Cooking tips

1.yogurt in recipes:-when ever any recipe calls for yogurt always make sure u add it when the heat is medium- low,otherwise the fat and water content in the yogurt breaksdown and the gravy looks grainy.

2. coconut milk:make sure whenever u add coconut milk to any recipe which has a sour element like tomato or tamarind ,add the milk after the tomato or tamarind is cooked well with the other ingredients

3. for soaking dals :1.in case u forgot to soak ,channa,moong,dry green peas or rajma overnight,no worries in the morning u can soak those in warm water then close with a lid and leave for 1-2 hrs tat will speed up the soaking process.
2. to stop frothing while cooking dals add a tsp of oil 

4.rice:

• for all rice recipes like biryani or pulao always make sure that you wash the rice and then soak.coz one the rice is soaked it becomes softer and the rice grains will break
•  in rice recipes to make sure that the rice doesn't stick to each other add oil.and lemon too for the rice ,that helps,for pastas u can add a teaspoon of oil while you cook and once cooked then drain that water
• for biryani and pulao recipes if you r doin an open pot cooking(just cooking with a lid closed,not cooker)then in case the water is less always keep hot water ready so that u can add any time
• in case if u forget adding salt to the biryani or pulao do not add salt directly and mix coz the rice will break,instead take salt and dilute it with little water then sprinkle all over this will avoid too much mixing and concentration of salt

pasta: for best tasting pasta- do not cook pasta early . make the sauce first ,cook pasta drain  water and add it while its hot ,hot fresh cooked pasta aborbs flavours well

6.green chillies:sometimes are very spicy,and the spice lies in the seeds,so if the recipe asks for more green chillies then to avoid too much spice you can remove the seeds a little bit and use them.also the white vein which also has heat

7.urad dal: usually when we soak urad dal for idli ,dosa...we soak atleast an hr or hr and half ahead of grinding ,but there are days when we want short cuts! when we forget to do it ahead - so just wash urad dal twice add enough water to soak then add little salt -this helps the dal soak  a little faster

8.chicken: 1. if you want your kababs and tandoor recipes to be juicy and soft then marinate the chicken for long atleast 4-5 hrs(you can refrigerate too,but thaw before cooking) and also keep in mind you dont over cook them.
2. if you are cooking big pieces of chciken like drumsticks make sure you make gashes on them  so that the chicken absorbs all the flavours of masala and also will cook  quicker
3.


for making yummy tasting gravies: 1. always add hot water to any masala to get gravy and not normal cold water(it also stops the cooking process for a while ) coz hot water enhances the flavours of the gravy.
2. when you add any dry spices (powder etc) make sure the heat is low so that the spices dont burn
3. any gravy which uses cashews and almon pastes make sure you cook them on low flame and adjust heat accordingly ,coz these type of gravy usually cathes bottom very soon,stirring is  the key
4. for recipes with tomato base, make sure you use ripe red tomatos ,this enhances the colour of your dish
5. for most red coloured gravies -along with red ripe tomatos use kashmiri red chillies this gives good colour to your dish

eggs: 1. to make omelets fluffy add a tsp of water or milk

2. when you are making boiled eggs do not over cook or else you will see that the calcium layer is formed around the yellow part of the egg-blue lining (tats an over cooked egg) just cook in boiling water for 6 mins  let the egg be in the same water for some time then replace with cool water ,then peel the shell

onion:if you dont want to cry while chopping onion then peel them  and soak them in water for 5 mins before chopping

vegetables: always wash you vegetables and then chop ,except for some 
1. soak veggies like potato and eggplant after chopping do avoid discoloration
2. cabbage:1. veggies like cabbage and cauliflower have to be washed thoroughly after chopping( coz we know cabbages are sprayed with heavy chemicals while they grow )

3. cauliflower :veggies like cauliflower usually have tiny green worms in them(i havent found any in usa , its mostly in india may be coz of our weather )chop the florets then soak them in a bowl of water along with 3-4 tbsp of vinegar for 40 mins then wash thoroughly .
4. yam:most yams cause itch when you chop them mostly when tour handa sre wet so avoid touching water when you chop them, and also add turmeric when you cook them this will avoid throat itch when you consume them

cucmber:we usually  serve plain sliced cucumbers on a plate sprinkle little pepper powder,salt,chat masala / few drops of lemon this will  add a fresh touch to plain boring slices

banana: if you want bananas to ripen quick keep an apple along with then in a bag,apple speedsup the ripening process