Tip Nut

  If you have any tips to share, please post it via comments - I'd love that

*  Use a peeler to remove the skin of  chickoo, potato, apple better than a knife since a knife removes the fleshy portion

* After slicing mangoes, extract fleshy portion using a spoon and scoop out the flesh from the skin . Squeeze skin to get remaining juice & fruit portion. Chickoo flesh can be scooped out in the same way



* Better to buy whole spices & store. Best to make spice powders just before use, in a mortar-pestle

* When whipping cream  place many ice cubes beneath /around the bowl  and blend, to get soft  peaks or place the bowl in fridge beforehand and use the cold bowl to whip cream

* Pre-heat the otg oven for 10-15 minutes before use  (both top and bottom coils should heat up)

* Fry dry red chillies in a wok without oil for few minutes . Cool and crush it to small pieces using mortar pestle. Easy way to make homemade chilli flakes - store in air tight container

* Don't discard cardamom skin - use it for flavoring juices, lassi, kheer 

* Cut spring onions using clean scissors - fast and easy . Same for  other herbs

* Grind/Blend some sugar with cinnamon powder/sticks and store it in an airtight container . Can be used for making cinnamon coffee . You  can do the same with elaichi (cardamom) ans use it to flavor tea. You can also sprinkle this on muffins, cakes etc

* Use warm water(for nachos), paneer water , milk to make dough for puris , rotis.

* Peel garlic cloves and keep it in a container ( you can reuse food containers bought at stores ) to save time, its ready for use when you need it. Store in fridge

* When making roti/chapathi if the dough sticks to the base (you've added too much water when making the dough, make sure you get the water quantity right ) you can add lots of flour on both sides of the dough, on the base and roll , to make it less sticky. Also scrape out the dough stuck to the base using a knife

* Keep a flat shallow container to store remaining flour which is leftover , everytime you make rotis, you can dip the flat dough balls straight into the box. I prefer adding flour on a plate and dip the flat rounds in it before rolling out

* I love adding ajwain to roti/puri dough to give it a different taste

* Lentils , Corn , Vegetables cook faster in a pressure cooker. Very useful for boiling potatoes quickly. Be careful when cooking lentils in a cooker, should not become too soft

* After boiling potatoes, plunge them in a bowl of cold water , start peeling them under water after 2 minutes when its still warm. Skin peels faster when its warm

* Spicy gravy/rice ?  Eat it with yogurt/curd and it will reduce some of that spiciness/heat. Adding little water to the gravy helps reduce the heat sometimes

* Add 1/2 tspn oil and rub frying pan with half an onion (slice onion in such a way, that onion circles don't fall out) , to avoid stickiness while making roti , dosa etc

* Avoid deep frying as much as possible , bake instead . Bread pieces for soups can be toasted to crisp using toaster/oven , instead of frying in oil.

* Always cover the vessel for the roti dough immediately after its made with a plate/moist muslin cloth , to avoid becoming dry

* Oats is quick , easy to cook, healthy and very versatile. I add it to rice, cakes, desserts, gravies, soups, lasagna, pasta, idli and many more

* Use honey, date syrup, dates soaked in water and blended to puree instead of sugar

* Carrot puree/ Cashew puree works as a good thickener for desserts, soups, gravies

* Fruit puree mixed with honey/olive oil/vinegar makes a tasty salad dressing for fruit & vegetable salads

* Vegetable Paste Base : Make a paste/sauce using chopped tomatoes, onions, green chillies, garlic , ginger in a mixer. Use as base to flavor noodles, pasta, paneer gravy, vegetable gravy, rice

* Lots of cilantro, spring onions  for garnishing dishes like soups, rice, noodles, pasta

* My all time go to dessert is a yogurt fruit parfait. Layer thick low fat curd with fruits and garnish with walnuts/almonds/wheat flakes.

* Small quantities of leftover ingredients can be put together to make a recipe in case its going to expire soon .
* When you have a loaf of bread about to expire - bread pudding and bread upma are a great way to use it up

* To cook pasta, bring water to a boil, add around 1/2tspn salt or lesser and add the pasta. Stir once in a while. Should be done in 8-10minutes. Rinse with cold water and keep aside. Macaroni cooks faster. The best way is to check often and taste to see if it's cooked al dente. I avoid adding oil to the water, since it prevents the sauce from coating the pasta

* Potatoes boil faster when cut into small pieces

* Always wash/clean baking tins , baking tray, glass containers , crockery with sponge and cleaning liquid . Don't use rough scrubber. Soak used baking tray in lukewarm soap water for 10-15 minutes and then clean it using a sponge to remove stickiness

* To remove labels from containers/equipment soak them in warm-hot soapy water. Let it soak for a good 20minutes or more if required. The label will soften, remove it using scrubber/sponge under water and it will come off

* Wash containers/utensils immediately after use or during bake/cook time, so that it doesn't pile up

* Cilantro/coriander should be added last as garnish to any dish , since it will lose its flavor.Wash and pat dry before use. The stalks of Cilantro (Dhania , Coriander ) have more flavor than the leaves , can be used for garnish, to make chutneys. Rinse & clean cilantro well before use. If a recipe requires only leaves, save the stalks which can be used to make chutney or for cooking later

* Freshly ground spices ( chilli powder , coriander powder etc ) have a longer shelf life than market bought ones. Fry the seeds , chilllies at home and give it to the spice grinder store if possible, for large quantities. ( works well in India ) Store in airtight containers. The taste and flavor makes a difference to store bought spices

* Use a whisk when making juices or any liquid batter in a vessel/bowl  , it helps mix the ingredients better.

* Biscuits, cookies can be converted to powdered form using mixer. Another method : Add biscuits to a ziploc bag and roll a rolling pin over it to crush biscuits.

* Marie, Nice and Digestive biscuits in crushed form are my favorites as a base for custard, cheesecake, pies etc Cookies too for the same (chocolate, chocolate chip , oats, choconut) 

* To soften biscuits pour a little water/milk (1-2tbspns) over it and it will get absorbed, when biscuits are used as layers for custard/puddings

* Leftover vegetable sidedishes can be used as filling for sandwiches, rotis, in savory pies, tarts, toppings for pizza

* Fruits which are too ripe are best used to make milkshakes, juices or in baking. Works best for overripe bananas

* Use the unspoiled portion of vegetables which are almost spoiled, to make soups 

* Olive oil is a healthier option for daily cooking & baking 

* Keep basic ingredients (sugar, tea, salt, spices) on a shelf near the stove for easy and quick access

* Tupperware is useful for storing leftovers in the fridge, since the lid is tight. That way, nothing spills out in case you drop it

* Store cooking oil in an easy to use dispenser bottle and place it on a plastic base/plate to avoid staining the shelf you place it on

* Ziploc bags, perforated net bags are very useful to store different foods

* A toaster is the best option for grilled sandwiches, oven is better to make crisp bread (for breadcrumbs, croutons etc)

* Don't discard used lemon slices - use it on the same day for a pedicure. Add them to a shallow bucket filled with warm water, soak your feet and use it to gently rub unpolished nails, feet. Gives it a refreshing clean scent. Same can be done for hands too

Baking Tips ~


* Basic ingredients required for baking : Flour, Eggs, Vanilla/Butterscotch Essence , Castor Sugar, Butter, Yogurt, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Dry Fruits, Chocolate Chips, Cooking Chocolate, Demerara Sugar, Icing Sugar, Cream, Oil, Cinnamon & Cardamom Powder

* Cakes, muffins, brownies are mostly baked in the middle rack of on an oven

* Position rack before preheating oven

* Use oven mitts always to remove hot tins, racks or use rack holder that comes with oven to do the same

* Make sure bowls/containers used for measuring dry ingredients are dry


* For slight browning on top, bake cake after its done with top coil only heated up for few minutes(1-2)

* Muffins, brownies are fast and extremely easy to make among baking foods. I mostly opt for those two

* For greasing cake tins/muffin trays spread butter/unflavored vegetable oil with a brush all over the base and sides of the tin , and sieve 1-2 tspns of flour and tap the tin to spread the flour all over the sides and the base. Then pour the cake batter inside.
After baking is done , cool for 15 minutes and turn upside down on a plate to release it. You can use butterpaper too, in that case you don't have to grease the tin. Just cut the butterpaper according to the size of the tin and pour the batter on the paper.

* Instead of flour, cocoa powder (sieve it) can be used to dust the tin before baking, works well for chocolate cakes

* Butter wrapper can be used for greasing a tin, always save it. Don't discard it

* I like using Lindt dark chocolate(60-90%) for baking sometimes , gives a superior and rich chocolate flavor to the cake

* To soak a cake with icing, poke the surface using uncooked spaghetti & then pour icing over it

* Cakes/muffins taste better when you use jam/yogurt/ buttermilk/sweet condensed milk in the recipe, they give a soft , moist texture

* Sliced fruits or fruit puree(as frosting) are a good healthy, natural & colorful decorative option for cakes instead of colored sprinkles, chocolate strands. colored frosting etc

* To check if cakes, brownies etc are cooked , insert a spoon , fork or toothpick. If it comes out clean it's done & ready to eat

* Cupcake liners are a good option, muffins batter can be poured to 3/4th the height of the wrapper even if the muffin mould is less in height. The liner can be 1-2 inches more in height than the mould 

 * Avoid using maida , all purpose flour as much as possible except when making eggless vanilla cakes. Healthy alternatives like whole wheat, multi grain flour, almond flour & many more make better options



* Use baking tins covered in plastic to store baking supplies to save space. Store bought ice cream boxes, tins , bottles (plastic or glass) which are airtight can be reused to store cookie cutters, icing nozzles, ingredients. Measuring jars can be used to store skewers, spoons etc

* Baking tins of decreasing size can be stored one within another to save space.




Baking Equipment :

* Essential Measuring Equipment : measuring jar (grams, ml, ounces) cups(1, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4) , tablespoons, teaspoons. When using a measuring jar/cup always tap the jar with ingredient in it on the counter and level the quantity. Remove excess using a spoon or a flat cake comb

 * Whisks(big and small) : to mix cake batter, egg batter , Sieve (big and small) to sieve flours, liquids, Pizza Cutter (to slice cakes, brownies, pizza) Instead of a pizza cutter a square spoon works well too 

* Cake Slicer : to slice and lift a cake piece easily . Cake comb : to make a striped design & remove excess frosting and give a neat look


* Plastic sheets or moulds (silicon) to make chocolate , silicon makes it easy to unmould

* Cookie cutters in different shapes and sizes. These can also be used to cut bread, cutlets, idli, vegetables, fruits, chocolate fudge in different shapes .

*  Brush to glaze cakes and other baked foods on top with honey, breadcrumbs etc