Always dream of phulkas retaining their softness? It ain't so complex! Just avoid adding all the water at once while kneading your dough. Always add water little by little and allow the dough to soak in the moisture and soften. It will add a lot of value to those phulkas and they will surely thank you by rising and turning soft!

• Evenly Cooked Toor Dal: The pressure cooker hasn't stopped whistling and the toor dal still doesn't seem cooked to perfection? Simply add a few drops of oil and a pinch of asafoetida powder and turmeric powder before you pressure cook the dal. It will help the dal cook evenly.
  

• Grimy Burnt Milk Vessel: No, you don't have to get rid of the vessel, instead let's try and get rid of the grime and burnt stains. Simply add salt and water to the vessel and bring it to boil adn then clean it with your washing soap. Salt has properties to release the grime and stains off the vessel.

• Finely Ground Cardamom Powder: In order to grind the cardamom finely, always add some sugar to it while you grind it.

• Lemons turning into Stones: Tired of lemons turning stone-like in a few days? Whenever you buy lemons, store them in a glass container in your refrigerator. They retain their freshness and don't turn hard for a long time!