Handy Mechanical Gadgets - Churner, Rolling Pin & Board and Cutting Board

Churner :

This is a long handled gadget. A long cylindric handle has a flower shaped contraption at the base. It is held vertically in the vessels and rotated in place with both palms holding the handle and churning back and forth. Use to make buttermilk, smoothen batters for malpua, etc.

Rolling Pin & Board :

Both usually come in wood, and use for rolling anything from chapathis to pie bases, doughs, etc. One can roll almost used up tubes of toothpaste, ointments, etc. to bring all the leftover contents towards the mouth, and use it to the maximum. Take care to keep the cap on while rolling.

Cutting Board :

This may be of wood, ceramic, or other heavy duty plastic, and is used for not only chopping vegetables, but for bruising garlic, ginger, etc.

Handy Mechanical Gadgets - Pounder, Potato Masher, Can Opener and Kitchen Scissors

Pounder :

This is a miniature mortar and pestle used to crush small amounts of items, from cardamoms, to chillies, to peas, etc. in a jiffy. Take one which has a sturdy base, and fairly heavy, so the job gets done fast. Comes in stone, steel alloys, brass, etc.

Potato Masher :

This is a flat perforated base attached to a handle, and is used for mashing boiled potatoes, vegetables, and even to mash pavbhaji while cooking it.

Can Opener :

If you open can once in a way, then you need not buy the costly electrical ones. A simple small, inexpensive one, opens them very fast, anyway. They also usually come with a facility of bottle opener, too.

Kitchen Scissors :

One pair of scissors is very necessary in the kitchen and for foods only. You can chop chillies, greens, etc. so fast and with not burning on the hands. Make sure you have a pair which is rust proof.

Tips for making sherbets

Make concentrates, sherbets and store them while you can, to enjoy the freshness of fruit and their cool tangy taste.

A few general observations while making sherbets:

Try to use sulphurless sugar to make the recipes.

Use water which has been boiled and cooled, to give a clearer appearance to transparent concentrates..

All hard fruit should be boiled and peeled in hot water

To store for longer periods preservatives like potassium metabisulphite (KMS) are required. They should be used only in specified quantities. Otherwise they will spoil the texture of the drink, and also affect health if used in large quantities.

As a general rule, 1 kilogram of ready sherbet requires 1/2 tsp. essences unless specific recipes show otherwise.

The procedure of sterilising bottles for filling the sherbets should be sterilised by the same method as explained in jams and pickles.

Add 1/2 tsp. respective essence to 1kg. of the ready syrup where desired. Eg. raw mango does not need essence, while orange will be enhanced by addition of a little essence. So choice depends on taste.

Use unstrained juices (but not seeds) for orange, mosambi or lemon and other such squashes.

Important tips for baking a basic cake

1. 
   
   
   

   Greasing a cake pan is very important to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom. While few recipes ask to grease with butter, few others ask for flouring the base. What works best for me is to do both. Grease lightly (butter/pam spray), use your hands. Then flour it with all-purpose flour. Make sure to dust off excess flour too.
   
   Note: Depending on the type of cake, cocoa powder/powdered sugar can be used to dust instead of all-purpose flour.
   
   
   
2. Always preheat the oven. Starting the oven 1 minute earlier and placing the cake even before the oven is heated through is not accepted! It will only throw the correct cake baking time off-balance. Make sure you keep the rack right in the centre (unless specifically mentioned otherwise in the recipe).
3. Using the correct cake pans always helps. Most often, a given recipe is customised for a specific tin size. If you are just beginning with cakes, follow the same cake tin. With experience, one can start using discretion and make adjustments likewise. This takes care of basic mistakes like filling the cake batter to the brim. The batter should be half filled so that it allows space for the cake to rise. Also make sure to level the batter for a smooth surface.
4. Keeping all the ingredients at room temperature unless otherwise mentioned in the recipe is appropriate for cake making. Also don`t forget to sift the flour.
5. For beginners, a metal cake pan would help to produce tender crusts and this is because the metal helps to reflect the heat away. But if you have to use glass pans, then make sure to reduce approximately 25 degrees from the temperature mentioned in the recipe.
6. Last but not the least, cool the cake completely before removing it from the pan.

10-minute upmas

      

In the midst of breakfast cereals and `eggs and toast`, a steaming plate of our very own `desi` upma is always welcome at the breakfast table.

For those of you who are wary of the traditional mundane upma, here is a variety to choose from. Throw in some chopped vegetables, add a dash of spice to just about any base from rawa to ragi and your gorgeous-smelling upma is ready in a jiffy. So go ahead and set about trying our 10-minute upmas. And if you have one such recipe up your sleeve, share it with us right here

Bread Upma Vermicelli Upma Vegetable Dahlia Moong Upma Murmure Upma Poha (Aval) Upma

Spicy Idly Upma Oriya Pauruti Upma Couscous Upma Cabbage Upma Raagi Upma