Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Cooking tips - Part 6


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
                                     Cooking tips - Part 4
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 5

101) To overcome the problem of undercooked dal add a tablespoon of oil to it before boiling. The oil helps to cook the dal/pulses perfectly; if using a pressure cooker, it also prevents the dal from overflowing out of the vessel.

102) When barbecuing, place a whole whorl of garlic (unpeeled) on the grill. 


103) When seasoning a salad, use coarse sea salt mixed with a little olive oil; the salad will stay crunchy when combined with the vinaigrette, for a long time.

104) Don't overcook your vegetables. Their nutrition value lies in them being eaten as fresh as possible or lightly cooked

105) To set yoghurt, add a litre of lukewarm milk (30 C) to a tablespoon of culture. Let it sit in a warm place, like beside Stove or inside Oven for a day. then place this inside refrigerator for another day.

106) To keep honey from attracting ants in summer, keep the bottle in a bowl of fresh water on your kitchen countertop. Water prevents ants from getting to the bottle. Don't: Keep honey in the refrigerator where it will crystallise and be difficult to spread on your toast.

107) Microwave your head of garlic for 10 seconds. Remove it and peel the garlic with your hands — you’ll notice the cloves slip right out of the casings like magic.

108) Another easy method is to smash the garlic head with the heel of your hand, and then throw it into a metal bowl.

109) Heat up your lemon (or any citrus fruit) for 20 to 30 seconds. Apply pressure by rolling it on the counter or in your hands before cutting it in half and juicing. The fruit will be softer and easier to squeeze.

110) Another method, is to roll in between your palms to get more juice from lemons.

111) Toss a pinch of salt onto a cutting board when chopping herbs.

The friction and weight of the salt will keep the herbs from sticking to your knife and getting all over the board.

(Note:this tip is best with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Basil and mint should be hand-torn to avoid bruising.

112) Take your head of lettuce and slam it down on the counter as hard as you can onto its bottom. Turn it over, and remove the core.
Once the core is out, the lettuce will be easy to separate and chop up with a knife.


113) Place your uncooked rice in a sieve or mesh colander and run under cold water until it runs clear. This will remove a lot of unnecessary starch from the rice, which can cause it to stick and clump together. You’ll get fluffy rice every time.

114) After you make a big batch of rice, freeze it in multiple microwave-safe containers. Once you’re ready for rice again, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water over the rice and cover with dampened paper towels. Pop it in the microwave on high for 1-3 minutes before fluffing. Repeat until the rice is fully hot.

115) Prevent pots from boiling over by resting a wooden spoon across the pot.

This works because the dry, room temperature spoon will break the bubbles and send them back into the pot (there’s science behind it —  you can read about that here)    

Use a different wooden spoon from the one you were stirring with, however, because if you use a wet spoon, the wood will warp.

116) If your brown sugar is rock hard, there’s a really simple solution. Place the block of sugar in a bowl, sprinkle it with water, cover with a damp paper towel, and then microwave for 30 seconds. Continue microwaving, checking every 30 seconds, until the sugar is soft.
In the future to keep your brown sugar from clumping, place the bag in an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag and store at room temperature.

117) Remove excess fats from soups and stews with ice cubes.

Skim off the fat globules that rise.

Drop a few ice cubes into your finished soup, stew, or casserole. Scoop-able fat globules will rise to the surface where the fat has congealed in the colder areas where the ice cubes landed. You can skim these off with a spoon.  

118) Another simple method to try if you’re not eating the soup right away is put it in a container and let it cool in the fridge. Once the fat has risen to the surface and solidified, you can simply scoop it out and then reheat soup as desired.

119) Add pinch of sugar while cooking palak to retain green colour.

120) Add little milk while cooking cauliflower and cabbage to retain white colour. 


 To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 7





Banana Chia Seed Parfait


Ingredients:

Cow’s Milk / Coconut Milk – 1 Cup
Chia Seeds – 2 tablespoon
Refined Sugar / Honey – as required
Banana few slices

Method:

1) Boil and cool milk. Add Sugar to milk and mix well.
2) Add in chia seeds and give a good mix until a foam is formed or a gel kinda texture is formed.
3) Leave it for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. 
4) Layer it in a glass. Place some sliced bananas on top of it. Honey can be added now if avoiding sugar.

A healthy breakfast option is ready to enjoy on a busy weekday

Note:

1) Banana can be replaced with Mangoes to make Mango Chia Seed Parfait. or with any other seasonal fruit.




Jackfruit Spinach Saaru


Ingredients:


Jack fruit seeds - 1/2 cup

Spinach - 2 cups (Finely chopped)
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Sambhar powder - 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Method:


1) Cook Jack fruit seeds, toor dal and spinach in pressure cooker.

2) Extract tamarind pulp and keep it aside.
3) Mix tamarind pulp, cooked spinach jackfruit seeds, spinach together.
4) To this add, sambhar powder, salt and boil well.
5) In a pan, add oil, mustard, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves and hing.
6) Add the seasoning to the boiling saaru.

Tasty Jackfruit Spinach saaru / curry is ready to be served with steaming rice.

Note:

1) Spinach can be fried or blanched too instead of cooking in pressure cooker.
2) Finely chopped fried onions can be added too.
3) Jackfruit must be peeled and cut in half before cooking.
4) Coconut oil can be replaced with sunflower / peanut oil too. But coconut oil, adds more flavour to the curry.



Cooked rice Vada


Ingredients:


Left over rice - 1 cup (Mashed)

Chick pea flour / Gram flour - 
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as required
Onion - 1 medium
Cilantro - 4 tbsp (Finely chopped)

Method:


1) Mash the rice well. 

2) Add gram flour, rice flour, chilly powder,  salt, finely chopped  onion, cilantro and give a good mix.
3) Take a small ball sized dough and flatten them to get the shape of a vada.
4) Meanwhile heat oil and fry these vada's until golden brown.

Tasty Vada is ready to be served with Chilly sauce ot coconut chutney.


Friday, July 7, 2017

Bisi Bele Bath - Version 2


Ingredients:

Toor Dal - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 2 medium
Potato - 1/2 cup chopped
Onion - 1 medium 
Carrot - 1/2 cup chopped
Peas - 1/2 cup
Beans - 1/2 cup chopped
Bisi bele bath powder - 4 tbsp
Salt - as required
Tamarind pulp - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 8 
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Shredded Coconut - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup chopped
Rice - 1 cup

Method: 


1) Pressure cook Toor dal with 1/4 tbsp of turmeric for 2 whistle.

2) Cook rice in a cooker / rice cooker and keep it aside.
3) In a Kadai, add oil, onion and fry for 5 mins. Now add  potato, carrot, beans, peas one by one and fry for 2 mins. 
4) Add sufficient water until all the vegetables are covered with water. Cover the pan to fasten cooking process.
5) Once vegetable are 3/4 cooked, add tomato and leave it for 5 mins.
6) Now add, tamarind pulp, cooker toor dal, salt and give a good mix.
7) After 2 mins, add  bisi bele bath powder and sufficient water.
8)  Now add cooked toor dal and cooked rice one by one and stir. 
9) In another pan, add Ghee, mustard. Wait until it splutters. Add Curry leaves, hing.
10) Add this seasoning to the cooked bisi bele bath and add shredded coconut. Mix well. Garnish this with coriander leaves.

Delicious Bisi bele bath is ready to eat. Serve hot with Boondi / Potato chips / Papadam.


Note:

1) Make sure the consistency is watery. Serve hot with topping of ghee.


2) Peas can be substituted with Double beans.
3) Chayote, sambhar onion can also be added.



Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Puffed Quinoa Bhel


Ingredients:

Puffed quinoa - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Green chillies  - 2
Salt - As required
Sugar - a pinch
Chat masala - 1/4 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Amchur powder / Lemon juice - 1/4 tbsp
Cilantro / coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Mint - 2 leaves

Method:

1) Finely chop tomato, onion and green chillies.
2) Mix all the ingredients together with the chopped tomato, onion and green chillies.

Healthy Evening snack is ready to eat. Serve immediately.


Instant Mango pickle


Ingredients:

Mango - 1 medium
Chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard and Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as required
Sugar - a pinch
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
curry leaves - few (Optional)

Method:

1) Roast mustard and fenugreek and powder. Keep it aside
2) Wash mango and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. No moisture should be on mangoes.
3) Chop the mangoes with peel or without peel.
4) Mix all the ingredients with mango pieces expect oil and keep it aside for 10mins.
5) Heat oil and add mustard, hing and curry leaves.
6) Add the mango mixture to this tempering. Mix well.
7) Saute for 2 mins and turn off the flame .
8) Allow to cool and store pickle in clean sterilized glass bottles.

Instant mango pickle is ready to taste.

Note:

1) Make sure the bowl, spoon, mangoes, everything used in the process to be free of moisture for long shelf life.






Masala Chai / Spicy Tea


Ingredients:

Pudina - 4 leaves
Ginger - 1 inch
Cardamom - 4
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 4
Pepper - 10
Nutmeg - small piece (Optional)
Tulsi - 4 (Optional)
Water - 2 cups
Assam / Darjelling tea - 4 tbsp
Sugar - as required
Milk - 3/4 cup


Method:

1) Crush Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper, Nutmeg in to rough powder.
2) Grate ginger and keep it aside.
3) Add 2 cups of water in a pan and boil well.
4) When the water starts to boil, add mint, grated ginger and powder.
5) Also, add assam/ darjelling tea. Boil for a min or two.
6) Now, add 3/4 cup of milk.
7) Stir well and bring to a boil.
8) When foam reaches the top, lower the heat. repeat this for 3-4 times.
9) Now add sugar and mix well.
10) Turn off the flame and wait for 1 min to strain.

Hot Masala chai is ready to taste with your favorite snack.

Note:

1) If you feel its too spicy reduce the count of pepper.
2) I prefer 1 cup of water with 1 cup of milk. You can adjust water and milk consistency as per your taste.







Stuffed mushroom


Ingredients:


White Button mushroom - 6

Spinach - 1 cup (Finely chopped)
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 2 cloves
Mint - 4 leaves
Parsley - 2 pinches
Basil - 2 pinches
Pepper powder - 1/4 tbsp
Garlic salt - as required
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Mozrella cheese - 1 cup

Method:


1) Remove stems from mushrooms and chop fine.

2) Put Stems, onion, and garlic in a frying pan and saute in small amount butter or olive oil.
3) Add finely chopped Spinach and fry until soft and done. 
4) Add mint, parsley, Basil, pepper powder and garlic salt. Stirr well.
5) Meanwhile, Preheat 400F for 10mins.
6) Mix this mixture with 1/2 of the mozerella cheese.
7) Line baking tray with aluminium foil and spray olive oil.
8) Smear olive oil on mushroom and Stuff mushroom caps with this mixture.
9) Top some mozrella cheese on stuffed mushroom. 
10) Bake for 10mins.

Stuffed mushroom is ready to be served.









Cooking tips - Part 5


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
                                      Cooking tips - Part 4


81) Don't throw away the peel of vegetables. Let them simmer in hot water and add some peppercorns and bay leaf to make vegetable stock. This stock can be used as a gravy base for dishes instead of plain water. This will add more flavour and nutritional benefits to your gravy.

82) When cooking brinjal, add a spoon of milk to a bowl of cold water; add the cut brinjal into it. The veggie will retain its colour without turning black.

83) While cooking rice, add a few drops of lemon juice. The colour of the grains will become bright white

84) Mix soya flour or besan with atta (in 1:4 proportion) to make chapattis. This way you get all the essential amino acids for meal times.

85) If you have leftover gravy, take uncooked rice, measure out the gravy and add water (double the quantity of rice). Pressure cook for a couple of whistles, to make a pulao.

86) Always try and use fruit for sweetness-it lends added flavour, texture and colour, adding to the complexity

87) Like food, drinks can benefit from quality ingredients. Fresh herbs, fruit, smoked salt and chillies are all wonderful additions to your bar.

88) Assemble all your spices before you begin cooking, so you don't burn any. Preferably dry-roast them in the oven (120-140?C) for 3-10 minutes (depending on the spice and quantity-cinnamon for 3 minutes, star anise and black cardamom for 10). Your cue to taking them out: when they begin to release fragrant aromas. If you need to fry them, do so on the lowest heat, for a maximum of 35-40 seconds to avoid burning.

89) Add a few fenugreek seeds to toor dal while pressure cooking. This makes the dal easier to digest

90) Use wholegrains rather than refined ones for baking. In a recipe that lists refined flour as one of its ingredients; there's some form of fat in it (butter or oil). Take baby steps to ease maida out of your kitchen-try 50:50, gradually increase it.

91) Freeze fresh ginger and grate as needed. It will stay fresh for months.

92) Always roast (not boil) sweet potatoes in their skin. They're high in fibre, Vitamin A and anti-oxidants and are a great source of carbs.

93) Add dried fruit to oatmeal before you add the milk or water. The fruit will cook and plump up slightly, adding a juicier, more intense taste.

94) Store tea in air-tight jars. Buy a little at a time (100-250 g), as tea absorbs moisture, so each time you open the jar you're exposing it, reducing flavour and freshness.

95) Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta; it prevents the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta and you do not get a mouth feel

96) Make a non-messy version of dal to take to work easily: soak the dal, air-dry, add dry masalas (chilli powder, chaat masala, coriander, mint) and ovenroast them.

97) For the smoothest mash potato, roast the potatoes with their skin (peel) on; peel and then pass it through a sieve.  To thicken soups, use boiled and mashed potatoes instead of white sauce to reduce the fat content of the soup.

98) A good soup is made a day in advance. Let it sit in the fridge overnight, then warm it gently and all the flavours will marry beautifully.

99) Cut the crown of the pomegranate with a sharp knife, make a few cuts on the skin from the crown to the stem. Then, place it into a large bowl of chilled water. Break into sections, gently separating the seeds from the pulp, which will float to the top while the seed will sink to the bottom. Throw away the pulp and drain the seeds

100) Wash your fruits and vegetables in apple cider vinegar and filtered water, including oranges, lemons and everything that has a skin (except bananas).


 To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 6