Gadgets Galore - Non-electric.

Chips Slicer

Friends, this is the most simple slicer which is sold in every shop & which is there is every house! It used to come in wood; but now the plastic ones are easy to clean.

Slices onion, cabbage, potatoes

Slices Senai for chips

Slices banana for chips

Excellent for cabbage - also go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/a...ead-chitvish-recipes-post-113.html#post475707

For onion slicing, please go to
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/a...ead-chitvish-recipes-post-115.html#post476505

 

How to "julienne" ginger?

Friends, ginger juliennes take the pride of place in our cooking when it comes to garnishing any sabji.
Juliennes with Julienne Cutter 1

Next sizr juliennes with Shredder-1

Very thin juliennes with Very Fine Shredder

 

Potato Masher

This is a very basic kitchen gadget. Buy a sturdy one with a good grip. Mine is a metal one, 30 yrs old, but is quite good. Now, non-stick ones are available.
Mashes potatoes

To level sweets


To press stuffed parathas to help them puff up.

 

Tomato Knife

Tomato knife, as such, by that name is available. It is slender & very sharp & should be used exclusively for tomatoes. The knife, locally bought by me in Big Bazaar, is seen in the last photo.This is how, to chop tomatoes, free of seeds & pulp, for salads.
First select a firm red tomato & chop off a slice from the top & bottom.

Hold it vertically & make a cut across (only) halfway through.

Wit both hands, split open.

Scoop out the pulp & seeds (can be used for cooking).

Chop the rest into long or square pieces.

 

Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons

The cups are 200ml (1 cup), 100ml(1/2 cup), 67ml(1/3 cup), 50 ml(1/4 cup). In all my recipes, wherever I have given cups, please refer to this. This is not by weight measurement.
The metal cups with handles are available only outside India.

The plastic ones are available in all leading Supermarkets & Departmental Stores.

The following spoons are, 1 tbsp(15ml-3 tsp), 1 tsp(5ml), 1/2 tsp(2.5ml), 1/4 tsp(1.25ml).

The following set has 1/2 tbsp as well s 1/8 tsp as well - less commonly available.

 

Salad Spinner

The greens if taken for a spin in the salad spinner get completely drained of water and we get crisp and delicious ingredients.
A salad spinner is a plastic bowl with a removable plastic strainer and special top, that when closed and activated, spins the strainer inside the bowl. When the strainer is filled with freshly washed salad, the spinning motion pulls excess water from the salad, flinging it through the walls of the strainer to the sides of the bowl where it collects in the bottom, free of the salad.
Using a salad spinner is simple. Once you've prepared the salad just follow these steps:

• Remove the strainer from the spinner.
• Place the salad inside the strainer.
• Hold the strainer under the faucet to thoroughly rinse the salad.
• Place the strainer back in the spinner bowl and secure the lid.
• Activate the spinning motion.

After several seconds, stop the spinner, and remove the top. Your salad will be free of excess water and ready for a plate! Now add cheese or any other toppings & use.

</SPAN>
</SPAN>I bought this in Singapore. I have not seen this in Chennai.


Preparing mint:

Washing & draining greens:

The lettuce is so much crisper in a salad after using this spinner.

 

Different types of strainers.

These are with me for many years, except the plastic ones. I am showing below how to clean them & maintain well.
Left biggest - mainly for rice & dhals
Centre - for coconut milk, rava consistency as shown in Mysorepa
Right smallest - ghee & oil

Left steel - soups & tamarind-tomato mixture
The other two plastic - for sugar syrup ( to be shown in gulabjamun, coconut burfi etc)


Left plastic - dust tea
Second from left - normal leaf tea
second from right - milk
right last - sundry use!!

How to clean - ONLY THE METAL STRAINERS CAN BE CLEANED.
Show them in the gas till all dirt catches fire & turns ash.

Then "bang" it on a plate till dust leaves the strainer!

 

Onion Chopper

This is an extremely useful gadget in eberyday cooking. This is from the US & is available through ebay india. Onions are normally cut into 2 and very big ones into 4. Just follow the pictures.

 

Kitchenqueen or Kitchenpress

This gadget is used to simultaneously puree & blend as well as strain.

There are 3 blades. The first with big hole is ideal for making karasev or ganthiyas.
The second is ideal for making fruit purees for jams & juices.

The one with the smallest hole is ideal for mashing potato, kozakatai dough etc, totally free fromn lumps.

 

Candy Thermometer

Candy thermometer or sugar thermometer leads the way in accuracy when making a burfi or fudge by measuring the temperature & therefore the stage of a cooking sugar solution.
Any fudge or toffee (western recipe) is based on temperature measurements.
I find it foolprof to determine the right stage when it should be removed from the stove.
All instructions are given in the pamphlet which comes with it.
I have been trying this for Indian sweets likeanfel cake, coconut burfi,mysorepak etc . The temperature varies for each sweet & I am editing the recipe & adding the temperature for it. I have added it for
Angel Burfi
(plan to post step by step)
Coconut Burfi
Cornoil Mysorepak
Verkadalai & Pottukadalai Urundai
I have also tried for chocolate fudge, banana fudge etc, which are very simple to make - just assembling the ingredients & cooking till the correct temperature is reached.
As far as I know, it is not available in Chennai. I have 2, one is Taylor
5983-66
0809
V3043

The other is Hamilton Beach


Making Cornoil Mysorepak