Basic Cooking Tips - 2

Some more essential tips on easy cooking...

• To slice meat into thin strips, especially for Chinese dishes, freeze meat for sometime to slice it easily.
• Add little milk to the water to keep cauliflower white while cooking.
• Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and you will get double the juice when you squeeze it.In the same way, garlic cloves can be microwaved for 15 seconds to peel off skin easily.
• Bread will stay fresh longer if a celery rib is stored with it in the package.
• Pakodas will turn out crispier if a little corn flour is added to the gram flour (besan) while preparing the batter. 
• To get rid of the smell of prawns, apply salt and lemon juice to the prawns before cooking. Leave for 15-20 minutes, then wash off and proceed with the recipe. This is usually done with prawns, fish and all kinds of seafood.
• If you forget to soak chana/rajma overnight, just soak the chana/rajma in boiling water for an hour before cooking.
• For grinding poppy seeds, soak it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes if you are grinding in a mixie. 
• While boiling milk, always add a little water at the base of the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking at the bottom.