Some useful tips to make a Gravy Tasty

1. Always use ghee or vanaspathi with or instead of oil, which gives a good flavour to the gravy.
2. If oil alone used, it does not get separated easily from the ground mixture, as ghee separates from it.
3. Fry the ground masala in reduced flame, so that it retains its colour and taste.
4. If masala sticks to the pan that shows quantity of fat included is not enough.
5. Never discard water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies, soups, rasam or kolumbu.
6. Pressure cooker or pressure pan can be successfully used for frying which minimises cooking time.
7. Onions and masala are fried in the cooker body itself, raw vegetables are added to that with enough salt and water. Cook under pressure according to the cooking time of the vegetable. This method helps us minimise our cooking time, use of utensils and nutrients are also preserved.
8. When coconut is used in grinding masala, do not fry for a longer time.
9. Little plain sugar or caramelised sugar added to the gravy makes it tasty.
10. When tomatoes are not in season, tomato ketch up or sauce can be successfully used in the gravies.
11. To retain colour in the gravy always use ripe red tomatoes. Discard green portions if any.
12. Good variety chillies and chilli powder also gives colour to the gravy. As far as possible try to use long variety red chillies. Dry it under sun for few days and powder coarsely at home. Always the coarse powder gives good taste in gravies and pickles.
13. If poppy seeds are used in grinding, soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, if you are grinding it in a mixie.
14. Make bread crumbs from toasts and store some in the fridge. They come in very hand for thickening gravies, especially if you've landed up making them extra watery
15. Always keep some readymade gingerpaste and garlic paste in the freezer. Comes in handy and enhances the flavor of most dishes in a jiffy.

    Medical tips

16. Keep a whole cardamom or clove in the mouth to subside the sensation of vomitting.
17. Dissolve a 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder in half a cup of hot sweetened milk and drink for relief from cough and cold. Repeat morning and night for a week.
18. A tsp. each of ginger juice and honey to be warmed and taken just before sleeping, to bring relief from severe cough. Repeat every night for a week.
19. Sprinkle a mixture of powdered cardomom and rock sugar (misri) over the tongue, gums and inner cheeks to get relief from mouth sores and ulcers. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
20. A clove and a cardamom kept in the mouth while travelling, brings relief to those suffering from motion sickness.
21. A drop or two of eucalyptus oil add to water for steam inhalation gives excellent relief in common colds.
22. Use clean skins of boiled potatoes to place as a soothing pack over eyes to refresh and reduce their puffiness.
23. To get rid of dandruff, add one part water to one part vinegar and apply to scalp. Wash after half an hour. Repeat this weekly for good results.
24. To get rid of dandruff, mix juice of 1 lime in 1 tbsp. curd (yoghurt) and 1 tsp. coconut oil. Apply to the scalp and hair 1 hour before shampooing. Do this at least once a week for dandruff-free hair
25. Soak a few (4-5) tablets of camphor in your hairoil (coconut) to keep away dandruff.

    Cleaning tips

26. Wipe mirrors first with pieces of moist newspaper and then with dry newpaper to get a clean, spotless mirror.
27. To remove cellotape stuck on walls, etc ( e.g. for posters) without removing the paint, hold a warm iron over it for a few seconds, then peel off slowly.
28. Put a handful of salt in the rinsing water for glass and crockery for a cleaner, crystal clear wash.
29. Just dip a small clean rag in a teeny bit of any oil (edible too) and rub on creaky hinges. You will experience quiet doors and windows.
30. Rinse white clothes in water to which some alum powder is added, for better whites.
31. Line the bottoms of your kitchen cabinet shelves with old newspapers. Instead of tedious cleaning, just dicard and replace with fresh ones. Cheap and quick.
32. Save old toothbrushes for quick cleaning of those corner and grooves which are difficult to clean with larger brushes. e.g. bottles, bathroom corners, tile joints, engraving on metals, etc.
33. Soak jewellery (eg. silver, copper, gold) in the water drained from curdled milk for 15 mins. wash them with soap afterwards. Get back the sparkle in them to look new.
34. Apply tamarind paste and salt for greasy, or copped bottomed or brass vessels, and wash. They come out much cleaner, and more easily.
35. Black and blue coloured clothes which have faded, look new if dipped in concentrated aquamarine blue solution.
36. Combs can be cleaned by dipping them for a while in a solution of washing soda and warm water.
37. Immerse rusty curtain rings in hot vinegar for two hours. Wash off with water and wipe dry. The rings will look new.
38. Dirty collars - Brush shampoo into a dirty shirt-collar before running it through the washing machine. Well worth the extra effort.
39. Stains can be removed from brown leather shoes by rubbing them with the inner side of a banana skin. Then wipe with a clean cloth and polish.
40. To remove the stains of citrus fruit juices, especially of lemons from the floor, smear the stain with coconut oil and rub well. The stain will vanish within a few days.
41. Add a tsp. each, of salt and vinegar to soap water for washing crystals and crockery to make them crystal clean and sparkling.
42. Bring the shine back on jari work of a saree by rubbing alum powder on the work with a small soft brush. Dust off and wipe.
43. Mix spirit and milk in equal quantities, and wipe paint or ball pen stains from foam leather, like sofas, purses, etc., with ease.
44. Clean embedded dirt from gold or silver jewellery by giving them a brisk brushing with some toothpaste and an old toothbrush.Then wash with water. Just like you brush your teeth! The effect is sparkling!
45. Remove yellow food stains from tablemats, etc. by applying a paste of detergent and water to the stained areas and keep in the sun for an hour. Wash like your other laundry.
46. Synthetic fibres stick to the bottom of the iron. Cool the iron, then rub the affected surface with nail polish remover to get rid of the stickly matter
47. Dip your silvers (jewellery, cutlery, etc. ) in water used for boiling potatoes. Wash with soap after an hour. This will bring back the sparkle. If you are busy just let them be soaked till you can wash them at your leisure. No harm.
48. Apply toothpaste on both sides of an ink-stain on cloth. Wash after dry.
49. Rub your windscreen with a cut potato or apple to prevent misting or icing.
50. If your cutlery is discoloured by egg stains, crumble a sheet of silver paper and one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Put the spoons and forks in this and they will come out looking clean and shining in a few minutes.
51. Rub brassware with tamarind and salt before washing with soap. It will sparkle like new.

    Vegetable tips

52. Keep an extra potato or two handy. Boil in their jacket, drain dry and keep in the fridge. Use in a jiffy when you to tired to make tedious things. Either season with salt and pepper or put slices in bread sandwiches or fry and season or make a quick stir fried vegetable. The potatoes will stay good in a refrigerator for 2-3 days.
53. When cutting hard vegetables like potatoes, beetroots or carrots, put them in the microwave oven before cutting them into slices. They will be much easier to cut.
54. Using earthern or stone ware for setting curds will result in firmer and better quality curd. Since they are porous they absorb the excess moisture.
55. To break open the coconuts easily (the brown ones), place them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This would seperate the shell easily.
56. Always add a tbsp. of oil to plenty of water while boiling pasta of any kind. It will keep them from sticking to each other.
57. Place a tsp. of soda bicarb in a corner of the fridge in a small crucible. This will keep smells of foods in the fridge from permeating each other.

    Cooking tips

58. Use the whey (water) from tied curds or curdled milk to make softer chappati, paratha and naans. Use this water instead of plain water to knead the dough.
59. Use a large semiboiled potato to make a quick flower arrangement if a flower holder is not available. Push sturdy stalks of flowers into the potato at the required angles. Do not keep for more than 2 days. Immerse in water to which an aspirin is added.
60. Use the water strained from the curdled milk (paneer) to soak your dull silvers for 15-20 minutes. Wash well. They will shine like new.
61. If there is a lot of leftover paneer crumbs, dry in a warm oven. Fry till crisp and store in the fridge. Soften in boiling water, drain and add to thicken gravies of any vegetables and curries.
62. Replace sweets and candy with a few dry fruits like almonds, etc. for after lunch munching. So much healthier.
63. Rub a piece of lime (used) inside the lunch box to get rid of strong odours (like garlic) before rinsing off.
64. If bhajias, fritters, pakodas are soaking too much oil, or are not as crisp as should be, add some hot oil to the batter. (3/4 tbsp. to a cup of batter). Their texture will improve remarkably.
65. If you happen to put excess salt in the curry, cut a raw potato into about 10 pieces and drop them into the curry & leave for 15 min. They will absorb the excess salt. Remove the pieces before serving.
66. To make a thick gravy, grate the onions, squeeze out their juice and brown the onions and the masala. Add the juice as stock, after the onions are brown. The onion flavour is not lost and you don't have to add water to make the gravy.
67. While cutting tomatoes into slices, use a bread knife instead of an ordinary knife. The skin remains intact - also the task is executed faster.
68. Dehydrate the residue of coconut used for coconut milk by drying the sun. This dried flaked coconut can be used in dry chutneys, sweets, masalas, etc.
69. Add a few drops of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. ghee while steaming long grain rice (basmati) to make the it whiter and keep the grain unbroken.
70. While cooking onions or garlic, place an open bowl of vinegar by the stove. The smell will not pervade the house or kitchen.
71. For a quick chaat, fry leftover pieces of bread in ghee till crisp. Arrange the pieces in a plate. Pour curds, salt, red chilli and cumin powders, coriander leaves and green chillies on them. Top with tamarind and jaggery chutney.
72. To a cupfull of leftover dal,add 2 leftover chappaties and a dash of leftover rice if desired, and further add some water, coriander leaves, and boil in a saucepan. Add any spices and salt if required. Garnish with a tsp. of fresh ghee. You have a tasty hot wholesome breakfast.
73. To make samosas crisper add some cornflour to the maida for dough.
74. Put the container for setting curds in a large hot case to make the curds set faster and better.
75. Make a potpourri of dried roses, lavender, jasmine, mintleaves, oatmeal and a handful of coarse gram flour. Tie in a strong but not too thick cloth. Soak for 10 minutes in bathwater and rub yourself with the pouch while bathing for a fresh, fragrant and clean, clean bath.
76. Any extra water in which vegetables have been boiled can be saved and used as stock for soups. Stock prepared in large quantities can be frozen in icecube trays and stored in a plastic bag as cubes. Use as required.
77. Add a few drops of limejuice and a tsp. of ghee to rice before boiling to separate each grain.
78. A little lime juice added to beetroot will make them a brilliant red colour.
79. A tsp. of ghee add to the dal before pressure cooking, will keep it from overflowing out of the container into the cooker.
80. Use cornflakes as a substitute for sev or papdis. It is available everywhere and give the same crunchiness to a dish, eg. bhel.
81. Add a few methi (fenugreek) seeds to toor dal while pressure cooking. This makes the dal easier to digest.

    Party tips

82. Try to stick to one style of cooking during any party. Many people mix Indian food with Chinese or continental dishes which spoil individual taste. For example, Russian salad and pulao or chow-mein and chicken korma do not go together.
    
83. Once the menu is decided for any party, write down the ingredients needed, next to each recipe. It avoids a lot of last minute shopping and running around.
84. When there is party, prepare a menu well in advance. Introduce a new recipe only if tried, at least, once.

    Storing tips

85. To keep your sesame oil fresh for a few months without being spoilt, add a lump of jaggery to the oil.
86. Place dried neem leaves (folded between two pieces of newspaper) in stored grains, eg. wheat to avoid from being attacked by worms and insects.
87. Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
88. Add a tsp. of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chili, along with salt to make it last longer and taste fresher.
89. Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
90. Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they had harden, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry. You can also leave a spoon in the vessel in which the milk is being boiled at low heat so that it does not get burnt at the bottom

    Miscellaneous tips

91. Always use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to trim edges of bread. Much neater and less messy edges as compared to those trimmed with a knife.
92. Make tomato puree in bulk. Transfer to ice cube trays and freeze. Put the frozen cubes in a thick polythene bag. Store in the freezer and use ready puree cubes as required. Will keep for over 3 weeks in the freezer.
93. To avoid stains and smudges on costly cookbooks while following recipes, slip them, open page up, into a transparent plastic bag.
94. Shoes often lose their shine when old. Rub with slices of raw potato and polish. They will look almost as good as new.
95. To charge a used pencil battery, place its negative end near a candle flame and warm for five minutes. The battery will be as good as new.
96. Do not wash eggs when you store them. There is a "coating" on eggs that helps in keeping odours and bacteria from entering.
97. Mix in 15-20 cloves to a kilogram of dal, while storing. This will keep the dal from getting attacked by insects. The same cloves can be reused.
98. Smear your hands with a little tamarind juice while collecting butter from churned cream. The butter will not stick to the hands.
99. When cleaning the yard, gather sticks, twigs and leaves into paper bags. When you need kindling for a fire one bag will do the trick.
100. If you write your own labels for kitchen or storage containers, cover the labels with transparent cellotape so that do not smudge.
101. Pot-plants - The next time you boil eggs, use the cooled water, which is now filled with minerals from the eggs, to give your pot-plants a good, nourishing drink.
102. Small cracks in plastic can be repaired by running a hot (not red-hot) screwdriver lightly along the crack.
103. When the sewing machine gets stuck on a thick, coarse cloth, rub the area on which you wish to run the machine with a candle.
104. Use the water used for washing dals and rice to water the plants. This water is very rich in nutrients and acts as a fertilizer.
105. Apply transparent nailpolish to your trinkets and junk jewellery to make their lustre last much longer, and also protect them from moisture and sweat.
106. To loosen a rusted bolt, apply a few drops of household ammonia or brake fluid.
107. To avoid fingernails getting grimy and gritty during messy work, apply some petroleum jelly or vaseline generously all over the hands.
108. Place candles in a dish of water while burning. They will last longer.
109. A good thing about most rotis is that you can half roast and pile them and do the final roast just before serving
110. Puri may be rolled and place between well-rinsed wet muslin cloth at least an hour ahead. Fry before serving.
111. To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface. The apples will stay and look fresh for a longer time.
112. If you are making patties or tikkis of potatoes, always make sure that the potatoes are boiled well in advance and cooled before you use them. It would be better if they can be refrigerated for a short time. This helps the starch in the potatoes to settle down and the tikkis will not be gooey.
113. Smoke Mustard oil first before using for preparing vegetables etc.. by heating to a point till light white smoke emerges from it. This would remove the potency from the oil.
114. While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking at the bottom.
115. While using ginger and garlic paste in curries, always use garlic at 60% ratio and ginger at 40% as ginger is very strong and may make your dish sharp and pungent.
116. Add a few drops of lemon a tsp of oil to rice before boiling to separate each grain.
117. Put tomatoes in a large bowl and cover with boiling water Leave it for about 5 minutes. Take out one by one, piercing them with a sharp knife, the skin will peel off easily.
118. Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to separate them each.
119. Remove the outer leaves and husks from the corn (bhutta). Holding the corn upright with the flat end firmly in a board, take a sharp knife and run it down between the kernels and the cob to strip them away.
120. Chopping vegetables can be done in different ways using a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board. Cutting on a marble slab will blunt your knives.
121. When tomatoes are not in season, tomato puree or sauce can be successfully used as a substitute in the gravies.
122. If masala sticks to the pan that shows quantity of oil/ghee included is not enough.
123. Poori can be rolled and place between well-rinsed wet muslin cloth at least an hour ahead and can be Fried before serving
124. After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid crying .
125. Soak almonds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes .The skin will peel off easily.
126. To make pooris more crispy add a little rice flour to the wheat flour while kneading.
127. Pakodas will turn out crisper if a little corn flour is added to the gram flour (besan) while preparing the batter.
128. Heat a non-stick pan and add a little more butter than usual. Now beat the egg and stir briskly (even while frying) with a fork. This way more air goes in your omelet, making it light and fluffy. Fry till done and serve hot.
129. If you forget to soak chana/Rajma overnight. Just soak the chana/Rajma in the boiling water for an hour before cooking
130. Wrap the fruits and vegetables in newspaper before refrigerating to keep them fresh for long.
131. Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator
132. Chopping dry fruits - Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.
133. Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly .