Hey, I have already given many tips and in this section we are going to see many tips like how to buy veg. how to buy fruits and some cooking tips. And I am going to give links for my old tips also. It will be useful to you I believe.
How to check veg.? Drumsticks முருங்கைகாய் - hold it own hand, and gently twist with the other hand. The good ones are young and flexible and easy to twist. Old will be hard to twist. So avoid. Egg plant / brinjal கத்தரிக்காய் -you can see the stems. If it looks green and fresh, the vegetable is fresh. If it looks dull and lifelfess, don't buy it..All the leafy vegetables & cauliflower - you can see if its fresh or old. For Cabbage and Cauliflower, also look at the stems. Some times these people will remove top leaves and make it look artificially fresh. But the stems will show if its old and dried. Hold it in your hand and press, if it is tough it is ok. If it is some what soft avoid that. Coconut – Knock on the shell, if you hear clear sound, the coconut is good. If you hear muffled sound, (like you are tapping on some cloth covered on the shell), its mostly spoiled. You can also see the kaN/eye கண் for the coconut. If its spoiled, it will look too soft... you can push lightly with your finger to see how soft it is. If you smell it you can feel the bad smell also. Then don’t select it. One more thing is there to check about coconut. That is, shake the coconut and you should hear the sound of water inside, if not do not buy it. Ok?
How to check veg. contd., Buying mangoes is an art. Don't squeeze it hard but hold it in your hands and slightly press.. If the Mangoes are firm and its good. If its over-ripe or going bad, it will feel like watery and 'loose'.The color of the skin is a good indicator for certain mangoes. Some mangoes will have the green color, even when its ripe, so smell it and buy. If you buy kutti-mangoes (unripened ones, small sized for vadu maanga to pickle it), it will stay fresh for a week. So, its better to salt it and make pickle as soon as possible. Same for Avakkai mango also. Don’t keep them for a long time. Make pickle as quick as you buy from the shop. Vendaikai/ Ladies Finger: Just press in the middle, don’t crush the end. Some shopkeepers may shout at you. If it is green and strong that is new one.
How to check veg. contd.., Carrot: Must be free from surface damages, and almost orange in colour. Check the tail portion. It should be hard, with out any bend. Beet root and radish see the leaf portion, if the leaves are green and fresh it is new one. Press the radish or beet root and if it is tough, you can take that. For Snack gourd, slightly twist and see. You can also press and check. If it is new one you can feel soft. Otherwise it will break. When you press your nail on it, your nail must go inside of the veg. You can smell the veg. If it is very fresh you will get a good smell.
Lemon: Press it , should be hard. Just scratch the skin with u nail and smell the fragrance...A good and fresh lemon should have strong fragrance. Potato: It should be clean and light cream in colour. You can use this type of potatoes for making parota. If it is some what black and the skin is somewhat peeling type means, you can use them for curry. (cut and fry) They will not good for making parota. Peel the skin and it should be hard again, and if you could see some moisture it is a fresh potato. Yam: Generally people cut and get this. (I use to get them full:tongue) If you see yellow colour, you can use that to make 'macyal'. This type is called as 'cooking varity' ( வேகும் கிழங்கு). If it is red or pink in colour, you can buy that to deep fry like fried curry or chips purpose. That is called as frying type (வறுபடும் கிழங்கு) OK?
How to buy fruits? Apple: There is to be a belief that darker the colour better is the taste. Banana: Do u want it to eat in a day...make sure its pale yellow in color. If you want to have it after couple of days, buy greenish yellow. One more tip, if you take banana, if it fall from the bunch, that is ripped one. Permogranate and Guava The harder is the better. Also make sure there are no damages or holes. And check the skin, is free from dark brown colour. Jackfruit: Check the gaps between the thorns....more the gap means the ‘sulai will be big but less sweet. And if you select less gap fruit, the ‘sulai’ will be small but very sweet and tasty. You can select as per your wish.
Cooking and Cleaning Tips Here I am giving some links you can view some tips there in another thread through this links. 1. Some more Tips..... 2. How to cut veg., 3.To get white, crispy Potato Ships 4.Crispy, white Potato chips (2) 5.Tip For Cleaning Silver Etc. 6. More ......Tips 7. More.....Tips 8. To keep green chilly fresh for a long time (even 6 months) 9. Photo of frozen green chilly
Storing greens You can wash, clean and chop the coriander and put it in a zip lock cover or any plastic box or you can even put them in the box, in which we get pears and strawberry. (The boxes with holes) And keep the box/ cover in the freezer. It will be there for more than 6 months. I usually store coriander leaves, Methi leaves like that. You can keep all greens like this.
Uses of Starch water Do not throw away starch water strained from boiled rice. 1. Use either to starch your dupattas and other clothes. 2. Use it to knead dough, in soups or drink with salt and curd to reduce body heat. 3. Or put 2 sp ‘segakai powder’ in it and take head bath. Very good for your hair. And this also cools your body from heat. 4. You can use the Bread Powder ( B.P.) to make cutlets. You can use B.P. after preparing fried curry to make the curry more crispy. 5. Some times while preparing vada the batter may become watery. At that time you can add the B.P. to make the dough tough one. 6. You can prepare B.P. with old left over bread also or other wise you can get the bread powder from the shop.
Tips to make your food into low cal. ones 1. Use ‘Hung Yoghurt’ instead of mayonnaise and sour cream. If a recipe has sour cream as an accompaniment, substitute it with hung yoghurt. To get hung yoghurt, put yoghurt, that too low fat yoghurt, in a muslin cloth and hang it for a few hours till the water drains off. You can season this and use it as a dip instead of mayonnaise or as a substitute for sour cream. It tastes ‘yummy’. 2. Use unsaturated oil instead of butter or margarine in cakes. Unsaturated oil can be used as a substitute for butter or margarine, while making cakes and pies. 3. Switch to lime juice, tomato and orange juice for dressings. They have far fewer calories than the regular dressings. 4. Use skimmed Milk instead of cream. Thicken gravies with skimmed milk and flour instead of cream. Better still, use arrowroot or cornstarch. Alternatively, you can use extra vegetables to thicken soup. 5. Use fruit purees instead of fat in cakes, muffins, cookies and other baked goods.
