Cooking Tips

• Always add cornflower to any recipe by first making a thin paste in cold water. Cornflower is an excellent thickening agent to add body to any soup. If not available Maida can also be used, similarly. Only the transparency of clear soups will not be there.
  
• Never over-boil soups as they lose their colour and body.
  
• Do not throw away the green tender stalks of cauliflower base. Chop fine and use in soups like other vegetables. You will be adding fibre to your soup.
  
• Dehydrate leftover rice in an oven or sundry, till brittle. Puff up some by deep frying as required, add to soups as rice crispiest.

• Use thick short grained rice for dosa and idli batter where ordinary rice is asked for. This will give a netter texture than using long grained basmati rice.
  
• If the idli sagoo tends to get too watery, add a tbsp. of fine breadcrumbs or 1 tsp. corn flour mixed in 1/4 cup water. Stir well till gravy thickens.
  
• Excess batter may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days without turning sour. Do not add salt to that batter beforehand, and cover with a plantain leaf. Add salt and mix a few hours before using.
  
• Never beat idli batter too much just before spooning into moulds. Just spoon as is. The air already incorporated while rising is lost and idlis may not be as soft as they should be.
  
• Grate excess fresh coconut, fill in clean freezer bags, and freeze. After thawing for use, wash with water 2-3 times, for coconut as good as fresh.
  
• Add a cupful of soaked poha to 5 cupfuls of rice soaked for idlis and grind with the rice for softer and lighter idlis.
  
• To break open the coconuts easily (the brown ones...); place them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This would separate the shell easily
  
• If your griddle is large enough make many teeny weenie dosas instead of one big one. Top them with a bit of chutney and sandwich them.
  
• Make dosas a little less crisp. Roll in any desired filling like a Frankie. Add chutney or jam if desired. Make very tasty rolls.