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Iam due in sharing some kitchen tips now

If any gravy becomes spicy,just grind little coconut and add to the gravy with few drops of lime juice

Dry roast 2 cinnamon,2 cloves,a teaspoon of fried gram and a teaspoon of khus-khus and dry grind without adding water and store in fridge.This can be used for kurmas while cooking during the hectic morning hours

For a white coconut chutney along with chilli and salt add few drops of lime juice instead of tamarind

Three things to be followed while making murukku-While making the dough add butter or lukewarm oil to it.Fry in low flame only without over heating

While making venpongal dry roast the moong dal a little for a tastier pongal

For crispy pakoras add a little warm oil to the mix,and also enhance the taste by adding few drops of ginger juice

To retain the colour of green chillies just sprinkle turmeric powder on it

Soak oranges and lime in hot water for few minutes,you will get more juice out of it

While making fruit salad add honey with sugar to enhance the taste

While sprinkling dry fruits on cakes,wet them in milk so that they stick on the cake without falling

It's quite a while since I posted some Handy Hints,Kitchen Queries and Household Hints.I was doing it on regular basis but some how got too much obsessed in trying new recipes.So its time I start again atleast once a week,as I have a lot of collection to share with.This week's quota

When a bottle of chilli sause is nearly empty,add a little olive oil,some vinegar and seasoning to taste,mix well and use as a salad dressing

For a different milkshake take a tablespoon of mixed fruit jam or any fruit jam,add aglass of milk and beat in mixie.Chill and serve its just delicious

While making fresh salad cut tomatoes vertically and not horizontally to get firmer slices.If the tomatoes are a little soft,keep them in the freezer or in a bowl of iced water for 5-10 min before cutting

Malt drink powders like bournvita and coffee powder solidify at the bottom after long use.Pour a little boiling water over the hardened powder so that it dissolves.Transfer the solution to another bottle or container,refrigerate and use when required

When there is excess oil in any fried vegetables,sprinkle alittle gram flour over it which absorbs excess oil and makes the vegetable tastier

Take one teaspoon of sugar and heat it for a few minutes.When it turns brownin colour,quickly mix it into the cake batter which will give the cake a rich colour

Instead of using an essense while making cakes,try substituting it with one or two teaspoons full of lemon juice

To keep coconut kernels fresh,rub a little saltover them or sprinkle a little salt water on them or store them in the freezer.

For soft dahi vadas,immerse the fried vadas in lukewarm water squeeze the water by pressing them between your palms and then add to the dahi

While using green peas in pulao,apply a little oil to them which will retain the original colour

This week's addition to kitchen queries,hope they are useful to all

Butter can be churned in winter by pouring half a cup of hot water into the vessel or mixer in which you whisk the cream,swirl the water around so that the mixer warms up,then add the cream and proceed as usual

When jelly is almost set,churn it lightly with a little fresh cream in a mixer and let it set again for a fluffy and unusual sweet dish for children

To freshen bread,sprinkle a little milk and place in a moderately hot oven.The crust will be crisper and bread tastier

Want to get rid of the strong smell of onion or garlic from the mixer,pour some salt water and run the mixer for a few seconds and wash off,now it is ready for a milkshake

For a quick salad dressing,blend a cup of curd withlittle lime juice and seasoning and toss the salad into it

Place a bay leaf in flour and pulses to keep bugs away during the rainy season

For sharpening mixer blades,put a handful of dried tablesalt/rocksalt in the jar,turn the mixer on for a few seconds

Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach and it will retain its green colour

When you prepare lemon juice,add a pinch of roasted cumin(jeera)powder and see the difference

If your hands burn after handling chillies or chilli powder,wash them with tamarind water or with a solution of sugar and lime juice

I had initially posted many hints,kitchen queries and topics related to food when I started to blog.Slowly my focus shifted to more recipes,but when I was sorting out my huge collections of various artcles I decided to share as much with you all.So I've decided to post minimum two sets on other topics too,mostly related to food.Here's the next set of hints

Eat a small piece of jaggery after eating radish,to avoid unpleasant belches

Don't throw away water in which rice has been cooked.Add salt to taste,pour in flat plates and dry in the sun,you get 'rice papads'.Deep fry them and sprinkle 'chaat masala'before serving

To set curd perfectly in winter,add one cup boiling milk to two cups cold milk and two tsp curd,mix well.The curd will set faster and thicker

If home-made 'gulab jamuns'have not turned out fluffy,big and soft,steam them in a pressure cooker using the weight along with the syrup for 10 min

While cleaning green leafy vegetables,add afew drops of vinegar or salt to the water,it is easier to get rid of worms and dirt

It's a week since I posted,thanks to my dear PC who is on a strike.Looks like Iam over doing and so everyday there is some problem.Though I've clicked a lot of recipes I'll not be able to share with you all till my PC is fully co-operative.So till then some kitchen tips for you all to know

If you are in a hurry to cook 'dal',add a little oil and turmeric powder to it before placing in the cooker.It will get done quicker

While making 'dahivadas'add a little curd to the ground 'dal'and mix well.The vadas will turn out softer and absorb less oil

Biscuits,wafers etc.will stayfresh and crisp if stored in the fridge,wrapped in brown paper

If the bread is too soft to cut into pieces,hold knife close to a flame till slightly warm,and then slice the bread with it.It will cut into neat pieces

Run out of fresh bread,just keep the leftover hardened bread on the lid of a pan containing hot water,they will be soft and as good as fresh in no time

Taking medicines at the very instinct of any simple and common ailments has become a practice today.How many practice the age old remedies which our ancestors used,and it would be very few.I would like to share with all these simple natural remedies available in our kitchens about which I read in an article on home remedies a few years back.

NOTE-Though it may not have any side effects always try them in small areas and then make it regular

Infected Wound-Apply turmeric paste on it-it works as an antiseptic

Cold-Take honey along with a couple of tulsi leaves

Headache-To the forehead rub a diluted mixture of peppermint and eucalyptus oil

Burns-Apply a cut potato

Lice-Apply a paste of tulsi leaves on the scalp,they will flee

Losing Weight-First thing in the morning drink a glass of lukewarm water with the juice of lemon mixed with 2tsp of honey

Skin Ailments-Crush and steam mint leaves in hot water,cool and use for skin ailments

Tired Eyes-Put a slice of cucumber on closed eyelids and lie down in a dark room for 15min,the eyes get instant sparkle and quick relief

Tired Feet-Hot water to which some lemon juice is added refreshes tired feet when kept soaked it it

Sunburn-Add 2tsps of tomato puree to 2 tbsp of buttermilk and mix well.Apply on sunburn areas and wipe off after an hour with water

Damaged Hair-Massage warm olive oil regularly

Brittle Nails-Soak them in warm olive or almond oil

Cracked Heels-Massage malai(milk cream) as it helps soften and heal

Itchy Skin-Apply grated potato or potato juice on the itchy area of the skin

Sandalwood-Pure sandalwood paste or powder brings relief from itchy skin and allergies,a powerful antiseptic it soothes and cures inflammation and rashes

It's been full of events all along and I thought of relaxing by sharing some useful kitchen hints from my collection

When you have to cook pulses like 'chana'etc and have forgotten to soak them overnight,just put them in a flask full of boiling water for an hour.Do not fill the chana full leave space for it to soak just as you do normally

Add two pieces of raw potato to the curry or gravy to absorb excess salt and remove it before serving

Peel a beetroot and cut into tiny pieces.Dry well in the sun and powder it and can be used as food colour

Frozen vegetables will taste fresh by adding a pinch of sugar to the water while cooking them

To keep ghee fresh for a long time add a few fenugreek(methi)seeds to it

It's time for more relaxing topics after all those event participation.So my next few posts will be based on them

• You can make delicious pakoras out of leftover upma by adding a little gramflour and kneading into a dough.Make smallportions and fry in hot oil
  
  
• Fresh coconuts have a tendency to get spoilt even when placed in the fridge,just grate them and store in the freezer and take when required
  
  
• While using green peas in pulao apply a little oil to them which will help retain the original colour
  
  
• Dip bread slices in water for a minute,squeeze them dry and crumble them.This can be added to the dough for 'urad dal vadas' if you need to increase the quantity instantly,to the potato filling for 'alu parathas'.Dip the bread in milk follow the same procedure and you can use them in 'panner'
  
  
• To keep button mushrooms fresh drop them into hot boiling water to which a pinch of salt has been added.Take them out after a minute,drain,cool and store in an airtight container
  

Some interesting facts which can be followed in our kitchens without a second thought

• Broken wheat is a very healthy food,but many of us make only upama out of it.Soak the broken wheat rava in water for an hour and grind it with chillies,onions and asafoetida.Make dosas out of the batter and serve with chilly chutney
  
  
• We can make pongal out of the leftover rice.Just mix in cooked moong dal along with pepper,cumin seeds,salt,curry leaves and cashews as done for pongal
  
  
• While making biryani or fried rice spread the bay leaves at the bottom of the vessel so that the rice does not get burnt
  
  
• With the left over vegetable curries we can make stuffed dosas,idlis and kozhukattais too
  
  
• Pakoda is usually made with besan flour.Just soak chana dal for half an hour,grind coarsely,add finely chopped onions,chilly,curry leaves and fry,the pakodas will be crisper and tastier
  
  
• If you need to make lime juice in large quantity,take out the juice from the limes,pour a glass of water to the required quantity of sugar and boil till the sugar dissolves.Cool this and add the required amount of water to make juice.This method can be followed for making orange juice also
  

Here are some simple grandma tips we can follow in our kitchen without a second thought

• Grind ginger and green chillies mix with buttermilk and knead the chappathi dough using it they will taste good and helps indigestion too
  
• When cooking drumstick leaves add a little sugar the leaves will not stick together
  
• Powder roasted deskinned peanuts/groundnuts,fried gram dal,til seeds in the propotion of 2:1:1/2 cup along with required salt,red chillies and asafoetida which is a good combo for rice,idli and dosa
  
• Powder dried ginger,coriander seeds,cardamon together and use a little while making tea an excellent Masala Tea is ready
  
• If potatoes are over cooked keep in freezer for an hour,then cut them and use it as required
  

PIZZA is very much part of urban lifestyle for lunches to kitty parties.We are all aware that is categorised as 'Junk Food' but we still can't forgo it.I would like to share this information which I came across to make Pizzas a healthy and low-fat meal.

• Order small pizzas as the propotion of crust filling is much higher in these thus making them healthier
  
  
• Go in for thin-crust as they contain two-thirds the amount of carbohydrates compared to pan variety
  
  
• As often as possible go for vegetarian toppings or ask for chicken in moderate amounts-it is far leaner than ham and mutton
  
  
• Refrain from ordering extra toppings
  
  
• Blot your pizza with a paper napkin which absorbs a fifth of the total fat
  
  
• Eat just 2 slices instead of 3.To fill yourself up go in for green salad with calorie free dressing
  
  
• Do not lace your pizza with generous tomato sauceor mustard
  
  
• Drink chilled water instead of Coke or have Diet Coke
  

So next when you go in for pizzas keep the above in mind.

I just thought of a break after sending the entries for the various events going around,still I missed on some of them.So here are some regular kitchen tips which we already follow but with a difference

• Gingelly oil used for idly can be heated slightly and seasoned with mustard and asafoetida to enhance the taste
  
• Bread can be bought unsliced,cut length wise and spread butter/jam/sauce/chutney etc roll and cut to slices the children would love it
  
• While making dough for puris add a little suger and make puris they will remain puffed for longer time
  
• Add a teaspoon of oil while making greens they will retain colour and taste better too
  
• Rusk powder can be used to lessen the salty or hot taste of any dish
  
• Before making curry add a little lime juice to cut lady's finger so that they do not stick to one another
  
• Grind 2 tender mangoes(mavadu),a piece of coconut,2 green chilly,a little coriander leaves,mix with curd and season with mustard seeds for a tasty Mavadu Raitha
  

These are some information I had gathered about the food we use everyday

Sultanas,Raisins,Currants
Sultanas are seedless,large berried and light yellow in colour
Larger than currants but smaller than raisins
Grapes are harvested when overripe and air-dried or in special drying plants
These are bleached,sulphured and machanically de-stalked to extend shelf life

Raisins are harvested in bunches and sun-dried
They are seeded,large-berried and with stalk
Currants are seedless,small-berried and are purple black in colour
Fresh currants are fruits of plants in the gooseberry family and are pink,red,black or white in colour

Lime and Lemon
Both are small green,yellow citrus fruits of citrus family
Limes are smaller and globular in appearance
Lemons are larger,oval and shaped like the orange

Corn syrup and Maple syrup
Both are sweet syrups obtained from source other than cane sugar
Corn syrup is liquid sugar from corn starch
Clarified and decolourised,usually contains vanilla flavouring
Maple syrup is thicker and obtained by boiling the sap water from maple tree

White,Black and Cayenne Peppers
Black pepper is the powder of dried berry of the pepper plant
White pepper is from the berries whose outer black skin is removed and dried
Cayenne pepper is the powder of the dried red cayenne pepper pods.It is same as our chilli powder

Grape and GrapefruitBoth are edible fruits
Grapes are small fruits that grow in bunches on the grapevine
They may or may not be seeded
Grapefruit are a fine variety of the shaddock,the pompelmoose,which sometime has grape-like taste
It is like a very large orange and has a sour,bitter taste

Mustard seeds and Mustard
Both refer to the taste enhancers added to food
Mustard seeds are essentially used in oriental cooking
The brown black tiny seeds are splurred in oil,or ground as paste and used in cooking
Mustard as it is known in continental cooking is a product of mustard seed
The white and brown mustard are ground seperately and sifted to seperate husk and bran from the flour
The flour is tinned and marketed

Sea salt and Rock salt
Both are edible and differ in their occurance in nature
The salt we get in our countryis from sea waters
The water,on evaporation yields the basic salt
In its unaltered and unpurified state is kallu uppu
Though it appears like stones it should not be confusrd with rock salt
The powdered salt goes by the name table salt is also from seawater
Rock salt is a mineral Halite and is quarried from salt mines
Some rock salts are known to contain certain minerals beneficial to human body,particularly digestion
Rock salt or kaala namak is extensively used in Ayurveda

Baking powder and Baking soda
Both are used to fluff up flour in cooking
Baking soda is plain sodium bicarbonate
On addition of water,it releases carbon dioxide
Soda is a strong acting substance
Baking powder is sodium bicarbonate plus acid saltsof tartarates and/or sulphates
This is milder and serves as yeast substitute in baking

Poached and Boiled eggs
Both refer to eggs cooked in water
Poached eggs are cooked,without the shell in boiling water which is a tricky process
Boiled eggs are cooked with the shell till done and then the shell is removed

Blanched and Stewed
Both refers to the process of softening the fruit generally tomatoes and apples
Blanching is soaking the fruit in hot water and allowing it to cook and shrink just enough so that the outer skin comes off
Stewing is boiling slowly with some moisture
The fruit is not directly to be dipped in water

Curd will definitely taste and smell different,if you set 500ml milk in a clay pot
with half a teaspoon of roasted cumin seeds and 2tsps of finely chopped coriander
leaves

To get a smooth and even top surface of the cake,put on the bottom heater of the
oven first.When the cake has risen,then put on the top heater too.The cake will have a smooth and even crust which is also easy for putting on icing

Instead of using refined flour or maida to make white sauce,substitute it with
wheat flour.It is nutritious as it has higher fibre content and the sauce will
become more tasty too

To shed less tears while chopping onions,cut the root end of the onion last/freeze or refrigerate the onion before chopping /peel under cold water or soak it in water for sometime before chopping

Unmoulding gelatine or jelly desserts perfectly is quite a difficult job,this tip will surely make it easier.Rinse the mould dish/pan in cold water and then coat it with salad oil,your jelly mould will drop out easily and will have an appealing lustre too

OILS-We Indians cannot prepare a meal without this item!Apart from imparting a satisfying texture to foods that increases palatability,they are required for a variety of mechanical and biological functions in our body.Oils are the carriers of fat soluble vitamins A,D and K.They are also a rich source of antioxidants that help in building up our resistance levels.Here are some of the better oils that possess good properties and are useful for health.

SOYA BEAN OIL Introduced a few years ago-belongs to legume family-oil extracted from yellow coloured egg shaped beans-unrefined oil excellent in vitamin E-best source of vegetable protein-processed to create several types of food-world's most nutritious and versatile source of food.

SAFFLOWER OIL Origin can be traced in India-belongs to thistle family-earlier cultivated for its reddish flavours used to dye garments-now oil from its seeds used for cooking-high in polyunsaturated-unrefined rich in omega 6 group of essencial fatty acids and vitamin E.

GROUNDNUT OIL Comes from peanut kernels-same family as soya bean-raw peanuts are nutritious and consist of about 45% oil,30% protein and valuable quatities of iron and vitamin B and E.

GRAPESEED OIL Highest polyunsaturated fatty acids,second only to safflower oil-refined is light and tasteless-useful as a natural base for salad dressing-fine texture and odourless used as massage oil.

CORN OIL High in polyunsaturates-good source of Omega 6 group essential fatty acids

COCONUT OIL Used highly in Kerala-used in cosmetic industry-preparation of bakery items-used as massage oil-use of scraped coconut kernel mixed with honey or jaggery as a wholesome food.

OLIVE OIL High in saturated fats ,source ofbasic fatty acids rich in vitamins A,D,E and K-prevents coronary heart disease-good for digestive system-graded into 3 categories-flavour,colour,taste and acidity level

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Produced by the first pressing of oil fruit within 24 hours through cold pressing process.

OLIVE OIL Obtained by chemically refining to remove imperfections then blended with virgin olive oil to make it edible.

OLIVE POMACE OIL Obtained by heating the olive residue with solvents to extract the oil-loses its flovour and odour but retains all the benefits of virgin olive oil-suited oil for Indian households-does not change the flavour or taste
of Indian cuisines-gives healthy benefits-regular use work wonders for skin and hair.

OLIVE OIL FOR GREAT TASTE AND GOOD HEALTH

Some recipes with olive oil to follow.......shortly.

Run short of bread crumbs.Use cornflakes powder instead.

While making 'pakoras' add a little hot oil to the batter.They will be as light as when you have added baking powder.

For scrambled eggs with a difference,try using a dollop of cottage cheese instead of usual milk and butter

To leftover cooked rice,add finely chopped onions,chilli powder and salt to taste.Mash well and make small shapes out of the mixture and dry in the hot sun.Store them in airtight containers.This can be deep fried and eaten as snacks or as substitute for'papads'.

Many of us buy sprouts when it can be made very easily at home.Sprouts are very healthy for children but they usually refuse to eat them.Make sprouts as required and refrigrate them.Add 1 or 2 tsps of them in whatever dishes we make either raw or cooked.Try this it would work.

Method
Soak the green moong for 4 to 5 hrs.
Wash and drain the water.
Put them in a casserole overnight.
Wow!you will have wonderful sprouts the next day.
The same method can be followed for ragi seeds,horse gram.