50 kitchen hacks that make life super easy in the kitchen. Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk to stick at the bottom. Keep spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. It will avoid sticking the milk at the bottom of the vessel. Adding half of teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in the milk while boiling will not spoil the milk even if you don`t put it in the fridge. Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder for some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp. Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated. To avoid crying, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them. Wrap the onions individually in a newspaper and store in a cool and dark place to keep them fresh for a long time. Watch from the oven window to conserve energy because the oven temperature drops by 25 degrees every time its door is opened. Apply a paste of sodium bicarbonate and water on the walls and floor of the oven and keep the oven on low heat for about half an hour. Dried food can easily be removed. To keep paneer fresh for several days, wrap it in a blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator. Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy. Bake in microwave ovens. Wrap the papads in polythene sheet and place with dal or rice will prevent them from drying and breaking. To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over a burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar for some time before putting pickles in the jar. Keep the maize/corn seeds in the freezer and pop while still frozen to get better pops. To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking. Use the skin of boiled potatoes to wipe mirrors to sparkling clean. Don`t store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions. To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt to the insides of your freezer. Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter. Add a teaspoon of canola oil in the water before boiling the rice to separate each grain after cooking. Don`t throw away the rice water after cooking. Use it to make soup or add it in making dal (lentils). Add 5gm of dried powdered mint leaves to 1kg of rice. It will keep insects at bay. Put a small paper packet of boric powder in the container of rice to keep insects at bay. Put a few leaves of mint in the container of rice to keep insects at bay. Preserve the samosas in freezer. For eating, take out of the freezer two hours in advance and bake them over low temperature. Put 2-3 cloves in the sugar to keep ants at bay. Use sprouted mustard seeds (rayee) and fenugreek (methi) seeds for your tadkas. Both of them when sprouted have more nutritional values. Also this add flavour to the dish and can be more beneficial, besides giving decorative look to the dish. To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off. When tomatoes are not available or too costly, substitute with tomato puree or tomato ketchup/sauce. Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh. Tamarind is an excellent polish for brass and copper items. Rub a slab of wet tamarind with some salt sprinkled on it on the object to be polished. Gargles with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat. Use non-stick utensils. Use thick bottom utensils. They get uniformly heated. For electric stoves, use flat bottom utensils. Don`t discard the water in which the vegetables are soaked or cooked. Use it in making soup or gravy. To keep the vegetables fresh for longer time wrap them in newspaper before putting them in the fridge. Chop the vegetables only when you are ready to use them. Don`t cut them in too advance. It would spoil their food value. Place a raw peeled tomato in the bow, it will absorb the extra salt. To get yogurt in winter, place the container in a warm place like oven or over the voltage stabiliser. If the yogurt has become sour, put it in a muslin cloth and drain all the water. Then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste. Use the drained water in making tasty gravy for vegetables or for basen curry. To keep the yogurt fresh for many days, fill the vessel containing yogurt with water to the brim and refrigerate. Change the water daily. To easily shred cheese, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. The firmer cheese is less likely to make a melted mess on your grater. To cut grease and odour on dishes, add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water. You can clean darkened aluminum pans easily by pouring in two teaspoons cream of tartar mixed in some of water. Place on heat and boil for 10 minutes.To unclog a drain, mix a cup of salt with a cup of baking soda. Pour these into the drain, and then add a pot of boiling water. If you drop an egg on the floor, cover it with salt and let it remain like this for a couple of minutes. You will be able to easily clean the mess with a paper towel. Mix extra pastry dough, to the breadcrumb stage, and store in airtight container in refrigerator. Use as and when required, for simple and quick result. Same dough may be used in a number of tarts, pies, cookies and puddings. Warm garlic flakes slightly either in a microwave oven or on a griddle before peeling. The skin will come off easily. 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. To get the full flavour out of saffron, warm it slightly before crushing (you may do so in a microwave oven for ten seconds on HIGH), add one teaspoon of warm milk and stir well. Wipe the blades of greasy knives with a peeled lemon. Then wash under running water. The greasiness will disappear. If karanjis get a bit stale, warm them for half to one minute in a microwave oven before serving. They will taste like freshly fried. A handful of well-soaked moong dal added to any salad will increase the proteins and make it extra nutritious. It will be easier to chop raisins if you sprinkle some flour over them so that they do not stick. Then cut with a small kitchen scissors.
