Cooking Tips
- When you soak rice and urad dal for idlis and dosas, wash everything thoroughly before soaking. Later use the soaked water while grinding. If you wash rice and dal after soaking you will lose most of the vitamins.
- Excess salt in any dish can be brought down by adding diced potatoes, tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar.
- When you are making vadas, if the batter is watery - you will have the problem of oil splattering when you fry it. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the batter and your problem will be solved.
- Don't salt meat before you cook it. Always salt meat halfway through cooking. (little less than what is required). Then taste the meat when it is done and then add salt as needed.
- To thicken any gravy or soup add corn flour to it. It is an excellent thickening agent. Remember to mix it in good water before adding to avoid lumps.
- While making any pasta add salt to the boiling water in which you are cooking it. That will be the only chance you get to salt it. Add salt after the water boils. If you add it before , it will take a longer time to boil.
- To avoid sticky rice, soak washed rice in water for at least ten minutes before cooking. A teaspoon of oil can be added to get separate grains of cooked rice.
- While make any deep fried dish, if the hot oil starts foaming and rises in the pan, add a small piece of tamarind to the oil. This will prevent foaming and spill over.
- If you want to have soft idlis, do not beat the batter before pouring idlis. The air bubble sin the batter helps you to get soft idlis. Beating the batter removes these air bubbles.
- Chill onion is refrigerator before cutting to avoid tears. One other way to avoid tears is to soak peeled onion is water before cutting.
- To get crisp, golden dosas add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to the urad dal and grind it.
- To make a healthy chicken dish remove the skin from the chicken. This will remove the major fat content on the chicken.
- Add a pinch of sugar while cooking any green leaf vegetables. This will help maintain the bright green color.
- For maintaining the bright color of any vegetable don't forget to put it in ice cold water as soon as you blanch them.
- To keep apples from turning brown, add little citrus juice like the juice of a lemon or orange and toss apples in it.
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A pinch of turmeric powder added to all kinds of dal when cooking hastens the cooking process.
- Remove the stems from chilies before storing them. This will keep them fresher for a long time.
- It is better to use round dishes in the microwave oven rather than square or rectangular dishes as round dishes spread heat faster.
- Oil applied to dal before it is cooked helps it to cook faster by softening the proteins.
Healthy Tips
- If you are from a family where diabetics runs in the hereditary, try having few curry leaves every morning for 100 days. This is believed to prevent diabetics
- Taking raw curry leaves daily helps prevent premature graying of hair.
- Are you having high blood pressure or excessive cholesterol - take raw garlic in empty stomach everyday. This significantly reduces blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Indigestion ? - Add 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic to boiling milk and drink it. It gives immediate relief.
- Are you having difficulty sleeping ? - Take the juice of a few coriander leaves by grinding them. Mix it in hot water and have it before going to bed. You will have a restful sleep.
- Mix coriander juice with buttermilk and drink it to treat indigestion.
- If you are anemic - add fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) to your food more often. It really helps.
- For cold relief - take the juice of ginger, mix it with honey and lime juice and drink it.
- For indigestion/acidity - drink lime juice mixed with ginger juice.
- Pudina (Mint) helps in digestion
- For asthma relief - take 3-4 cloves of garlic. boil it in milk and drink it every night.
- Banana helps wash fatty wastes from kidneys, is soothing to the digestive tract and helps relieve constipation and diarrhea
- Oatmeal helps reduce cholesterol. Regularly eating oatmeal for breakfast results in significant reduction of cholesterol in a few days
Household Tips
- Store coffee powder in the freezer to retain the freshness for a long period of time.
- To remove greasy/oily stains from any metal, wooden or plastic surfaces, apply a dap of Vaseline over it and work the stain with your finger for a while. Then wipe it off. the stain will come off easily. Same can be done to remove grease from your hands.
- To easy clean greasy pans, soak the pans in hot water and then scrub it with a lemon peel and then wash it as usual.
- To shine silver utensils/jewellery, wash them using toothpaste.
- While cleaning your storage containers add a pinch of baking soda. This will help to remove all odors and cut grease.
- Every weak disinfect your kitchen cutting boards and knives in hot water added with bleach and vinegar. Bleach disinfects and vinegar removes odors.
Beauty Tips
- To have healthy shiny hair, treat your scalp with a mixture of almond oil and olive oil, leave for 10-15 minutes and wash your hair. This also reduces hair loss. You can also wrap a hot towel over your head for the oil to seep in easily and also to open all your pores.
- Mix honey with finely ground almond paste. Add little lime juice. Rub gently on your face and neck. Rinse off with warm water. This acts as an excellent cleansing scrub.
- To get firmer skin, take a egg white, add little sugar to it. Wisk it and apply on face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with Luke warm water. This prevents fine wrinkles and gives a firmer skin.
- Cut a ripe tomato and rub it on your skin. It will become very shiny.
- Place slices of cucumber over your eyes to remove black circles around the eyes. This also cools your eyes and relaxes you.
- Placing a slice of potato over your eyes helps reduce black circles.
- For healthy looking skin apply olive oil or almond oil to your face everyday. Leave it for ten minutes and wash thoroughly.
- To remove dirt from your face make a mixture of besan/channa flour and cold milk and apply it on your face. Leave it until it dries thoroughly . Scrub slowly with your hands using lukewarm water and then wash your face.
- Drink plenty of water. This will automatically solve most of your hair and skin problems.
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