Knowing a few tips and tricks would definitely make the chores easier in kitchen. This saves time, energy and fuel too. Cooking water is usually thrown out after straining the dishes. However, this water is not only rich in flavour and aroma but also in nutrients too.
1. Adding some fresh pepper while frying fish would make it tastier and aromatic.
2. Do not cook eggs on high flame as over cooked eggs do not taste great.
3. Put a teaspoon inside the flask while pouring in hot water so that the refill would not be broken.
4. Rub lemon rind while washing plastic bottles and containers to remove its unpleasant smell.
5. Add some sugar while sautéing onions for the meat dishes, to make them caramelize quickly.
6. Adding a few drops of lemon juice while sautéing onions for cutlets would make it tastier.
7. Place a small piece of coal in the fridge to remove the stink.
8. Boil some lemon rinds to remove stains from pressure cooker.
9. Rub some lemon juice or vinegar to remove stink from cleaned fish.
10. Fish curry wouldn’t go stale soon if shallots and coriander powder are avoided.
11. Wash onions and shallots before peeling so that the eyes won’t burn.
12. To make the onions crispier for biryani, dry the thinly sliced onions under the sun and then fry in hot oil.
13. Adding some fenugreek while boiling toor dal would keep sambar fresh for a few days.
14.. Wrap spinach in newspaper and keep it in the fridge to retain freshness.
15. In case you are storing fruits that are cut, rub some lemon juice on the surface to prevent staining.
16. Drop some fenugreek in the container in which papad is stored to keep it crunchy and fresh.
17. Make sure to remove moisture before keeping vegetables in fridge.
18. In case you have bought too much freshly baked bread, a few loaves of it could be toasted and crumbled to be used later.
19. Mix bread crumbs with some grated coconut and sugar to make a tasty evening snack.
20. Add some beetroot or shallots in bitter gourd dishes or stir fries to dial down the bitterness.
21. Mix soy flour, gram flour and wheat flour in 1:1:4 proportion to make soft and tasty chapathis.
22. Use kitchen towels – Fried dishes could be spread on kitchen towels as soon as they are taken out of the hot oil. The extra oil would be absorbed by the towel. While serving too, spread a kitchen towel in the plate and then serve the dishes on it. Kitchen towels absorb oil more effectively that the regular paper napkins. These towels could be used to wrap food while traveling. However, do not reuse the kitchen towels that have already been used. It is better to store them in their packets.
23. Refrigerating meat and fish – Earlier, leftover meat and fish were preserved by rubbing some salt. These would be washed off and cooked on the next day itself. However, now, people store fish and meat in the freezer for too many days. In cold storages, they are stored for weeks in deep freezers. It is not good to store fish and meat in the regular freezers of your refrigerator for more than a few days. When the freezer is opened regularly, bacteria may stick onto the uncovered fish and meat and grow on them. Meat and fish should be washed and stored in air tight containers before keeping them in freezers. Do not store fish in the freezer without cutting or cleaning them. Do not keep them back into the freezer once you take it out. It is better to use the meat and fish in three or four days.
24. Mould in pickle – Homemade pickles might get moldy as preservatives aren’t added in them. You might notice moulds in grey or dark green color on the surface of the pickles that aren’t refrigerated properly. Most of us would scoop out the mould and continue to use the remaining pickle. However, all the moulds and fungi are dangerous and can cause serious health issues. Moldy pickles shouldn’t be served to kids or older people. Make sure that the pickle that has black colored mould is thrown out and not consumed. Pulses that have mould or fungus too shouldn’t be used.
25. Can you store coconut milk in fridge? – Grated coconut may begin to go stale if they aren’t used within half an hour. The same would happen to coconut milk too. The leftover grated coconut or coconut milk could be stored in containers and kept in fridge.
26. Over refrigeration – Loading the fridge with too many food items would shoot up the electricity bills. Wash and peel the veggies and remove their stalks before keeping them in fridge. It is better to store marinated meat in fridge than plain meat or fish. Peel the ginger in case you are keeping it in fridge. Meanwhile, grated coconut should be refrigerated. Fish curry could be reheated and used if shallots and masala aren’t added in it. Make sure to clean the fridge at least once in a week to keep away stains and stink.
27. Save fuel – Turn on the stove only after keeping all the ingredients ready. Boil the water before adding the cut veggies. Make sure to lower the flame when the veggies begin to boil. Fuel could be saved if the pulses are cooked after soaking them for some time. Clean the burners of the stove once in a week using soap or baking soda. Make sure that the tube is replaced at least once in a year. You could heat water by placing it over the vessel that is already on stove top. Fuel would be wasted if food items are reheated immediately after they are taken out of fridge. So, allow them to be on room temperature before reheating.
28. Pressure cooker – Cooking in pressure cooker could save fuel. Make sure that enough water is used while cooking. Adding some oil while cooking dal speeds up cooking. Soak the pulses overnight to save fuel while cooking them. After cooking, remove the gasket and keep it in the fridge to make it durable.
