KOOL KITCHEN TIPS
** Make Ghee at home : Ghee is nothing but clarified butter. Heat four sticks of unsalted butter. Stir at regular intervals. Let it boil till it turns clear golden brown. Add a drop of water to check if its done. If you hear a bubbling noise it means that the ghee is ready and that there is no water content remaining . Add a pinch of salt to the ghee when hot. It gives a good granular texture when it cools . Homemade ghee saves you big bucks.
** Roti : Roasting a Roti is as easy as counting 1-2-3
1. Place side A on the Tava heated on medium high heat . Heat just enough to see air pockets on top.
2. Turn to side B and roast it till you see light brown spots. This is the only time you get to roast this side.
3. Place side A of the Roti directly on the flame on high heat . The roti Fluffs up like full moon. ( If you are using an electric coil use the Roti Grid available in Indian stores for step 3). **
** Chole : To give dark color to chole , drop a tea bag in the garbanzo beans (kabuli chana) when you pressure cook . If you do not have teabags at hand , you may tie a teaspoon full of tea powder in a muslin cloth when you cook the chole and fish it out later.
** Pasta : When you drop pasta in boiling water , add salt to it because this is the only chance you get to season the Pasta. Stir well till the Pasta releases its starch. Once cooked , completely drain the excess water and drizzle oil on top to keep it from sticking. If you add the oil in boiling water it coats the pasta and the salt you add doesn't season the Pasta well. It drains out with the water.
** Food Color : Adding food color does not mean that you are not a good cook and that you are using unfair means to impress. Do not shy away from food color because food should please all your senses and food color assists to please your visual sense. Use appropriate food color and it does the trick.
** Good Egg / Bad Egg : Wonder if the eggs in the fridge have turned bad ???
1. Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks , it is fresh ; if it rises to the surface , throw it away.
2. Fresh eggs' shells are rough and chalky; old eggs are smooth and shiny.
** Boiling the egg :
1. Do not drop the egg in hot water. Place the egg in room temperature water and let the heat rise gradually.
2. To prevent egg shells from cracking add a pinch of salt to the water before hard boiling.
3. Never use a microwave to boil and egg unless you have a proper egg boiling device for the microwave. It may explode within the microwave.
4. To tell if an egg is hard boiled or raw, spin it. A hard-boiled egg will spin smoothly. A raw egg will wobble.
5. When slicing a hard boiled egg , try wetting the knife just before cutting
** Store Nuts : Nuts like cashews , almonds walnuts , pistachios etc. have natural oils within which tend to spoil the nuts. They give away foul smell and make them unpalatable if stored for longer periods. For longer shelf life , place the nuts in an airtight container and store them in the freezer.
** Yogurt close to expiry ??? : If a full pack of yogurt nearing its expiry is sitting in your fridge , don’t frown. Just tie all the yogurt in a Muslin cloth overnight and hang it over the kitchen sink allowing the water to drain. Add sugar almonds and cardamom powder and enjoy homemade Shrikhand.
** Squeeze a Lemon :
1. To get the most juice out of a fresh lemon , roll it under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
2. You may pop it into the oven for 10 seconds and get the most out of it.
** Oops !!! Too salty : If you accidentally over salt a dish while it’s still cooking drop in a peeled potato. It absorbs the excess salt.
** Mushrooms : Buy mushrooms before they “open”. Then the stems and caps are attached snugly , mushrooms are truly fresh.
** Microwave Filth: Food splatters all over the inside of your microwave and cooks itself on after time. To easily remove this mess, place a sponge soaked in water or just a dish filled with 1/2 cup water in the microwave. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes. The filth is now ready to be wiped right off - no scrubbing!
** Microwave Odors : Keep a cup of baking soda in the microwave between uses.
** Fried Foods : Add a pinch of salt while frying Puris or Pakoras - this will help absorb less oil!
** Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.
