Vegetable and Fruit skin are not waste anymore

Egg shells:

Most people don’t know that egg shells are actually edible. According to studies, the main nutrient in an egg shell is calcium – an egg shell is made up of 95 percent calcium carbonate – making it a very rich source of the same. The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition states that half an egg shell can provide the total amount of Calcium that adult human beings need per day. To consume egg shells, you can powder them and add to your pastas, salads and egg curries. Mix the powder to milk, smoothies or juices and you have a naturally calcium fortified drink


Drumstick leaves:

Called Moringa Oleifera, or more commonly, muringya, the humble drum stick forms a major part of South Indian cuisine. While the sticks have a number of health benefits – they boost your immunity, strengthen your bones, boost libido, and are commonly consumed, the leaves are quite often thrown away. However, these miracle leaves are packed with nutrition and disease fighting properties. Drumstick leaves prevent blood glucose levels from fluctuating – thus helping control diabetes. They are also effective in reducing cholesterol, have anti-inflammatory properties, and are loaded with Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene, calcium, and much more. You can steam them, cook them and add them to your dal, curries, stir fries, chutneys, parathas and more.


Beetroot leaves:

 Another super food that we have been wasting is the healthy beetroot. The leaves of the beetroot belong to the same family as spinach, and hence contain large amounts of iron, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, apart from being great sources of the flavonoids beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin – which have strong anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.  In addition, 100 grams of beet greens provide 50 percent of the daily Vitamin C requirement.  So the next time you buy beetroot, pick ones with the leaves and add them to your stir fry or dal.


Watermelon rinds:

Watermelons are the perfect thirst quenchers during summer – and are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. However, rather than throwing away the rind and seeds, put it in the blender along with the flesh. Watermelon rind contains more of the amino acid citrulline – important for the heart and blood vessels, than the flesh. Watermelon seeds also contain zinc, iron, proteins and fibre.


Cucumber peel:

 Cucumbers also have the maximum amount of antioxidants, Vitamin K, insoluble fiber that aides in easy bowel movement, and potassium, stored in their skin.  While Vitamin K is required for activating the proteins that your body needs for healthy bone maintenance and cell growth, cucumber skin is also loaded with the flavonoid beta carotene, which is essential for healthy eyes. So, don’t peel the cucumber the next time you bite into it.

Potato skin:

Now that is one thing that almost everyone throws away. However, according to studies, the skin of the humble potato is where the maximum nutrients in the vegetable are located. It is packed with iron, calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C – much more than the actual flesh of the potato. Hence, the next time you boil potatoes, boil it with the skin and don’t throw it away.

Orange peel:

The rind of the orange, or for that matter, all citrus fruits is one of the most healthiest parts of the fruit. It contains large amounts of folate, vitamin A, magnesium, dietary fiber and B Vitamins. The peel is also loaded with flavonoids, which are antioxidant compounds that contain cancer fighting properties. It also helps improve digestion and speed up metabolism. You can peel or grate the zest and add it to salads, soups or to your baked goodies.

Broccoli stems and leaves:

 If you are used to just plucking the florets of the broccoli and discarding the stem and leaves, remember that you are wasting a lot of beneficial nutrients such as proteins, potassium, sodium, iron, magnesium and Vitamin A that the stalk and leaves are loaded with. The leaves of the broccoli provide 90 percent of daily Vitamin A requirements, while the florets provide only 3 percent.  To maximise the health benefits of broccoli, add the stalk and leaves along with the rest of the broccoli on to your stir fry, dal or puree them into a soup.

Onion peels:

That is the first bit of the onion that goes into the bin. However, studies have proven that onion skin is rich in a phytochemical called quercetin, which contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and can help reduce blood pressure and prevent troke. The skin also contains more nutrients than the actual onion. So the next time you use onions, don’t throw away the peel – instead boil it and use it as a stock for your soups and curries.

Banana peel:

Banana peels contain soluble fiber, which is essential for proper bowel movement; they also contain the antioxidant lutein, which is known to be beneficial for the eyes, helping to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, cataract and also protects the cells from free radical damage. Banana peels also contain a substance called tryptophan – an essential amino acid which aids in the production of seratonin, which is known to be a mood alleviator. Hence, the next time you eat a banana, don’t ditch the peel, instead use for stir fries and dal. In fact, the raw banana peel thoran or sabzi is quite a popular dish in south India.

Cooking tips - Part 4

There are several such tips which i myself was surprised to see when i started writing it down.

To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 1
                                  Cooking tips - Part 2
                                  Cooking tips - Part 3



61) While boiling potatoes, add some salt or vinegar in the water, to avoid cracking while boiling.

62) Chop curry leaf finely and add to the seasoning. It will be easy to eat and those who hate it will not be able to notice it too.

63) If you have added extra salt to a dish, don't worry; just add a peeled raw potato or a ball of wheat flour dough and boil for a minute, then discard the potato or flour ball.

64) If your rice gets burnt, don't worry; just put a slice of bread in the pan for 10 minutes. The bread will absorb the burnt flavour.

65) Freeze leftover coffee in an ice tray; and the next time you make cold coffee, use these cubes instead of plain ice cubes.

66) To remove worms from cauliflower, add some white vinegar or turmeric in the water and soak the florets in it for 15 minutes.

67) Add 1 tsp white vinegar to idli batter to make softer idlis.

68) Add some gram flour or semolina to wheat flour to make crisp poori's.

69) To enhance the flavour of coffee, Tea or any sweet dish, add a pinch of salt to it.

70) To thicken gravies, sambhar or curries, Add boiled and mashed potato to the boiling gravy.

71) If cooking potatoes in an open pan, add water until the potatoes are covered well. When the water starts to boil well, turn off the stove and close the lid and leave it for around 10mins. Then take out the water and wash with cold water. Potatoes do not turn mushy and crumbly after cooking. If the potatoes are very big, cut them into half and pressure cook for fast cooking. Also, do not forget to prick holes using fork which fastens the cooking time.

72) To remove bitterness from bitter gourd, deseed them and add the chopped pieces in water with some salt and turmeric, mix well and set aside for atleast 1 hour. Squeeze and discard the water before cooking.

73) Always deep fry in hot oil in medium flame while making snacks like murukku,mixture etc. To check the right temperature, drop a small ball of dough and it should rise immediately.

74) To check if the muruku or any snack is fried well, check if all the foam around it has disappeared.

75) To make soft puri's, mix fine rava with salt and 1/2 tbsp of ghee. Mix well using sufficient water. dough must be not too soft and too hard. Leave it for atleast 30mins to rest. Its now ready to roll and fry.

76) When making gulab jamoon, fry them with constant stirring to get the even golden brown color and even frying.

77) When frying potato / carrot or onion, try to smash one. if it smashes without much effort, then its completely done.

78) When making a veggie juice, use a minimum of three different colours (for instance, a red tomato, spinach and an orange carrot) so that you'll get different varieties of anti-oxidants.

79) Store fresh herbs as you would for fresh flowers: in a jar of water on your countertop. Pluck off what you need, change the water daily, and they'll last two to three times longer than they would in the fridge. You'll get the most extra mileage from flat-leaf parsley.

80) While cooking lentils or vegetables in a pan, bring them to a boil for some time and separate the froth that accumulates on the top. This is collected dirt that should be removed before one covers the utensil with a lid.



 To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 5

Cooking tips - Part 3

There are several such tips which i myself was surrised to see when i started writing it down.

To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 1
                                  Cooking tips - Part 2



41) While making coriander chutney, add a few nuts of your choice to make it more nutritious and to increase its shelf life.

42) If you have added too much chilli powder in a gravy, then add some curd, lemon juice or 2 tsp ghee to it, to balance the taste.

43) If your gulab jamuns turn out hard, don't worry; just put them in the pressure cooker with sugar-syrup and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat and then serve warm with a smile.

44) While making potato chips, mix some alum powder in the water and soak the chips in it before boiling.

45) While grinding red chili powder, add a little mustard oil to it to get a bright red colour.

46) It is much easier to grind small cardamom if you add some sugar to it while grinding.

47) Add 1 tbsp gram flour in semolina to make your sooji halwa delicious.

48) While making gravy for a kofta or paneer dish, use milk instead of water for smoother gravy.

49) If asafoetida becomes too hard, then keep a green chilli with it.

50) If you are short of tomatoes to make gravy, then add some tomato ketchup or canned tomato puree / paste.

51) Add a little Bounvita to coffee for a delicious twist in the taste.

52) Grease leftover dough with some oil or ghee before covering and storing it in the refrigerator.

53) Add a little glycerine to the cake batter to make it more soft and moist.

54) Add some routine spices and bread to leftover rice, mash the mixture well and make crispy fritters.

55) After making cottage cheese/paneer, don't throw the whey. Use it to make roti dough or use in any curry.

56) Add a pinch of dried mint powder in tomato soup to make it more flavourful.

57) Keep an apple by potatoes. They will stay fresh and will not sprout easily.

58) If facing difficulty in rolling aloo parantha, add some dry roasted gram flour or some bread crumbs to the filling; it will not come out while rolling.

59) Try to add whole curry leaf spring in the dish. It will be easy to remove after cooking for those who do not eat it.

60) Use scissors to chop green chillies and coriander.


 To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 4
                                   Cooking tips - Part 5

Cooking tips - Part 2

There are several such tips which i myself was surprised to see when i started writing it down.

To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 1
                                   

21) Save grated coconut in ziplock bags in freezer. Grated coconut keeps well for more days.

22) If using frozen coconut for curries or chutneys, grind it with warm water or milk to make smooth and soft paste.

23) While frying onions or any vegetables, add a pinch of salt or sugar to quicken the cooking.

24)  To retain the color of green vegetable like spinach, peas or evn to retain the white color in cauliflower, add 1/4 teaspoon sugar while boiling or blanching. You can follow the same while blanching tomatoes too.

25) To avoid okra or ladies finger slime make sure the okra is washed and dried thoroughly.

26) Add 1 teaspoon curd while cooking okra to remove slime.

27) To thicken vatha kuzhambu or any sambar (when making for more people) dissolve 2 teaspoons rice flour in 1/4 cup water and add to the boiling sambar.

28) To thicken gravies or curries, dissolve corn flour in water or milk and add to the boiling gravy.

29) If you have excess water after cooking dal use it for making rasam or soup.

30) Oil temperature is very important for deep frying. Always deep fry in hot oil in medium flame while making snacks like murukku,mixture etc. If you fry in very high flame the snack will turn dark very soon and remain uncooked from inside.

31) While frying gulab jamuns, keep the flame low and deep fry till the balls turn dark golden brown.

32) Place a small piece of blotting paper / paper towel / parchment paper in the container used for storing deep fried snacks. This will keep the snacks crispy and fresh for long time.

33) Use good quality home-made ghee for making sweets and add generously.

34)  To soften  butter faster for cakes or snacks, cube the butter and place near a warm vessel(pressure cooker) or hot water pot.

35) Add few spoons of hot oil to the dough to make snacks like murukku,pakora to make them more crispy.

36) Adding 1/8 teaspoon of omam/carom seeds to muruuku dough or bajji batter will increase the flavour as well as aid in digestion.

37) Add 1 tbsp of fruit jam to a glass of cold milk, blend well and a quick delicious fruit shake is ready in no time.

38) Add 2 tbsp pickle masala, 2 tbls pickle oil and a pinch of salt to a cup of wheat flour to make delicious achari poori's for breakfast and as a travel food.

39)Add 1 tbsp leftover pickle masala to regular subzi to make achari aloo, achari bhindi, achari brinjal or any dry curry of your choice.

40) Add kiwi fruit, green apple, oranges, berries or any sour or over-ripe fruit to make coriander chutney more nutritious.


 To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 3
                                   Cooking tips - Part 4
                                   Cooking tips - Part 5

Cooking tips - Part 1

Some of the tips i had been following, learnt from my mistakes, from my grandmother, mother, mother-in-law, husband (yes, you heard it right), and online friends.

1) When making tea, always simmer the flame after adding tea leaves. Never let boil, that will reduce the taste and flavour of tea.

2) Always make tea fresh and use it immediately. Do not store tea decoction, it is not advisible.

3) To make filter coffee very tasty and flavourful add a very very tiny pinch of salt to the decoction before adding the milk.

4) If you excess have decoction add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mix well. You can store the decoction for few hours and make coffee later. But filter coffee always tastes great with freshly made decoction and boiled milk.

5) Add few drops of oil while cooking rice to make rice non sticky. This works well especially if the rice is new and starchy.

6) While making mixed rice varieties like lemon rice or coconut rice, take the cooked rice and spread it on a plate. Add few drops of oil, 1/4 tbsp of trumeric and fluff up with a fork or back of a spoon. Cool thoroughly before using in the recipe.

7) While making pulao or biryani, make sure to wash the rice very well till it runs clear of starch,soak the rice for at least 20  minutes, drain and spread on a plate for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.

8) While purchasing toor dal, make sure it is not shiny. Shiny dal will take forever to cook and you cannot mash it easily. Similarly purchase only if the dal is small and flat.

9) While pressure cooking toor dal, add a small pinch of salt (optional) and turmeric powder. This helps in cooking the dal very well and easy to mash. Soaking the toor dal in water for 20 minutes before cooking reduces the cooking time.

10) If you want to heat the leftover rice, sprinkle some water over the rice and simmer in pressure cooker for 5-7 minutes. The rice will be fresh and soft.

11) Soak channa dal atleast for 30 minutes before pressure cooking. This reduces the cooking time.

12) While cooking potatoes, add water to the pressure cooker and place potatoes in a vessel without water. By this method, potatoes do not turn mushy and crumbly after cooking. If the potatoes are very big, cut them into half and pressure cook for fast cooking.

13) Place the chopped potatoes / chopped eggplant (Brinjal) in water until use. This will stop the Oxidation process.

14) Try to steam cook the vegetables as far as possible to preserve the nutrients.

15) Cut vegetables in uniform shape and size for any recipe. This will help in quick cooking and also save gas.

16) Cooking vegetable in high flame for brief time will seal the nutrients and also save fuel.

17) Keep chopped Raw banana / Plantain in buttermilk until use to avoid discolouration. Do the same with banana flower too.

18) Sometimes brinjal or eggplants will be bitter. You can keep the chopped eggplants in water and squeeze slightly before using.

19) To remove bitterness to an extent from bitter gourd, sprinkle some salt over the chopped bitter gourd, mix well and set aside for 15 minutes. Squeeze and discard the secreted water before cooking.

20) To break open the coconut easily, place it in cold water for 15 minutes.



To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 2
                                  Cooking tips - Part 3
                                  Cooking tips - Part 4
                                  Cooking tips - Part 5

Tricks to identify the plastic rice

Here are some tricks to find out yourself about the fake and real rice.

1) Water test

Take a glass og water, drop a spoon of raw rice inside and still well. If it is plastice / fake rice it will float at the top, but if the rice goes to the bottom, it is the real rice and good for consumption

2) Fire test

Take some raw rice and burn it using match or lighter. Fake rice will certainly release the plastic smell.

3) Boiling test

Boil the rice in a open pan and observe while boiling. if its fake it will start forming a thick layer at the top of the pot.

4) Fungus test

Take a spoon of cooked rice and leave it for 2-3 days in a closed container. If mold forms then its good and not fake.

5) Hot oil test

Take a spoon of raw rice and drop it in very hot oil. if its fake it will melt and stick together at the bottom.

Karnataka’s amazing Maddur vada turns 100

The Maddur vada was invented by accident on a railway platform in the non-descript town of Maddur

There’s so much to see and experience on the road between Bengaluru and Mysuru. However, between the cocoon market of Ramnagaram, the toy shops of Channapatna, the palace of Mysore, and the heritage monuments of Srirangapatna, it would be a tragedy to miss out on the culinary treat that Maddur has become famous for – the eponymous Maddur vada.

The aroma of vada wafted the air as soon as we reached Maddur, a non-descript town in Mandya district 80 km from Bengaluru. We passed by vendors hawking packets of vada at traffic stops and several eateries stocking mounds of this piping hot snack at their counters. But we had only one destination in mind, the Maddur Tiffanyss – the customary halt for travelers on State Highway 17.

The genesis of the vada can be traced back to Ramachandra Budhya, an entrepreneur who started Vegetarian Tiffin Room (VRR) in Maddur railway station in 1917 to sell pakoras and idlis. For decades, he ran a roaring business as every passing train run on meter gauge tracks stopped at Maddur to fill up their water tanks.

Savouring nibbles of crisp vada at Tiffanyss, we listened in rapt attention to DN Chathura, (a fourth-generation descendant of HD Hebbar, who managed VRR at the station from 1948 to 1973) as he shared the story of the vada.

As Chathura narrates it, it was a culinary catastrophe on a railway platform that led to the birth of the Maddur vada. Budhya used to prepare pakoras and sell them to train passengers. One day, a train reached the station much in advance of its arrival timings. Budhya’s pakoras weren’t ready but he didn’t want to lose out on customers. So, he hit upon an idea.

Instead of wasting time attempting to make his snacks in the shape of pakoras, which would take longer to cook, he hurriedly flattened the pakora dough between his palms, turned them into vadas and fried them.
The ‘new snack’ was christened as the Maddur vada. It became popular among the local populace and also the British passengers who used to travel between Mysore and Bangalore.

Hebbar’s son, D Gopaliah, decided for the first time to sell the vadas outside the station. Identifying the highway as a potential market for his product, his son, Jayaprakash, started the eatery called Maddur Tiffanyss in 1987. Unfortunately, the original canteen at Maddur station closed down in 2017 – in the centenary year of the iconic snack – due to the invasion of unauthorized vendors peddling vadas, and an exorbitant escalation in rent.

Made with rice flour, semolina, cashew nut, sliced coconut, curry leaves and masala, the Maddur  vada continues to be a big hit in the region. The ubiquitous Maddur vadas on the Mysuru-Bengaluru train and highway are popular not only among regular passengers, but have even been the snack of choice among top politicians like former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, former Railway Minister Jaffer Sharief and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A number of NRIs also carry back to their overseas homes packets of vadas specially packed for international travel – with most of the oil extracted to keep the vadas from going stale.

At Tiffanyss', we were ushered into a small kitchen to watch the workers in action churning out vadas with an awesome efficiency. 1000 vadas are made in two shifts. It was an absolute delight to watch the entire process unfold – from slicing onions into thin pieces, to flattening the dough and frying the vadas

“What makes Maddur vada unique is the ingredients used – Venugopal sooji, Nandi maida, rice flour, semolina, sliced coconut, curry leaves, refined sunflower oil.  The onions are sourced from Nasik and Pune. It is the right amount of water content that gives the vada its special taste. The main fragrances come from the onions which are sliced long and thin.  There’s also a special limited version made using cashew, khus khus, Nandini ghee and butter,” explained Chathura.

In 1948, the price of a vada was 50 paise. Now it is priced at Rs 15 per vada, with special vadas costing Rs 20. So if you are heading to Mysuru from Bengaluru, do make sure to stop off en route at Maddur to savour the crispy, light and heavenly flavor of the authentic Maddur vada.

Source: By a fellow blogger

Potato Palya

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 1 medium 
Salt - As required
Chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera- 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal- 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Coriandar leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped) 
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Boil washed potatoes in water, peel it and keep it aside.
2) In a pan, add oil, mustard, Jeera, chana dal, urad dal, hing and curry leaves.
3) Add finely chopped ginger and green chillies. saute for a min.
4) Now add finely chopped onion and fry until done.
5) Now mash cooked potatoes roughly and add to the fried onion and saute for a min.
6) Now add turmeric, salt, chilly powder and mix well.
7) Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and mix well.

Garnish with coriandar leaves and serve with roti, chapathi, puri or as side dish with rice.

Note:

1) Lemon juice can be avoided.

Cheese masala dosa

Ingredients:

Dosa batter - 4 cups

Mozarella cheese - 1/4 cup (Grated)

Chutney pudi - 1/4 cup

Potato Palya - 1 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) To make potato palya, Refer - http://princessncooking.blogspot.ca/2017/06/potato-palya.html

2) Spread the dosa batter on a pan.

3) Sprinkle some pudi on top of it immediately.

4) When dosa's are almost done, Spread palya and sprinkle grated cheese.

Yummy Cheese pudi dosa's are ready to be served.

How to cook Sona Masoori Rice

Ingredients:

Pressure cooker
Sona masoori rice - 1 cup  
Water - 2 or 3 cups

Method: 

1) Wash sona masoori rice well to remove all the starch.
2) Drain the water completely.
3) Add water in the ratio 1:2 ( ie) For 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water  and pressure cook for 3 whistles and switch it off .
4) When the pressure subsides, open the cooker and fluff the rice gently with a fork so that the grains do not break.

Serve this with curry or to make any masala rice.


Note:

1) For some brands of rice, soaking is necessary for around 30 mins.
2) 1/2 tbsp of oil can also be added to rice before cooking.