| Saturday, September 17, 2005 |
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Tips on various Food Items - Part 2
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If buns are too soft to be stuffed for any recipe, bake them blind in a hot oven for 4-5 minutes. Cool, and they will be much more easy to handle while proceeding with the recipe.
To retain the heat of hot water for a longer time, add a pinch or two of salt to it.
Line the bottom of your salt jar with 2 layers of blotting paper before pouring it in. The salt will not become moist even in humid climate.
Make croutons in a jiffy. Cut 2 slices day old bread in small cubes. Heat a tbsp. of butter in a heavy pan, add cubes, and stir fry till they are crisp and golden brown.
Potatoes used with the jackets intact are definitely more nutritious than after peeling. Use a soft steel or plastic scrubber to scrub them before using.
Fresh, clean and tender skins of ridge gourd need not be thrown out. Boil for 3-4 minutes in salted water. Drain and wash under cold running water. Wipe on towel, add green chillies, garlic, salt, coriander, tamarind and a little sugar. Grind to a chutney. The skins are full of nutrients.
Removed side crusts of breadcan be dried in oven till crisp, cooled and ground to use as bread bread crumbs. Use for rolling in patties, etc. before deep frying or as a thickener for gravies.
Air out the sago seeds in hot sun for half an hour before frying, to get very well-fried sago. Sometimes the centres which stay hard, can be avoided by doing this.
Keep boondi unseasoned, just plain fried and use in boondi raita as required (refer raitas)
Always mash potatoes when they are still quite hot. They mash more easily and can be finely mashed too.
Grease the grated on both sides with oil before grating sticky items like cheese or boiled potatoes, to allow for smoother grating.
Leftover parathas eaten cold with hot tea taste good.
Always chill glasses before preparing the icecream in it. This way it will stay stiff longer.
Use aluminium containers instead of steel to set the icecream faster. Also, place a thick plactic sheet or spread some salt under the container to keep it from sticking to the floor of the freezer.
Never try to refreeze icecream which has melted completely due to reasons like electricity breakdown. The result will taste disastrous. Instead, add you favourite flavour or fruit and run in a mixie to make delicious milk shake.
For simple but extravagant looking topping, take 2-3 healthy strawberries. Make incisions vertically from tip to base, to form slices. But do not cut fully. Stop just below the base. Now press sideways gently, to form a fan shaped strawberry. Use as topping decor for cakes, icecreams, puddings, etc.
To unmould chilled dishes quickly, dip container halfway into hot water for a few seconds and then unmould.
Mix in some mashed rice in the thick starch water. Blend to a thick batter. Add salt and chat masala for taste. Spoon out thin small papads on a greased plastic sheet. Use the backof a ladle. Sun-dry till brittle. Store in airtight container. Deep fry as a tasty snack.
To keep chappatis warm longer, cover the pile with two piece of clean cloth above and below in a tight steel container. Leave on a griddle that has been warmed first.
Warm garlic flakes a little either in a microwave or on griddle before peeling, to make the skin come off easily. |
posted by Dipali @ 7:13 AM   |
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