TOP 5 Cooking tips and tricks of the day 6

To get the maximum juice out of a lemon or a lime, roll it hard on the kitchen counter using your palm. This releases more of the juice.

 

Before frying a fillet of fish, let it rest on a kitchen towel for a few minutes on each side. The excess water will get absorbed and this will enhance the flavour of panfried or sautéed fish.

 

It better to wipe or brush mushrooms clean of any dirt. They absorb water easily, and washing them under a running tap or leaving them soaked will make them taste watery.

When making a tomato based pasta sauce, add a little grated or ground carrot. It adds a small element of sweetness and reduced the acidic, sourness of tomatoes.

Avoid using tamarind, lime or other souring agents in green leafy preparations. Acid reduces the nutritional properties of greens.

TOP 5 COOKING TIP AND TRICKS OF THE DAY 5

To prevent rice grains from sticking one has to remove starch. To do this wash the rice several times till water runs clear, then let it soak for 20 mins in clean water.

 

When making ginger-garlic paste at home, add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vinegar to the mix. It won't change the taste much and will allow you to store it in the refrigerator about about two weeks.

Rubbing your hands on a stainless steel sink or container removes the pungent smell of garlic, onions or other spices from them.

 

When baking, always use room temperature butter and eggs. Using these straight from the refrigerator will make it harder to blend and mix, affecting the final product.

 

Cutting bacon or pancetta is easier after they have been sitting in the freezer for a little while and have become firm.

 

TOP 5 COOKING TIP AND TRICKS OF THE DAY 3

To ensure that your pasta absorbs the flavour of the sauce, don't cook the pasta in advance. Toss it is sauce, immediately after the cooking liquid is drained. Cooked pasta absorbs flavour best when hot.

If you want to give salad a subtle garlic flavour, rub a cut garlic pod on the inside of the salad bowl before you toss the salad.

Dry herbs and spices loose their flavour when exposed to heat and sunlight. To make sure they retain their aroma, keep them in an air tight container inside a dark, cool cupboard.

To help tough meat like lamb or beef tenderize, marinate it in vinegar, curd, mustard or mashed papaya overnight. Wipe off the marinade and then cook.

When cooking vegetables don't add salt until the very end. Adding salt early can dehydrate vegetables and reduce their nutritional value.

Top 5 Cooking tip and tricks of the day 2

When boiling pasta add salt generously, at least one teaspoon per litre of water. The pasta will absorb only as much as it needs, adding extra flavour dish.

To maintain the freshness of herbs like parsley, coriander, basil or curry leaves put them in a plastic bag, blow air into the bag so that it puffs up like a balloon and put the inflated bag in the refrigerator.

Before grating cheese, rub some oil onto the grater. This will ensure that the cheese doesn't stick to the grater.

To give mashed potatoes a creamy consistency, stir in warm milk.

If you want to quickly ripen some tomatoes, put them in a brown paper bag and store in a dark corner.

Top 5 Cooking tip and tricks of the day 1

Vegetables that have been lying in the refrigerator tend to look dull and lifeless. If you want to make a salad, and need your veggies to look fresh, soak them in cold water with a few drops of lime for about 15minutes and they will look bright and delicious.

Slicing cheesecake and other cold desserts is tricky. If you want to make clean slices soak your knife in warm water for a few minutes, then wipe it dry and use to make a clean slice.

To prevent pieces of cut apple or pear from turning black, squeeze a little lime juice on them or sprinkle a little bit of crushed mustard.

When boiling potatoes add a pinch of salt to the water. This loosens the potato peal and makes peeling boiled potatoes a lot easer.

Before cooking cauliflower keep in soaking in water mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar for about fifteen minutes. This not only loosens the dirt and grit but also kills any insects that may be lodged between the florets.