and more

For a tasty nutty sandwich fillingin a hurry, mix together prepared green chutney, some tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, chopped onion and tomato, and a few crushed peanuts or walnuts.Butter slices apply mixture thickly inside, and your sandwich is ready. You cak refrigerate this mixture without onions and tomatoes, for almost a week.

When ginger, garlic, etc. are crushed in a mixie, it gets tedious try to remove all of it, from under the blade, etc. Once crushed and removed, run a little water in the mixie, and pour into the batter, The mixie will get cleaned as well as ingredients will be used economically. In case of fritters, use the cornwater itself.

Always handle messy mixtures like that of fudges, chocolates, etc. with hand dusted with cornflour, it will be much easier to handle.

Making a note of what you are going to make a few minutes before going to bed. That will save a lot of searching and fumbling and thinking and swearing, to begin the next day with.
Make many variations of basic recipes like chutney parathas, by adding ajwain/veggies/mint,etc. One may use red coconut chutney too. Just make sure, no chutney is running, but very stiff.

If one doesn't have an oven, then place a dosa griddle on gas, place a stand (metal) on it, put a metal mesh over stand and keep the dish over this, eg. stuffed potatoes. Cover with an inverted vessel, and allow to brown on slow fire. Or use a gas tandoor instead.

Open and clean the spring and insides of your gas lighter, every month, to make it last doubly longer. Just clean insides with a soft clean cloth and twig or skewer.

One may make pancake and other batter much ahead of time, but take care to add soda bicarb only before making. This way the pancakes will still turn out crisp and light.

Once a month soak all your plastic equipment like cutting board, tea strainers, colanders, etc. in a weak solution (50ml. to a 15 litre bucket of water) of domestic bleach and water for 1 or 2 hours. Then wash with a mild detergent and scrubber to be rid of accumulated dirt, food particles,etc.

One may save batter of dosas, idlis, paddus, etc. and make pankis as a variation from leftovers. Or vice versa. Take care to refrigerate the batter before it becomes sour, and also place a piece of banana leaf in the base of vessel before pouring batter, and on top of it. This will keep it from getting sour.

Usually greens contain some amount of soil and have to be washed thoroughly before cooking. Put chopped leaves in plenty of water, keep for 5 minutes, allowing the mud to settle at the bottom. Then with open palm lift out all the leaves from the top of the water. Gradually pour out leftover greens into a colander, to let the water drain. Take care not to disturb the muddly deposit at the bottom of the vessel.

Leftover fried snacks like kothmir vadi, or moothiyas can be crumbled and used as a thickener. For spicy gravies. 2-3 pieces will suffice to thicken about 3 cups gravy.

If you have boiled spinach etc. in excess water, do not throw away this liquid so full of health.Just stir in some salt or sugar and drink up, to you well being. Make this a habit, and drink up the vitamins and minerals, with a smile!

Leftover spring onion vegetable, can be further cooked to dry out water, or add a tsp. of flour to absorb water. Then place on a piece of bread, cover with another slice, and toast in a sandwich toaster o a griller, to make a sandwich.

Chop stalks of greens like spinach, radish, beetroot, etc. along with leaf, if still tender. They not only add body to the dish, they also have a wonderful additional flavour and lots of fibre.

Whenever adding tempering to any dish, which required chopped/whole green chillies, hold the chillies down with the back of a spoon, or else they may splutter or burst dangerously.

The soft chenna ( or residue of drained freshly curdled milk) can be used as an excellent thickener in many dishes. It can also make milder any extra spicy vegetable of dish.

When using fenugreek leaves raw, try to purchase the small leaves, thinner stalked variety.The hybrid thick stalked and larger leaved, big bunches tend to be more bitter than the former.

Always use citric acid dissolved (1/2 tsp. in 175ml water) in water to add to milk, this will make the paneer softer; if too little water is used the paneer will be hard and rubbery.

Use the drained water in which channa was boiled as stock in soups or instead of water in veggies.


To soak channa better in cold seasons, add 3-4 pinches fruit salt or eno to it, when soaking, to a cup of channa.