This week I would like to share with you a few interesting cooking tips, that I have learnt, as I travel through those wonderful cooking moments in my kitchen. Applying these tips will help you cook natural and feel good!
Tips:
- Use jaggery instead of sugar whenever possible.
- To thicken soup, use vegetables that naturally thicken, like whole pea, corn and sweet potato.
- Use potato juice instead of starch powder.
- As far as possible, let vegetables cook in their own juices.
- Try to avoid as far as possible deep frying and too much oil, instead use healthful techniques like steaming and poaching.
- A great tip to make healthy gravy– use dry vegetables with juicy ones. The gravy not only turns out healthier, but tasty too! For e.g., cook ridge gourd with ripe tomatoes, there is no need of oil at all as the juices from the tomato forms the base gravy in which to cook the ridge gourd- Add the dry-roasted spices, this helps strengthening the flavour. Also add fresh coriander to the dish to add to the richness of the food you are cooking…
- Avoid use of excess oil. For meat or even vegan dishes, brush the meat or vegetable with oil and then cook, instead of adding them to the heated oil in a pan. Though most of our Indian dishes need the oil heated for the seasoning, I try to avoid too much oil for heating.
- Listen to Nature – Nature tells you what to eat depending on where you are. Why else would Eskimos lead a healthy life despite consuming a whole lot of whale fat?!! In tropical countries like India vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs, sea and river fish are available in plenty. There is a reason for this.
- Homemade ghee mixed with rice is natural, pure and not harmful.
And last of all, just what you need a tip to love your food:
Spend time with food – right from choosing the vegetables, fish or meat and the ingredients to cook, to the actual cooking and then the final act of eating. It’s good when you involve yourself in what you are about to consume. Eat with your loved ones- family and friends…
Food has great effects when eaten with love and shared with loved ones!