Tips for starters:


 Best way to become a good cook is to learn some basic cooking techniques

• Purchasing  good quality ingredients, vegetables or fruits
• Avoid Over cooking or Under cooking  of food
• Avoid adding too little or too much of water.
• Never start cooking process without first heating the pan properly
• Always keep tasting the food now and then.
• Wash vegetables before peeling or cutting to preserve the water soluble vitamins.
• Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.
• Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
• Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
• After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid crying.
• Heat the oil thoroughly before adding seasonings or vegetables.
• To make pooris more crispy add a little rice flour to the wheat flour while kneading.
• To make 1 cup of dal, add atleast 2-3 cups of water, depending on the type of dal.
• Always add hot water to the gravy to enhance the taste.
• Soak whole pulses overnight and other dals for one hour before cooking.
• Never discard water in which vegetables are cooked, use it in gravies, soups, rasam.
• Add a few drops of lemon a tsp of oil to rice before boiling to separate each grain.
• If you forget to soak chana/Rajma overnight, Just soak the chana/Rajma in the boiling water for an hour before cooking.
• When you cook chicken or meat, you should first cook over high heat to seal juices and then lower the heat and cook till tender
• If you want to store fish for more than a day, first clean it, rub it with salt, turmeric and maybe, a dash of vinegar, and then freeze. It will stay fresh.
• Allow meat to stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking, It will cook more quickly, brown more evenly, and stick less when fried.

 Spices we commonly use in kitchen

 Transaltion From Malayalam To English.

• Patta/karugapatta- cinnamon
• Elakka- cardamon
• Grambu- Cloves
• Jathikka- Nutmeg
• Jathipoo- Mace
• Takkolam- Star anise
• Jeerakam- Cumin
• Perum Jeerakam- fennel seeds
• Karinjeerakam- Black cumin
• Ayamodagam- Ajwain
• kunkumapoo_ saffron
• Uluva- fenugreek
• kayam- asfoedita
• Tulasi- Basil
• Karuva Ella- Bay Leaf
• Karutha Uppu- Black Salt
• Karivepala- Curry Leaves
• Malliyilla- Coriander Leaves
• Manjal- Turmeric
• Malli- coriander
• Mulaku- chilly
• Kurumulaku- Pepper

  
  

  Happy Cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!