Diya's Food Diaries

*HANDY TIPS*

• A pinch of salt added to ginger-garlic paste will help increase its shelf life though it should be stored in the refrigerator.

• To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

• When cooking eggplant/brinjals add a spoon of milk to a bowl of water and add the cut up pieces to that water. The eggplant will retain their colour without becoming black.

• When chilling puddings in the refrigerator, cover the containers with cling film or plastic sheet to protect from water and crystal formation in the dish.

• Cook carrots, peas, beetroot or corn adding a pinch of sugar to the water to keep the flavour.

• Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

• Slit karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for ½ hour and then cook.

• Dip nuts in milk before placing them on top of the cakes or biscuits to prevent them from falling off while baking.

• If you have to make cutlets in a hurry and have no breadcrumbs use semolina for coating them.

• A little rice flour added to bhajia batter will not only make the bhajias crisper but also less oily

• To increase shelf life of coffee powder, store it in an air-tight container and place it in the refrigerator.

• A pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon full of ghee added to dal before pressure-cooking it will give it a better flavour.

• A teaspoon of vinegar added to the oil when frying doughnuts will keep them from absorbing too much oil.

• To prevent pancakes from sticking to the griddle, rub it with half peeled potato instead of grease. Cut off a slice of the potato for each batch of pancake, so that the rubbing is always done with a freshly cut side.

• Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chilli powder for long time.

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