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.  

How to Keep Cool in Summer?

While there are thousands of ways to beat the heat, here are a few quick suggestions to keep summer heat at bay:

• Stay indoors as much as you can. If you must go out, use an umbrella and shades to keep your eyes and skin safe from the scorching sun!
• Have food that is easy on your stomach and avoid oily stuff as much as you can. Don't forget to drink lots of water and other fluids to keep yourself hydrated.
• Wear comfortable cotton loose fitting clothes. Stick to natural fabrics and avoid synthetics.
• Have fruits and plenty of fresh fruit juices.
• Have plenty of herbal tea with a dash of lemon
• Consume food and vegetable with high water content like melons, pears and grapes and vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, bitter gourd, and zucchini. Avoid spicy dishes.
• Take lots of curd daily. Alternatively, you can have flavoured yogurts.
• Yoga, brisk walking and freehand exercises are great to refresh your mind and body. Daily exercise would cool you from inside and take away your tensions.

So even if you hate summers like me, try these simple tips to make the most of this sultry summer!