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For apt usage of a microwave, compliment microwave cooking with traditional forms. Do the boiling, frying and seasoning part on a gas stove. While leaving the baking, sauteeing, cooking, melting, etc. to a microwave.
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A pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon full of ghee added to dal before pressure-cooking it will give it a better flavour.
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Always keep cut or slit brinjals soaking in salt water, to avoid their becoming discoloured.
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Never store pastes in open bowls or jars. The smell will permeate milk, butter, cheese, veggies, Fruit, other dishes and even icecubes, and the damage will be irreversible. This is because of High content of garlic in many pastes.
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While grinding the batter for idlis replace 1/5 quantity of rice with pressed rice (poha). This will make the idlis fluffier.
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To crush chillies fine, run in a small electric grinder with a pinch of salt. This will Remove with a rubber spatula. This will save a lot of time on chopping, as also it will Keep the hands safe from handling chillies. Even one or two chillies can be done Easily this way.
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Do not discord the water after boiling the vegetables. Collect the water in a container and store in the fridge. During the weekend you can use this as a base stew for any soup.
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Always add a teaspoon (at least, if recipe does not call for more) of wheat flour to the fat while popping gum crystals, to ensure their even popping of the crystals. They will also not stick together.
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Sprinkle a bit of salt in the frying pan before adding chicken. It will cut down on the amount of grease splattering.
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Wet the inside of pan before putting milk for boiling. This will keep the pan from scalding the milk at the bottom of the pan. Also use a fairly heavy pan.
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One may marinate the vegetables prior in some vinegar, garlic and chilli if desired. This will give a more piquant taste to the stew.
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Never beat idli batter too much just before spooning into moulds. Just spoon as is. The air already incorporated while rising is lost and idlis may not be as soft as they should be.
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Before putting the cake batter in the tin sprinkle some castor sugar then put the batter. It will give the cake an unusual sheen.
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To bake potatoes crisp and brown, soak the peeled potatoes in hot water for a while, pat dry and pierce all over with a fork before placing them in hot fat along with the roast.
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For those who do not care for a spicy taste, you can sprinkle some grated cheese on the dosa while shallowfrying. Eat with sauce instead of chutney. This will suit the taste of those who are used to bland foods.
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To quicken the process of making any vegetable where the vegetable needs to be cooked for long, wash, drain sprinkle a little salt, and microwave covered, till done. Simultaneously, proceed on stove, to make the remaining recipe. Add the microwaved vegetable and finish off cooking. This way, the vegetable is cooked with minimum water, in its own juices, and reduces cooking time considerably. But take care to add lesser water to masala, since the vegetable will not be cooked for so long.
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Add a pinch of salt to the oil while frying "pakodas" or "koftas" and you will use up less oil.
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To give a novel taste to tea, add a piece of lemon peel to the water for tea decoction.
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A tsp. of ghee add to the dal before pressure cooking, will keep it from overflowing out of the container into the cooker.
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Grind thick masala pastes on a stone grinder if possible. Since you would be using lesser water. The taste and texture would also be much better.
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