Bawarchi: TIPS

Thursday, Dec 20 2007

Simple sandwiches can be turned to attractive eats by decorating with simple things like shredded cabbage, tomato slices, carrot juliennes, thinly chopped salad leaves etc.
If bread is too dry to make good sandwiches, just hold the bread in the steam over a pan of boiling water for a few seconds.
Spicy green chutneys, salsa dips, yoghurt dips, etc make very tasty inbetweens for sandwiches. A change from the same old bread and jam.

Always use glass, porcelain or china jars for picklings. Make sure the lids can be secured tightly.
Shaking pickling jar should be done in the following manner.
Place jar on a folded napkin. Hold neck with both hands. Shake in Pendulum motion using base as pivote.
Never use wet spoons, ladles etc to remove or handle pickle. Moistures paves way for rotting.
Always press back remaining pickle with a rubber spatula or spoon back making sure under the pickle is fully submerged the oil layer.

Any salad tastes better and crisp if the vegetables have been soaked in chilled water for a while.

For good home-made sprouted lentils follow the following steps:

Soak lentils in lots of water overnight.
In the morning drain water and wash by draining and adding water 2-3 times. Do not rub. Finally drain all water.
Cover and keep in warm dark place.
At night add water and drain out.
Cover and keep again as before.
By morning 3/4 long sprouts are ready!
Preferably use a porous container eg. an earthen pot. for best results.

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.
To make re-usable and handy stock. Make purees of boiled tomatoes, carrots, or bottle gourd. Set in freezer in ice cube trays. Remove the frozen cubes. Place in a clean milk bag. Seal and store in freezer.
Use as required. Can last 7-10 days.