Useful cooking tips and kitchen tips

• Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

• Ants: Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.

• Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.

• Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use a butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.

• Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

• Banana: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body to have a cooling effect.
• Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief:Apply a mixutre of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting; cover with bandaid to hold in place. Pain will go away in just a few short mintues.

• Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook.

• Celery: To keep celery fresh for long time, wrap it in aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator.

• Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.

• Chili Powder: Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chili powder for long time.

• Chopping: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don’t use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.

• Coriander/Mint: You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available.
• To keep them fresh for a longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.

• Cockroaches: Put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. Cockroaches will leave your house.

• Coconut: Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its hust.

• Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).

• Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.

• Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.

• Egg fresh: Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.

• Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.

• Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary, substitute it with canola oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil.