When I started cooking, everything was greek and latin to me.With so many wooes,troubles and triumphs , started slowly to understand the basics of cooking.The most essential ingredient for cooking is " love".When u put ur whole heart in it, obviously ur dish will be extraordinary.And the second basic ingredient is "self confidence", without which u cannot survive .And the last but not the least is "Try".Whatever happens,if u keep on trying some thing new, u will end up in so many delicious mouth watering dishes.
Tips:
Here I am giving u some tips,which I came to know in the process of learning and also from our seniors.
* While boiling peas,potatoes, don't put salt before it is cooked.Bcoz this will make its skin to get peeled off and give them a mashy,look.
* While preparing sweets like kesari,payasam,kheer, add a pinch of salt.This will enhance the sweetness to the dish.
* If u want keerai, to retain its green color in ur dish,then dont cover them while cooking.
* While cooking rice for "Variety rices" ,add a tsp of oil ,while cooking.This will make the rice non sticky and dont forget to dry them in a plate or a wide mouthed pan before mixing.
* While cooking dal for sambar, add a tsp of oil .This makes the dal to cook fast and gives a shiny texture.
* If u have large amt of veges like beans,avarakkai,radish etc, cut them ,put it in a air tight container and freeze them.Whenever u need them, just thaw them and use.This gives the veges extra life and retains their nutritions.
* Always use small teaspoons for oil,sugar and salt.This will restrict us from putting more atleast to some extent.
* Cut the dishwashing sponge into two and use them.This helps us to hold it easily and also cost effective.
* Green chillies will have longer life,when u store them after removing their stem.
* While fermenting batter for idli or dosa, dont add too much salt,bcoz this will give batter a pulippu smell, before it gets fermented fully.
* While cooking adai or ghee roast, dont use ghee fully.Mix ghee and oil in a cup and use this mixture.This will give the dish fantastic aroma ,with less fat .
* Bread crumbs can be made easily at home, by toasting in the oven( or tava) for 2 to 3 mins and grinding them in the blender coarsely.
* If u want ur dish to smell heavenly,but not to use more ghee ,then add ghee at the end.This helps the dish to retain its smell.
* During winter coconut oil will become solid.Heat it once in a microwave,pour it in a cup and use it as a coconut jell.This reduces the frequent heating of oil.
* Even ghee will become solid during winter, keep a separate microwave container and pour ghee in it.Whenever u want, u can just melt it in the microwave and use it.
The most essential tool for cooking ,is "the way u handle critics".When some one criticizes, dont take it to ur heart.Take the comments and try to put it in ur cooking or just forget it,afterall they r the one who makes us to strive more .
"Happy cooking"
