Tips and Advice

To keep the cottage cheese soft and luscious after deep frying, dip it in lukewarm water to which a pinch of turmeric powder is added.
One cup of soaked poha added to five cups of rice while grinding the batter for idlis will make them softer and lighter.
Use milk instead of water to knead puri dough. Puris will be softer.
For flaky paranthas add ghee instead of oil to the flour while kneading the dough.
To make good crispy bhaturas, add two teaspoons of semolina to two cups of refined flour while kneading the dough.
Soak lemons in lukewarm water before slicing and squeezing them in order to extract maximum juice.
Make a waffle design on cookies! Pressing the rolled-out cookie dough with a potato masher lightly.
Freeze leftover soup or soup stock in ice cube trays. Store in ziplock bags and use later to serve small amounts of soup or use the entire batch for another meal.
Basil leaves are tender and bruise very easily. Never chop them with a knife, but tear them lightly with your fingers just before using.
Do not use baking soda for cooking pulses and vegetables as it destroys vitamins A, B and C.
Do not add saffron directly to a dish. Infuse threads in a little hot water or milk for at least five minutes before adding it to a dish.
To get rid of the smell of eggs from utensils wash them first with gram flour and hot water or scrub with a lemon rind
To increase the shelf life and retain the freshness of refined flour, semolina and gram flour store them in the refrigerator.
To make thick curd, add little milk powder to the milk while setting the curd.
To retain the nutrients in vegetables, scrub and wash them in several changes of water before chopping. Once chopped immediately cook them.
For perfect shaped cakes first grease the pan, then line it with butter paper.
For best results in baking let the eggs, butter and milk reach room temperature before mixing.
To clean wooden cutting boards, rub it with baking soda, then sprinkle a little white vinegar and let it stand for a couple of minutes. Rinse with water.
Cheese will stay fresh longer if wrapped in cling film once the seal is broken. Take care to refrigerate in the chiller tray section of the fridge.
Add a few drops of lemon juice while preparing sugar syrup. The impurities will collect on the surface of the syrup, which you can then remove.
Wrap coriander and curry leaves in a muslin cloth and store in a refrigerator to keep them fresh and retain their colour.
If the potato chips you brought for your party turn soggy, simply pop them in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds . they will turn crispy again.
To increase shelf life of coffee powder, store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate mushrooms and eggplant in paper rather than plastic bags to keep them from developing soft, slimy spots.
Green chillies will stay fresh if the stem is removed and then refrigerated.
When mixing cake batter, icings or whipping any liquid, keep a folded cloth under the vessel. This will help you get a better grip of the vessel since it will not slip over the work surface.
When making green banana wafers use a potato peeler to produce the thinnest slices.
To crush nuts quickly and easily, place them in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin.