Handy Kitchen Tips

• To keep sugar container free from ants, add 2-3 cloves onto the jar. 
•  Immerse the coconut in water for half an hour to remove its hust easily.
• To make fruits ripen, cover them with paper and place it in a warm area for 2-3 days(enthylene gas they emit helps to ripe).
• To squeeze juice out of lemon or lime easily when it is hard, place it in warm water for 5-10 or microwave for 15 seconds on high. This helps to get more juice out of it.
• Place a beetle leaf to prevent leftover Idli or dosa batter becoming sour .
• To make dosa or crepes crispy, soft and golden brown color, add fenugreek seeds while soaking rice and lentil to prepare batter.
• Donot deep fry paneer for preparing dish instead place paneer in hot warm for 15-20 minutes.
• Donot throw away the water used for vegetable cooking, make use of it while preparing soup.
• Chop vegetables only before use, do not cut in too advance as this will reduce the food value.
• To keep vegetables fresh for longer days, wrap it in a newspaper or zip lock bags before storing in fridge.
• To keep the yogurt fresh for longer days, place the yogurt cup with water filled at the brim and refrigerate(change water every day).
• To make chappati softer, add one boiled and mashed potato while preparing dough.
• To make curd to set faster during winter season, add one dried red chilli while you set.
• When a recipe calls for the zest of citrus fruit like orange/lemon, buy unwaxed fruit n wash well bfr using, if you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly before using.
• While making  foods like pakora, bhaji, savouries ,fritters or any kind of deep frying foods add a teaspoon carom / Ajwain seeds to the batter, this will greatly helps to digest the oily stuffs faster.