The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tips for Puddings

Add a tsp. of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chilli, along with salt to make it last longer and taste fresher.

Blend all ingredients together and keep overnight in a cool place. Use with any savoury dishes like pastas, minestrones, bakes, etc.

Always sprinkle gelatine over the water. Never put in dry pan, then add water and heat. Never boil gelatine. Only warm to dissolve. Safest is to heat the container over a hot griddle (tawa). Stir always.

While whipping cream never overdo it or butter will form. Always whip over a tray of iced water or ice cubes. Whip in sharp upward strokes till soft peaks form. Keep in refrigerator till used. Puddings (at least of my kind) are a no hassles beauty. No hard and fast rules about ingredients. Don't grimace if any of the ingredients is missing. Just substitute, compromise and eureka! You'll come up with an original. Just stick to general norms for mixing of jellies, gelatine, whipped cream etc. You cannot go wrong.

You can top with any sauce of your choice, if you like while serving or accompany it and let the guests pour to their liking. Ideal sauces may be chocolate, custard, orange, grape, caramel or just basic coloured sauce.

Cadbury's nutties & gems, gluced cherries, whipped cream, crumbled biscuits, dry fruits used inside, coloured sugar etc. make excellent decorations for party puddings.

Day old bread slices can be substituted for cake if cake is not available at hand.

Tips for Naans & Rotis

A good thing about most rotis is that you can half roast and pile them and do the final roast just before serving.

Many variations can be got from the basic roti recipes by using your own imagination.

Eg. layered roti can be made with a filling or dry masalas mixeds, or kasoori methi or paneer or thick spicy chutney. This must be spread before folding the roti and after applying the ghee. All triangles may be prepared first but sprinkle dry flour over each before piling. Roll and shallow-fry as required.

Puri may be rolled and place between well-rinsed wet muslin cloth at least an hour ahead. Fry before serving.

Other Cooking Tips

l When you soak rice and urad dal for idlis and dosas, wash everything thoroughly before soaking. Later use the soaked water while grinding. If you wash rice and dal after soaking you will lose most of the vitamins.

l Excess salt in any dish can be brought down by adding diced potatoes, tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar.

l When you are making vadas, if the batter is watery - you will have the problem of oil splattering when you fry it. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the batter and your problem will be solved.

l Don't salt meat before you cook it. Always salt meat halfway through cooking. (Little less than what is required). Then taste the meat when it is done and then add salt as needed.

l To thicken any gravy or soup add corn flour to it. It is an excellent thickening agent. Remember to mix it in good water before adding to avoid lumps.

l While making any pasta add salt to the boiling water in which you are cooking it. That will be the only chance you get to salt it. Add salt after the water boils. If you add it before, it will take a longer time to boil.

l To avoid sticky rice, soak washed rice in water for at least ten minutes before cooking. A teaspoon of oil can be added to get separate grains of cooked rice.

l While make any deep fried dish, if the hot oil starts foaming and rises in the pan, add a small piece of tamarind to the oil. This will prevent foaming and spill over.

l If you want to have soft idlis, do not beat the batter before pouring idlis. The air bubble sin the batter helps you to get soft idlis. Beating the batter removes these air bubbles.

l Chill onion is refrigerator before cutting to avoid tears. One other way to avoid tears is to soak peeled onion is water before cutting.

l To get crisp, golden dosas add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to the urad dal and grind it.

l To make a healthy chicken dish remove the skin from the chicken. This will remove the major fat content on the chicken.

l Add a pinch of sugar while cooking any green leaf vegetables. This will help maintain the bright green color.

l For maintaining the bright color of any vegetable don't forget to put it in ice cold water as soon as you blanch them.

l To keep apples from turning brown, add little citrus juice like the juice of a lemon or orange and toss apples in it.

l A pinch of turmeric powder added to all kinds of dal when cooking hastens the cooking process.

l Remove the stems from chilies before storing them. This will keep them fresher for a long time.

l It is better to use round dishes in the microwave oven rather than square or rectangular dishes as round dishes spread heat faster.

l Oil applied to dal before it is cooked helps it to cook faster by softening the proteins.