Useful Tips and Tricks

Lifestyle Parenting, Household Affairs and Cuisine corner
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Thought i’d share some useful tips and tricks with you all…will add some more soon. Feel free to add yours too…

Make A Soft Fluffy Omelette
Heat a non-stick pan and add a little more butter than usual. Now beat the egg and stir briskly (even while frying) with a fork. This way more air goes in your omelet, making it light and fluffy. Fry till done and serve hot.

Prevent Onions From Burning / Frying
Prevent onions from burning / frying Add a little milk to onions while frying, this will help retain a rich color and prevent them from burning.

Cook pulses like chana etc. even if you have forgotten to soak them overnight
Cook pulses like chana etc. even if you have forgotten to soak them overnight Just put the chana in a flask full of boiling water for an hour. They are ready for cooking.

To stop Okra (bhindi) from sticking to the pan
Okra will not stick to the pan if you add a spoonful of curd to the Okra while cooking.

To remove excess oil in any fried vegetables
To remove excess oil in any fried vegetables sprinkle a little gramflour over the vegetables. Gramflour absorbs the excess oil and makes the vegetable tastier.

Curry turned out a bit oily and pungent
Curry turned out a bit oily and pungent? so take two bread slices and powder them coarsely. Add this to the curry and mix well. Bread absorbs the excess oil and spice.

Hurry to cook ‘dhaal’
Hurry to cook ‘dhaal’ ? Add a little oil and turmeric powder to the dhaal before placing it in the cooker. It will get done in 10 minutes flat.

Boil potatoes faster
Boil potatoes faster by peeling and cutting potatoes and boil them in water to which a little vinegar is added . They will be done in no time and will retain the texture as well.

Retain the green of vegetables
Retain the green of vegetables - Green vegetables lose color if subjected to continuous heat. So, don’t overcook them.

Boiling Pasta & Noodles
Boiling Pasta & Noodles Boil pasta/noodles in plenty of water and remove just before it is fully cooked. They continue to be cooked even after it is removed from flame and drained.

Serving Boiled Noodles later
Serving Boiled Noodles later If noodles/pasta has to be used after some time, then refresh the boiled noodles in cold water and drain. This way they will not stick to each other.

Instant Lemonade
Instant Lemonade Pour lemon juice with sugar and a little salt into ice trays, to make cubes which can be used for instant lemonade.

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Re: Useful Tips and Tricks

5 minute Alu Tikki

You need
regular spices (salt, red chilly powder, corriander)
1 green chilly and small onion chopped fine
Minute Mash - Adding boiling water
Butter
1 egg

Make minute mash in boiling water, keep stirring until thick, add 1 spoon butter and 2 table spoon milk, ensure thick thick paste, Add spices and chilly & onion, make into dumplings dip in beaten egg and shallow fry !! yay yum yum :clown:

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nice one, wargirl!

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mine was rather a recipe with a quick TRICK to make it fit here :)

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Oh wow great ideas! U learn something new everyday huh? Great thread!

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*To Cut Hard Boiled Eggs Smoothly *
While cutting hard boiled eggs, the egg yolk often tends to break. To avoid this dip the knife in cold water for a few seconds and then cut smoothly.

*Eggs Will Not Crack *
Pierce eggs with a sharp pin before boiling. This way you will prevent them from cracking.

*Stop Crying While Cutting Onions *
After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 5 minutes. Now, when you cut these onions your eyes will not water.

*Keep Garlic Skins From Sticking To Your Hands While Peeling *
Soak the garlic flakes in a cup of water for five minutes before peeling.

*Potato Peel Wafers *
Potato peels can be made into tasty wafers. Immerse the peel in warm water to which a pinch of salt is added and then dry it. Deep fry till crisp and you have delicious potato wafers.

*Peeling Of Garlic No Problem! *
For Garlic it is difficult to peel off. To do it fast, put some Cooking oil, and warm it in Oven or over stove, you will find it fast and easy to peel off.

*Left-Over Onion? *
Once an onion has been cut in half, rub the left over side with butter and it will keep fresh longer.

*Too Many Peeled Potatoes? *
Cover them with cold water to which a few drops of vinegar have been added. Keep refrigerated and they will last for 3 or 4 days.

:)

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To peel garlics more easily-esp if there a lot…just put them in the microwave for abt 20 seconds and see the skins peel away with no effort!
Defo gonna try the one abt crying when cutting onions. I also heard that if u cut onions near a running tap of water APPARENTLY u wont cry-have no ideas whether its true or not?!:confused:

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*Cake (No More Drying Out Or Getting Stale) *
Place 1/2 apple in the cake box or, a slice of fresh bread fastened with toothpicks to the cut edge of a cake will keep the cake from drying out and getting stale.

*Don't Store Potatoes Near Onions *
Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions?

*Refrigerate Flour *
Storing flour in an airtight container and refrigerating it doubles their storage time.

*Storing Mushrooms *
Cover mushrooms with a damp cloth or in a paper bag with holes poked in the cloth/bag for ventilation. This will keep them dry. Refrigerate for long life.

*To Preserve Ginger-Garlic Paste *
Fry them in oil before grinding and store in the same oil.

*Store Peeled Potatoes *
Mix a tsp. of vinegar in cold water and keep the potatoes in it. This will keep them fresh for 4 -5 days.

*Preserve Dry Fruits And Sugar *
All you have to do is add a couple of cloves to the same container as the dry fruits. Same goes for sugar.

*Keep Ants Away From Honey *
Adding a few peppercorns to the bottle of honey will keep them away.

*Keep Fruits & Vegetables Fresh Longer *
Wrap them in newspaper before storing them in the fridge.

Preserve Coriander Leaves Or Curry Leaves
Keep them in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time without getting discolored.

*Freshen Slightly Withered Coriander Leaves *
If placed in a polythene bag and stored in the fridge these will freshen overnight.

*Keep Green Chilies Fresh *
While storing green chilies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time.

*Store Green Peas For 2 Years *
Tie the shelled green peas in a cloth and dip in boiling water for three minutes. Then dip in chilled water for three minutes. Dry under the fan till the extra moisture is removed and then pack into airtight jars or sealed packets. Freeze and use when peas are too costly. They will not spoil for 2 years.

*Keep Fried Papads Chips And Biscuits Fresh And Crisp *
Put them in a polythene bag and store them in a refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.

*Protect Rice From Insects *
Dry 50 g. of mint leaves, powder them and add to 10 kg. Of rice. Not only will the mint leaves keep insects at bay, they will also impart a delicious flavor to the cooked rice.

*Preserve Eggs for a Longer Period *

  1. Wash the eggs and put them slowly in a container full of lime water or mustard oil. The eggs will not only be preserved for long - they will not get spoiled either. *]For storing eggs for longer time say for about 30-40 days, you should apply any cooking oil with the help of brush on the egg shell. InshaAllah, they will stay for long time. :)
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Oh my god wow how do u know all this stuff!??? Its amazing!

Oh yeh if u wanna ripen a rock hard avocado just put in 2 a dark cupboard for a day or so.

But MW ur tips r the bizz man!:D

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*Sunken Cake *
Sunken centre in a cake could be due to too much sugar, shown by a sticky centre and very brown crust. It could also be due to too much baking powder or undercooking in a low temperature oven.

*Peaked Cake *
Peaked top in a cake could be because of too much gluten being developed in the mixture either due to using too hard a flour or by over beating. It could also be due to oven temperature being too high.

*Avoid Milk From Spilling *
Milk will not spill while boiling if one applies glycerin to the rim of the vessel.

*Dough Sticking To The Rolling Pin *
To prevent fresh dough from sticking to the rolling pin, keep it in the freezer for a few minutes before using.

Run Out Of Fresh Bread
Just keep leftover hardened bread on the lid of a pan containing hot water. The slices will be soft and as good as fresh, in no time.

*To Freshen Stale Bread *
Sprinkle a little milk over it and place it in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes. The crust will be crispier and the bread tastier.

Make Curd In Winter
Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator . It will set overnight.

Overripe And Difficult To Use Tomatoes
Dip them in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight. They will be fresh and firm to the touch next day.

*To Increase The Quantity Of Curd For 'Raitas' *
Grind freshly grated coconut to a fine paste and mix with the curd.

Running Short Of Chili Sauce
Make a quick sauce at home! Put a little chili pickle in the mixer and grind for 2-3 minutes to obtain a smooth paste. Add this paste instead of chili sauce to the dish.

*If You Want A Quick Salad Dressing *
Blend a cup of curd with little lime juice and seasoning and toss the salad into it.

*Getting The Ketchup Out Of The Bottle *
Insert a drinking straw, push it to the bottom of the bottle, and than remove. Enough air will be admitted to start an even flow.

*Cockroach Killing *
Take baking flour (Maida), sugar, milk powder and boric acid equal in quantity. Add some water in it and knead it. Then make small balls of it and paste it on walls at a number of places in your house

:)

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Might just be psychological that you don’t cry - like the trick teachers used to use on school trips if you felt sick on the coach - they used to make you sit on newspaper saying it will stop you feeling sick…ALL IN THE MIND!

Good thread though - I love reading tips and stuff like this!

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Yeh i think ur right u know that-esp as my hub told me that one! Apparently his physics teacher at school told him that..hmmmmmmm?????:)

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Thanx for that Amani06, but i've been collecting such tips for some time now as i really love cooking - also i collect poems (shairi)...

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Men will believe anything!!!:blush:

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MW i figured u must b a good cook cos the recipies uve given on here r fab.
Wannabe_a_mum: :cb: I know!

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MW i bet u get loads of ppl cueing up wanting to come round for dawats if this is anything to go by. Wow i wanna come round for a dawat and try sum of ur food!:D

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Aww, thanks for d compliments....well i'm really into cooking as i'm very picky/choosy over what i eat, its got to smell, taste and look right before i even attempt to eat it...

And daawats yes i have plenty of them, my aunts and friends tend to always call me over for a helping hand or i sumtimes make a dish or two for them to help out..

Let me kno when ur in d Midlands next, maybe meet up for a bite to eat?

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Avoid milk from spilling
Milk will not spill while boiling if one applies glycerine to the rim of the saucepan.

For crispy lady fingers
Add a few drops of lemon juice while cooking for a crispy taste.

If potatoes or carrots get over-cooked
Just mash them well and serve with butter or use it as a batter for preparing cutlets.

To avoid stickiness in rice
Add a few drops of lemon juice to the rice while cooking, you will find that the grains of rice will remain separate.

To keep coconut kernels fresh
Rub a little salt over them, or sprinkle a little salt water on them.

To prevent icing from running off your cake
Dust the surface lightly with cornstarch.

To prevent milk from curdling while boiling
Add a pinch pf baking soda to it and it will regain its freshness.

To prevent milk from getting spoiled
Add half a teaspoon of soda bicarb while boiling milk. It will not get spoiled even if you forget to put it in the refrigerator.

:)

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For cleaning vessels / pans
Add a handful of common salt to the washing powder for better results.

Fresh paneer for days
Wrap paneer in blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for days together.

Keep green chilies fresh
While storing green chilies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time

More juice from a lemon
Putting a lemon in hot water before squeezing will give you more juice than usual.

Use kitchen scissors
To chop fresh mint, chilies and coriander finely and without any mess.

Use your pizza cutter
It does a great job cutting rolled out dumplin's into squares. Or use it to cut up the kid's waffles or pancakes.

Wet the measuring cup
It will make removing the sticky ingredients like shortening or peanut butter easier.

When soups and stews get burnt
You can renew its taste by pouring the liquid gently and carefully into a clean pan and flavor with curry powder or mustard or some chutney to camouflage the burnt taste.

:)

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Some great stuff here MW - just thought I would add some that I find useful and practical too:

Bedding - Store your Duvet sets/Bed sets in the following way so that you can grab a set quickly and easily when you need it. Basically, fold the duvet cover, bed sheet/valance and all but ONE of the pillowcases to a size that will fit inside the other pillowcase. Then store the whole lot inside the second pillowcase.
I find this so easy and it's neater to store in the cupboard too!
Fresh Masala - This is one I picked up from my mum; use ice cube trays to freeze crushed garlic/ginger/chillies then when frozen store in plastic bags in the freezer. This way you don't have to go through the whole peeling, crushing process every time!
Fresh Clothes - To keep your clothes smelling fresh when you are storing for long periods of time, put those "Bounce" Tumble Dryer Sheets in the fold of the clothes. I do this with all the winter clothes.
Clear Plug Hole - Everytime that I boil the kettle, I always pour the remaining boiled water down the sink plughole with some bicarbonate of Soda or Borax (I buy bulk packs of these and keep them with the washing up stuff!!)
Nice clear plughole!

These are just some of the things I do to make evryday life simpler................