Friday 14 October 2016
Some tips to ease our regular cooking and kitchen chores.
1: Preparing ginger garlic paste in advance - Buy around 1/2 to 1 kg each ginger and garlic. Peel them and grind it to a smooth paste. This can be stored in a clean air tight container in the fridge. It stays fresh for over a month. Just take care to use a clean and dry spoon every time you use it.
2: Powdered sugar - Take around a kg or more sugar (according to your level of consumption) grind it to a smooth powder and store in a clean air tight container. Powdered sugar dissolves easily and faster than the normal sugar, so this will ease you in saving your time while making sharbats and drinks for iftar.
3: Preparing fillings - Prepare different kinds of fillings and stuffings and freeze them. Then use it in preparing different dishes like sandwiches, rolls, kababs, stuffed parathas etc. This will help you fasten your cooking.
4: Preparing chutneys - If you use imli chutney or any other khatti meethi chutney, then prepare them ahead and store in fridge in clean bottles.
5: Preparing dry pakora mixture - Pakoras are almost a staple iftar item in almost every household. So preparing the dry pakora mixture in bulk and storing in a clean container will again save a lot of our time during iftar preparations.
6: Preparing bread crumbs - If you use homemade bread crumbs then prepare it ahead in bulk quantity and store in clean air tight container.
7: Preparing masala powders - If you use home made masalas or spices, like zeera, dhania, garam masala, pepper powder, chat masala etc...then grind it ahead in large quantity and save in clean, dry, air tight containers.
8: Dahi bade - Just like pakodas another almost regular item is dahi bade. You can fry the badas and store in the freezer. This stays good for around 15 days. Just fry the badas, remove on absorbent paper, when cool store them in a clean air tight container and freeze them. The day you to want prepare it, remove from freezer and thaw it, then soak in luke warm water (halka garam) for around ten minutes and proceed with your recipe.
9: Cleaning and storing veggies - Peel the onions, peel garlic, trim the green chillies, wash and fry slightly leave it outside to dry or spread them on a clean towel for sometime and once it dries, store them separately in clean containers and refrigerate. This may sound silly but it actually saves a lot of time and mess in our regular cooking. Dont forget to refill your stock once it is consumed.
10: Freezing chick peas - Chick peas or chanas are another item that is prepared frequently. Chanas can be boiled and stored too in the freezer. It will save you the effort of soaking and cooking them often.Boil chickpeas ( safed and kala chana both)in large quantity, drain and cool it. Store it in batches ( required amount for single use) either in zip lock bags for clean containers.
11: Tomatoes
You can also make and freeze tomato Puree in muffin's tray and later you can freeze them in a ziplock bag
1: Preparing ginger garlic paste in advance - Buy around 1/2 to 1 kg each ginger and garlic. Peel them and grind it to a smooth paste. This can be stored in a clean air tight container in the fridge. It stays fresh for over a month. Just take care to use a clean and dry spoon every time you use it.
2: Powdered sugar - Take around a kg or more sugar (according to your level of consumption) grind it to a smooth powder and store in a clean air tight container. Powdered sugar dissolves easily and faster than the normal sugar, so this will ease you in saving your time while making sharbats and drinks for iftar.
3: Preparing fillings - Prepare different kinds of fillings and stuffings and freeze them. Then use it in preparing different dishes like sandwiches, rolls, kababs, stuffed parathas etc. This will help you fasten your cooking.
4: Preparing chutneys - If you use imli chutney or any other khatti meethi chutney, then prepare them ahead and store in fridge in clean bottles.
5: Preparing dry pakora mixture - Pakoras are almost a staple iftar item in almost every household. So preparing the dry pakora mixture in bulk and storing in a clean container will again save a lot of our time during iftar preparations.
6: Preparing bread crumbs - If you use homemade bread crumbs then prepare it ahead in bulk quantity and store in clean air tight container.
7: Preparing masala powders - If you use home made masalas or spices, like zeera, dhania, garam masala, pepper powder, chat masala etc...then grind it ahead in large quantity and save in clean, dry, air tight containers.
8: Dahi bade - Just like pakodas another almost regular item is dahi bade. You can fry the badas and store in the freezer. This stays good for around 15 days. Just fry the badas, remove on absorbent paper, when cool store them in a clean air tight container and freeze them. The day you to want prepare it, remove from freezer and thaw it, then soak in luke warm water (halka garam) for around ten minutes and proceed with your recipe.
9: Cleaning and storing veggies - Peel the onions, peel garlic, trim the green chillies, wash and fry slightly leave it outside to dry or spread them on a clean towel for sometime and once it dries, store them separately in clean containers and refrigerate. This may sound silly but it actually saves a lot of time and mess in our regular cooking. Dont forget to refill your stock once it is consumed.
10: Freezing chick peas - Chick peas or chanas are another item that is prepared frequently. Chanas can be boiled and stored too in the freezer. It will save you the effort of soaking and cooking them often.Boil chickpeas ( safed and kala chana both)in large quantity, drain and cool it. Store it in batches ( required amount for single use) either in zip lock bags for clean containers.
11: Tomatoes
You can also make and freeze tomato Puree in muffin's tray and later you can freeze them in a ziplock bag