Quickie Fruit Cream

With a bunch of juicy fresh fruits sitting at home, I was suddenly craving for a sweet delight, without having to put too much effort though! Simply cutting the fruits and having a fruit plate was far from appealing. What's the fun in eating something sweet without a dash of indulgence! 

With a couple of quick go-to ingredients, a delicious bowl of Fruit Cream was ready in 5 minutes and at the end of licking it clean, I was only left asking for more. Here's the recipe for the dessert:

FRUIT CREAM

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: - | Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Pomegranate - 1 cup
2. Oranges - 1-2 nos (peeled)
3. Banana -1 (cut)
4. Apple - 1 (cut in cubes)
5. Condensed Milk - 1-2 tablespoon (Depending on  how sweet you like it)
6. Cream - 1 tablespoon

Procedure:

• Mix the fruits in a bowl

• Add condensed milk and cream and mix it evenly

• You can thrown in some nuts (like cashews, almonds) and may want to refrigerate it for sometime if you like it chilled.

Cheat-sheets to Effective Cooking...

I have been receiving some really encouraging and overwhelming responses to all my posts, especially the one on kitchen tips... I am so glad these are coming in handy while you are whipping up interesting dishes in your favourite space... 

As promised, here are some more quick tips, used specially while cooking. Hope these are equally useful, easy and come in handy!

• Stirring Sugar till Infinity in Lemon Juice: Tired of stirring and stirring the sugar for it to dissolve while making lemon juice (nimbu paani) for your guests? Think no further, just dissolve some sugar in a little warm water (to make sugar syrup) and add it to your cool lemon juice - it's quick, easy, hassle free and you can sit and enjoy a chilled glass of juice with your guests! 

• Soft Boiled Sweet corn: Never boil sweet corn in salt water if you want to enjoy soft juicy sweet corn. Add a tiny pinch of turmeric instead while you boil them. Salt water hardens the sweet corn.

• Crispy Onion Bhajiyas on a rainy, cold evening: Marinade fine sliced onions in salt (and any other spice you usually add). Mix gram flour and let it absorb the water released from the marinated onions. Avoid adding additional water and add a spoon of rice flour to you batter and later, a tablespoon of hot oil before you fry them... Sit back with a hot cup of chai and enjoy your crispy bhajiyas! 

• Cringe to waste Leftover Dals/ Subzis: Do you curse yourself each time you see dals and subzis leftover in the fridge? Don't fret! Mix the dals to make paratha dough or stuff the dry subzis in your dough to roll out yummy parathas!

• Want to store Spinach Puree Longer: Storing palak puree for a longer time to make green gravies or palak paneer whenever you're free was never this easy. All you need to do is blanch your palak with a pinch of sugar and salt (this keeps the colour intact), cover the vessel and once it cools completely, strain the spinach (don't throw away the nutritious water, use it in veges or dals), puree it and let it sit in an airtight container in your refrigerator - use it even after a week, its colour and flavour will remain intact!

• Keeping bananas fresh and yellow longer: Want to slow down the ripening process of bananas and keep them fresh longer? All you need to do is wrap the crown of the banana bunch in plastic or a food grade cling wrap! It will give them another 3-5 days!

• Frying crispy brown onion strings for Biryanis: Don't we love our flavoursome vegetable biryanis with brown crispy onion strings? Well, to make them crispy and brown, marinade them in salt and rub them with a little wheat flour before you fry them!

• Infusing the Beautiful Saffron flavour and Colour to your Dishes: Never and I mean NEVER add saffron directly to hot oil or your sweet and savoury dishes. It will either ruin the flavour or not render any. While adding this precious spice, always mix a few crushed strands in a little hot water- wait for it to release its colour and flavour and add it to your dish.

• Creamy White Potatoes turning brownish black while cutting: Keep the potatoes creamy white is easier than you thought! All you need to do is keep them in a bowl of water once you peel and cut them - strain all the water just before you use them for making your subzis. 

Tips and cheat sheets are merely an assist tool in the kitchen. As long as you cook from your heart, enjoying the process, using all your senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, you will always produce something splendid! Hope you continue to enjoy this process... 

Until tomorrow! 

Hidden Food Secrets From the land of Peshwas...

Much has been written, researched, marketed and said about different and diverse cuisines from our country - be it Gujarati, Rajasthani, Hyderabadi, North Indian/ Punjabi, South Indian, Bengali, but there is little said on Maharashtrian food, vis-a-vis its culture, traditions and tourism. Ask somebody about specialities of Maharashtrian food and one will probably start with a Vada Pav or a Pav Bhaji from Mumbai (then Bombay) and not know what to say beyond that. 

One can't pinpoint with certainty on why such lack of enthusiasm towards popularising Maharashtrian food - it is rather complex - blame it on the political neglect, general complacent attitude of the people from the region (I'm not pointing fingers here considering I am a part of this region), the lack of self-marketing or self PR as one would call it. An interesting piece written by a famous Marathi journalist/ editor points out and I quote, 'that in spite of political parties rendering a strong sentiment of the "Marathi Manoos", there is hardly anything done towards popularising Marathi theatre, art galleries, restaurant chains, and the likes and almost no Marathi wedding carries the quintessential Marathi menu which is extremely delicious and varied!'

A sketch of what a typical Marathi meal in a Thali would look like

Maharashtrian Cuisine is elegant, delicious, wholesome and extremely healthy and in my posts in the future, I would love to share a few recipes from this sumptuous yet simple, delicious yet healthy and wholesome cuisine! Before I start doling out recipes, here's some interesting facts and tidbits about the Marathi cuisine. Hope you enjoy reading them and are intrigued to try out some of the recipes:

• Cuisine from this large state can be broadly divided into two types -  (1) the large coastal region along the coast of the Arabian Sea comprising of  the Konkani cuisine, a combination of the Malvani, Saraswat, Goan cuisines and (2) the interior Maharashtra and Vidarbha Region with its famous Varadi cuisine, which has its distinct taste, style of preparations and ingredients. As opposed to fresh coconut used in Konkani recipes, the ones in interior Maharashtra and Vidarbha use the dry (copra) coconut powder, gram flour and distinct spices such as pepper, cloves, cardamom, dry coriander, cinnamon, bay leaves and the likes.

• In Maharashtra, when you say a prayer before your meal, you always say "Anna he poornabrahma", which means "Food is equivalent to God" and most times, this typical thali is placed as an offering to the Almighty before it is eaten.

• Less of tamarind and more of Kokum (a purple berry substitute to tamarind, high in medicinal value) is used to flavour curries, vegetables and dals.

• One of the oldest cookbooks in the country were printed (and continue to be reprinted with newer editions/ recipes) in Maharashtra - a famous 'go-to' book is 'Ruchira', first written and published by the then 60-year old  Kamalabai Olge and around 150000 copies of this book were sold within the first 20 years of its publication. 

• Did you know that there is a specific order of serving sweet, savouries, vegetables, curries, rice, rotis, salads in a typical Maharashtrian thali or meal and a person who does not follow this is considered poorly trained or inhospitable! For instance, it is inauspicious to serve rice, roti or subzi in a plate first:  



The right way to serve a Marathi meal on a thali (or leaf)

• You always start by serving salt - imagine the position of salt at 12 'o clock, you start serving some items towards its left such as a lemon wedge, a chutney (usually with green chillies, coriander and coconut), salad/ raita followed by an assortment of bhajjis

• Sweets are always served at the base of the plate on the left side 

• Towards the right of the salt is where the main course is served - a curry-based vegetable, followed by dry vegetables, rotis, rice and papad (served in the centre).

• Plain rice(served off centre on the right of the plate) is never served in a haphazard heap - always in a mould, topped with plain dal and signed off with ghee. You usually start eating this meal with with rice, followed by other items. 

Phew!! Complex, confusing and perplexing, right?! Having said that, I can vouch for the fact that this is one of the most or rather the only wholesome meal I have had - nutritious, tasty, simple, resonating the down to earth yet royal Maharashtrian culture! 

If I start writing down the kind of recipes included in a typical thali,  this will become a loooong, never-ending post. I promise to share some simple, healthy yet tasty recipes in the coming days. Watch out this space for more and let me know if you'd be interested in putting up this sumptuous spread! 

Eruvali Kuzhambu or Coconut-based Curry

When I first tasted the 'Eruvali' or 'Eruvali Kuzhambu' (curry), I was blown away by the the simple yet rich flavours of vegetables soaked in coconut with subtle hints of chilli and tamarind. All I wanted to do was lick the bowl clean, besides learning how to prepare it! Perfecting this beautifully flavoured curry I thought, for some reason, will be an elaborate, complex affair. I was instantly put at ease when I was told that most flavoursome, tasty dishes may not be all that complex or technical; it is the simplicity and right amount of ingredients and their flavours that do all the magic! This thought gave me the courage to learn it and try it out at several occasions! 

I am told that the Eruvali, commonly known as Thenga Aracha Curry in Kerala (Thenga meaning coconut) is a very "Trivandrum" dish. It has its variations depending on the wisdom passed on from generations and some innovation tried here and there but the main ingredients are mostly fresh grated coconut, tamarind, curry leaves and red chillies. "Kuzhambu" (Ku-lam-boo) is Tamil for curry, which is again a stew-based dish or broth essentially made from tamarind. The varieties of Kuzhambu differ from region to region and are found in plenty! 

Now moving from the background and history, here's a pictorial account of perfecting this yummy Eruvali! 

ERUVALI KUZHAMBU or COCONUT CURRY

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1. Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Tamarind - the size of a lemon
3. Fenugreek seeds - 2 teaspoons
4. Rice - 1 teaspoon
5. Dry Red Chillies - 5-6 nos (or depending on your taste)
6. Green Chilli - 1 (slit) - optional (for additional taste)
7. Curry Leaves - 10-12 leaves
8. Coconut Oil - 2 teaspoons (1 for roasting and 1 for tempering)
9. Vegetables
• Drumsticks - 2 nos (cut in pieces of 2 inches)
• Small Onions - 10-15 pieces
• Stalk of Palak - you can use a bunch of stalks (stems) of fresh spinach
10. Water - about 7 cups
11. Salt - to taste
12. Jaggery - a small piece for taste
13. Mustard seeds - for tempering
14. Chopped coriander - for garnish

Preparation:

• Add about 7 cups of water to a cooking pot and add a little salt to it. In the mean time, soak some tamarind in warm water and set aside. Add all the chopped vegetables and keep it for boiling (in order for the vegetables to cook)

• Take a teaspoon of coconut oil in a kadhai and add fenugreek seeds, rice, red chillies and curry leaves and roast them for about a minute or two. Add the grated coconut and roast for about 5 mins, while ensuring that the coconut does not turn brown. Take it off the heat and let this mixture cook off slightly.

     

• Add this mixture to a grinder along with softened tamarind and grind it completely. Add the water from the soaked tamarind to form a thick paste

  

• Now once the vegetables in the cooking pot are cooked (you will know this once they change colour and the raw smell wears off), add the coconut paste to it and mix it continuously, keeping the flame on low and ensuring there are no lumps of the paste in the mixture. Add remaining salt and a small piece of jaggery and mix well. Switch off the burner. Avoid heating the curry for long after you have added the coconut paste or else it will split. 

  

• Take a teaspoon of coconut oil for tempering - add a teaspoon of mustard seeds and one dry red chilli and add it to the curry. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well and serve.

This curry tastes the best when served with steaming hot rice and potato fry (as accompaniment) and also with dosas. 

Here's a little secret - this has become my mum's go-to curry whenever there is fresh coconut at home. Coming from central India, we hardly use coconut in our cooking and this curry was such a refreshing change that my Marathi mom makes it more often than I do! 

Kitchens of South India!

Growing up in a free, always-ready-to-try-something-new atmosphere at home has its many advantages, one of them being able to enjoy and experiment with cuisines that you wouldn't try otherwise. That is probably why, in spite of being born a Maharashtrian, belonging to a set of foodie parents have had its perks for me! Trying and appreciating food from other corners of the country has never been a challenge and I was always taught to respect what I eat and appreciate what it tastes like. 

May be that's why when I got married into a south Indian family, adjusting to food habits never seemed like an issue at all. In fact, my palate was so welcoming that I instantly fell in love with the flavours that I was introduced to. And knowing that south indian food is definitely much much much more and vast than Idlis, Dosas, Sambar and Rasam, I wanted to try my hand at picking up a dish or two in amma's kitchen! And welcoming they all were! I have and continue to learn from the next best - my Sister-in-Law, well trained under her Amma, my Mother-in-Law! Couldn't have asked for anything better!

My experience, from what I was explained, has been a combination of food from Kerala and Tamil Nadu - influences of flavours and simplicity of Kerala is a prominent feature in the food that I have been relishing for the last couple of years. I was introduced to a world of fluffy appams and flavoursome vegetable stew, the light idiyappams and the lip smacking chutneys, podis, snacks and bhajjis, curries, vegetables and different varieties of rasam and sambars, and how can I forget the oh-so-tasty sweet delights - a new dish that is simply magically doled out of the kitchen for every festival! 

That's when I thought, why not have a separate section (label) in my blog of all the interesting recipes that I have had the good fortune to taste and enjoy and a few that I have been able to learn (purely amateur attempts) and share it with all of you. For those who didn't know such recipes existed, why not open a whole new treasure trove of a culinary sojourn! 

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have and I will try and be as detailed as possible when I share them. Probably the only difficult bit, so far in all this has been the names and pronunciations of these recipes! On a lighter note, like I have mentioned earlier, it is best to experience a dish by its taste and the names, well, you can take a lifetime to perfect them! 

Watch out for this space for some lip-smacking recipes and feel free to share your experiences and recipes that have been passed on to you from generations together! 

Biscuit Brownies and a Twist in the Tale!

Quickfire, delicious no-bake, no-eggs Biscuit Brownies

It's Sunday, and I bet we all love to differ from the routine mundane weekday activities, one of the most important being cooking! We love to ditch the regular roti, sabzi, dal and chawal and add a little spice and twist to our leisure day... Like all of you, I too, was on a mission to surprise everyone at home and decided to take a wild shot, albeit with a twist. A fellow blogger had recently shared a really fun and easy way to prepare brownies - No Eggs, No Bake, No Cooking - and it was my turn to try the recipe out. But the Sunday Streak in me wanted to ditch the regular and do something out of the box.

Taking my chances, here's what I did - a step-by-step, rather, picture-by-picture, easy to follow account:

BISCUIT BROWNIES WITH A TWIST

Prep Time: 30 mins | Setting Time: 4-6 hours | Servings: 12-16 pieces

Ingredients:

1. Marie Biscuits - About 25 nos
2. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3½ tablespoons
3. Sugar - 2 teaspoons
4. Roasted Nuts -  ¼ cup (Chopped) - I took Walnuts for the dash of bitter taste 
5. The Twist - 1½-2 teaspoons
6. Sweetened Condensed Milk: approx 300 gm (out of a 400 gm Milkmaid tin)
7. Baking Dish with butter paper or a regular dish (greased) for setting the brownies 

Procedure:

• Break the biscuits and coarsely grind them and add the unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well

• Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and mix well

• Dry-roast your choice of nuts (cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts - whatever you may like) and add to the mixture

• Now here comes the twist - add about 1½-2 teaspoons of chilli powder and ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to this mixture - the chilli and cinnamon accentuate the taste of chocolate and leave an aftertaste and hint of spice and twist! You can skip this step and follow the rest if you like your chocolate to taste routine or be a little sporting and experiment with a dash of spice and chilli!

• Add the condensed milk to the mixture and mix it well. remember to use a strong spoon since the mixture is going to be sticky and hard - if you wanna get your hands dirty, go the old school way of kneading this mixture 

• Once you have mixed it, spread it in your baking dish
• Dip your fingers in water as you press and roll the mixture out on to the dish else it will keep sticking to your hands

• Set the dish to refrigerate for about 4-8 hours before you cut and serve it

When my husband first tasted it, this is what he had to say - "Hmm...this is like a usual..... now there's an aftertaste of spice! That's different and almost like a jolt! Definitely not what I had expected and certainly tastes good."

Well, it absolutely made my Sunday and hope you guys enjoy putting up a perfect twist to your day with this quickfire, spiced dessert! Else, what is life without some fun, spice and zing! 

2 States and Adventurous Food Tales!

What happens when a Marathi mulgi from Chattisgarh marries a TamBrahm paiyyan from Kerala? It is a marriage of not just these two individuals, but also of two cultures, of ideas and most importantly of several palatable encounters! I've been having the time of my life through and through and I have to confess, when it comes to experimenting with food from Kerala, exciting, sumptuous and divine are mere understatements! 

A beautiful weather this morning got me thinking about the first road-trip I took with my husband to explore the many facets of the picturesque state of Kerala. With this road-trip, came the much awaited adventures with some authentic street food - a taste of which you cannot experience elsewhere! 

At one such instance I recall how I hesitantly got out of the car, early in the morning, outside a tea-shop somewhere between Kochi and Kumarakom to see my husband excited over what looked like various forms of 'Bhajiyas'... A strong aroma of ripe bananas blended with coconut oil caught my attention and when I tasted this particular local delicacy, a favourite with my husband, I was instantly transported to a different world. It was sweet and savoury, crisp and hot and a perfect combination with a piping hot glass of masala chai! And that my friends was the "Pazhampori" (pronounced as pal-am-pori), or Banana Fritters in simple English. Never mind the pronunciation, because things like these are best experienced with taste and not the way they are called! 

For those whose palates can a heady concoction of coconut oil and ripe bananas, this is one deep fried snack you should not miss next time you're in God's Own Country. 

More so, you can try your hand at making these at home and get familiar with its taste so that you can experience more enchanting little short-eats on your next trip. Here's a simple, easy-to-follow recipe that was shared with me by my lovely niece...

PAZHAMPORI

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Servings: 10-15 nos

Ingredients:

1. Bananas - 1-2 nos (long, ripe but firm - Ethakkai or the Nenthra variety of Banana) 
2. Maida - 1 cup
3. Water - for preparing a thick batter 
4. Sugar - 2 teaspoons
5. Salt - 1 teaspoon
6. Turmeric - a pinch for the colour of the batter
7. Coconut Oil - to deep fry

Procedure: 

1. Whisk the maida, sugar, salt and turmeric with water to form thick batter of dropping consistency
2. Slice the banana diagonally into thin pieces - you can either slice them long or of medium length depending on the size of the fritters you want 
3. Dip the banana slices into the batter and ensure it is well-coated
4. Deep fry them in hot coconut oil until golden brown
5. Place them on a tissue paper to remove excess oil and serve

A plate of hot Pazhamporis accompanied by a hot cup of chai, cool breeze and an old movie on TV is hopefully what today evening is going to look like! Will let you know if I succeeded in this picture perfect evening! Until then, Bon Appetit! 

Spice it up!

Last year I had the privilege of attending the World Spice Congress, a bi-annual event co-hosted by the Spices Board, the premier Government Body responsible for and in control of spices exports out of India and the All India Spices Exporters Forum, an industry organisation that represents the spice exporters in the country. So habituated I was with the availability of various spices around me that I was literally taken by surprise that there was a body to regulate all this! My thoughts immediately went back to the little spice box in my kitchen, a regular with every Indian family - a round box with spice bowls in it to store various everyday spices, keeping their aromas and flavours intact!

With spices available in plenty every nook and corner and some growing in our backyards, it made me wonder how we end up taking things for granted! Which is why, I thought this morning, how about sharing some interesting Spice Trivia on our everyday spices... Who knows, we may end up respecting and appreciating these value adds a lot more, soak in their aromas and cook better using all our senses of smell, touch, taste!

Read on a few and ponder!

• Giants of Spice Consumption: India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world today, contributing to about 48% of the world's requirement of spices!

• Mint: Small, green, fragrant leaves adding that dash of flavours to our raita, salads, buttermilk, icecreams, chocolates, chutneys and the likes! Available in plenty, did you know that Mint happens to be the largest exported spice from our country?!

• Asafoetida: Some simply cannot stand the strong aroma of asafoetida! This potent spice, used in both powdered and block forms has a novel ability of letting go of its pungent odour and taste and rending great flavour to food. In some cultures, it is often used instead of onion and garlic and has great medicinal value. It releases its flavour well in hot oil and the ideal time to add it is while tempering.

• Saffron: Said to be the costliest of the spices in the world, it is known for its rich aroma and a beautiful golden hue it renders to various Indian dishes, especially desserts. Known to be harvested only for a few weeks in a year, did you know that about 70,000 to 80,000 flowers yield about a pound of saffron! It is also said that saffron strands should always be soaked before adding them towards the end of cooking a dish.

The Kokum fruit and dried kokum used in cooking

• Kokum: A purple berry and the dried fruit, it is widely used as a medicine as well as a spice in most Maharashtrian, Gujarati and Goan delicacies and is a native of the Western Ghats and Konkan Region. Its culinary uses range from seasoning to canning to colour and flavour while health benefits such as digestion, healing wounds, reducing body heat, skin care are in plenty! 

These were just tidbits on few of the many spices available around us... Spices take different times to release their flavour, which is why they are added at different intervals during the cooking process. Respect them, experience their richness, flavours and add that little spice and zing to your next dish!

Watch out this space for more interesting trivia! 

  

Pomegranate & Sweet Corn Salad

Fresh & colourful Pomegranate and Sweet Corn Salad

Here's to the salad ballad... I have to thank my dear friend Durga for this one! A quick recipe over a casual chit chat that is easy to make, looks pretty and tastes absolutely refreshing at lunchtime! I was tired of churning out the regular carrots, tomatoes, radish and the likes for salad and decided to try out this one today. The combination of the sweetness from pomegranates and sweet corn along with the seasoning blended so well and my lovelies at home wiped the salad bowl clean! :) 

This is what you need to do:

POMEGRANATE AND SWEET CORN SALAD

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: - | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1. Pomegranate seeds - 1 portion
2. Sweet corn - 1 portion (boiled)
3. Onion - ¼ portion (finely chopped) you can also try using green bell pepper (capsicum) instead
4. Coriander - Chopped for garnish 
5. For Seasoning:
• Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Lemon Juice - 1-2 teaspoons
• Salt - To taste
• Pepper powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Herbs - ½ teaspoon (if required)

Procedure:

1. Throw in pomegranate seeds, sweet corn and onion into a salad bowl and mix them well.
2. Prepare the seasoning by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, herbs and set aside for a few minutes
3. Add the seasoning to the salad bowl, mix well and add a dash of chopped coriander to garnish
4. Refrigerate for sometime for the flavours to soak in and serve

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!