1.   Setting up a kitchen?
2.   How do you to hold a knife correctly?
3.   Safety first. I am new in the kitchen, how do I start?
4.   Cooking a whole meal for the first time?
5.   New to baking?? Let me guide you…
6.   How can I use my microwave oven to make delicious meals in minutes?
7.   How should you shop?
8.   Refrigerator
9.   How to use measuring cups for perfect results?
10. About deep-frying.
11. How to keep the kitchen clean?
12. Emergency substitutes.
13. How to follow recipes correctly?

Setting up a kitchen?                Top
Don’t fret! You don’t have to go on a big-shopping spree. I’ ve listed here a few of the most essential articles you need to start a kitchen for a family or for 2-3 people.
Jars for tea/coffee/sugar and salt
Baskets for potatoes & onions Measuring cups
12 glass bottles for masalas Measuring spoons
12 plastic jars for grains & cereals Rolling pin & board
2-3 knives Steel tong’s
1 peeler Lighter
1 grater 6 teatowels
1 chopping board Kitchen roll
1 whisk Aluminium foil
2 pans Cling film
2 saucepans Serving bowls
1 tava/non-stick Serving plate
1 kadhai Table cuttlery
Pressure cooker Glasses
Sieve Dinner plates
Strainer Side plates
Bottle opener Blender or food processor
Can opener
1 ladle
1 flatspoon, serving spoons & wooden spoons
2-3 thalis
Slotted frying spoon

For your refrigerator
Plastic / glass bottles for water
Butter dish
Plastic containers for chilli / ginger / curry leaves / coriander / mint leaves
Containers for left-overs

How do you to hold a knife correctly?                 Top
The proper way to hold a chef’s knife is to grip it so that the back of the blade is firmly held between the thumb and forefinger, with the other three fingers wrapped around the handle. This would give much better control while cutting and also be much less tiring when there is lot of chopping and mincing to be done.

Safety first.                 Top
Dress safely when you cook. Wear cottons and other natural fabrics. Do not wear nylons and synthetics. Avoid loose clothing and long broad sleeves. If you are comfortable its safer to wear an apron during cooking.

1. Keep some antiseptic handy for cuts and burns. If you get burnt, hold the burnt area under cold water.
2. If you smell gas odour, immediately turn off the flames and open the doors and windows. Don’t put on any switches. Get someone from the gas company to check the leak.
3. Store your electrical equipment like toaster, oven, blender, food processor away from the sink or any other water connection.
4. Use dry pot-holders to remove things from the gas or the oven. Wet tea towel and potholders conduct heat and electricity and can be hazardous.

I am new in the kitchen, how do I start?
Cooking, today is as much a science as it is an art. Anyone can learn to cook if you follow some basic guidelines.

1. The first rule is "don’t panic". Relax and take it easy.
2. Begin by familiarizing yourself with the kitchen and get comfortable. Put on a clean apron and tie your hair back.
3. Choose a simple recipe from your favourite cookbook and read it carefully, preferable twice. If you do not understand any terms mentioned in the recipe, look up the glossary.
4. Carefully lay out all the ingredients on your worktable and measure them carefully using standard cups, teaspoon and tablespoon measures, for best result.
5. Look for any basic recipes, the recipe might contain and prepare for that in advance.
6. Follow each step specified in the recipe correctly. Keep the improvising for later.
7. Follow the serving instructions specified in the recipe, for example serve hot or cold etc. A perfectly cooked dish can taste all wrong if served incorrectly.

Cooking a whole meal for the first time?                Top
Are you the kind of person, who dabbles in the kitchen- cooking one odd dish at a time. If it’s the first time you are setting out to cook an entire meal all by yourself, you will soon discover its another thing altogether. Successful meal preparation is as much dependent on planning as on cooking skills. Golden rules for time management

1. The first step is to read the recipes thoroughly before making a final choice. If you choose 2 or more hot dishes, consider their cooking times and oven temperatures. If you have only one oven and the temperatures required for the 2 dishes are different, this will present difficulties.
2. Next, make a shopping list. Check that you have all the ingredients you require. Once you have everything on hand, you can start the preparation.
3. Read each recipe through again so you know what lies ahead and try to estimate how long each preparation stage will take.
4. It is usually the case that most of the cooking has to be done at the same time, but we have only one pair of hands. So decide what can wait and what has to be done immediately. Grind masalas and pastes in advance.
5. Start with dishes that takes the longest cooking time for ones that have to be served last and work your way backwards i.e. the dessert for example, can be started just while you pressure cook the dal, then cook the vegetables. Prepare the salad and finally the parathas.
6. If any recipe requires the oven to be preheated, do this first. Water for cooking of vegetables can be brought to a boil while you are doing the chopping and slicing.
7. Set out all the ingredients required and prepare them as specified in the recipe. If more than one dish calls for the same ingredients (example chopped onion) you can prepare the total amount at the same time.
8. Alway use sharp knives. They will assist you in cutting and chopping quickly.
9. Use labour saving devices like a food processor, pressure cooker, a peeler, an electric whisk etc. which will make your job easier and quicker in the kitchen.

New to baking?? Let me guide you…                 Top
By baking, I am referring to actually cooking\ baking in the oven, not just grilling or gratinating baked dishes. Keep these pointers in mind when you start:

1. Always start with a relatively easy recipe and one that you feel comfortable with.
2. Measure all the ingredients perfectly using standard cup and spoon measures for flawless results.
3. Follow the recipe correctly taking care to understand terms used for example creaming, whisk, fold etc.
4. Always ensure that the raising and leavening agents such as baking powder, soda bi-carb, yeast are fresh to guarantee a good baked product.
5. It is important to use the correct size of baking pan \ tin as specified in the recipe. Always fill the cake pan \ tin no more than half full leaving room for it rise while baking.
6. Grease the baking tray/ pan generously, using hydrogenated oil so that the baked product unmoulds neatly.
7. Unless specified otherwise always place the baking tray \ pan in the middle rack of the oven to bake.

Conversion chart of temperatures will be of great help while baking

How can I use my microwave oven to make delicious meals in minutes?     Top
Here are a few tips, to use your microwave effectively:

1. Use heat resistant glass, ceramic, china or thick plastic containers to cook in.
2. Cut the food into equal sized pieces to ensure that it cooks quickly and evenly.
3. Covering the food, holds in the steam to keep the food moist, distributes the heat evenly and causes less splatter. Use close fitting lids or microwaveable plastic film.
4. Some foods such as cakes and food with a crumb are cooked uncovered to promote a dry surface.
5. Stirring curries, rice and vegetables during cooking is most effective in distributing heat.
6. Whole vegetables like potatoes should be pieced before microwaving, as the heat generated during cooking creates pressure in the potato causing it to explode in the oven.
7. If the recipe has standing time, be patient. It is important for complete cooking.
8. Cook only one dish at a time, you will get better results and the flavours of each dish will be different.
9. Always use oven mitts while removing food from the microwave.

Is it OK to double recipe portions?
Yes, for most recipes it is perfectly all right to double the principle ingredients in the recipe, for example vegetables, pulses, flours etc. However, a little caution should be exercised when adding the spices and condiments. Start by adding 1½ times the specified amount, adding more, only if you require it.To double recipes for cakes, cookies, breads etc. It is essential to double all the ingredient exactly. Also remember to use a larger baking tin \ pan. The baking time will increase a little, but not the baking temperature.

How should you shop?                 Top
Do you feel like a fish out of water, when you have to shop for your grocery. I did, when I first started.
I found it easy at that time to roughly plan, my needs for the week and jot down my grocery list accordingly, vegetables, fruits, canned goods, bread etc.
Finally check on basics like salt, flour, dal, masala powder, which we all take for granted.
Be curious about foods and their uses. You will get many exciting ideas and discover interesting foods that you can bring on your table.

Shopping suggestions
Learn how to recognize good quality in fresh foods. Before picking up a "bargain" in fresh fruits, check their condition carefully. Make sure that they are firm to touch and smell fragrant.

1. Buy spotted or bruised fruits only if you know you can use them soon after purchase so that they will neither spoil nor loose their food VALUE.
2. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, as they will be lower in price and better flavoured.
3. Look for bargains, but keep in mind cheap deals are not always the best and neither are the most expensive. Buy sensibly.
4. If you buy bulk quantities of food at a lower price, be sure that you have enough space in the kitchen and also make sure that you use up the ingredients you have bought in bulk quantities, before they get spoiled.
5. Buy brands you trust and those that provide value for money. Look for special deals i.e. free gift, 33.33% more, free samples etc.
6. By reading foods labels and through observation, study and find out the difference in price quantity and cost.
7. Keep a pad and pencil in the kitchen. They are your best insurance against forgetting some staple, you may need. Also know how much you need, when you get to the market, stick to the shopping list.

Refrigerator                Top
Save market trips, avoid wastage of food by installing a wonderful appliance – A refrigerator
A refrigerator is a boon to any housewife. It cuts down on cooking hours, market trips, avoids wastage of food and last but not the least the housewife gets more time to relax. It is almost a necessity in today’s day.

Installing a refrigerator

1. Locate your refrigerator away from direct sunlight or from a heat source such as cookers or heating equipment.
2. If the refrigerator is to be placed on a thick carpet, it should be kept on a stand, ensuring free airflow beneath it.
3. To check whether the refrigerator is properly level, open the door at 30° angle and leave it. If it moves towards the cabinet and closes without a jerk, the refrigerator is properly levelled.
4. Always keep the refrigerator at least six inches away from the wall so the heat from the compressor at the rear is easily dispersed.

Precautions to be taken while operating a refrigerator

1. Do not keep the refrigerator door open for a long time as a rise in temperature leads to extra burden on the compressor.
2. Do not bang the door while shutting.
3. Clean the refrigerator condenser coils. Built up dirt and dust will prevent circulating air from extracting heat from the coil.
4. Defrost the refrigerator regularly to reduce the burden on the compressor. Never try to hasten the defrosting process by chipping off the ice as this may damage the freezer chest. If you have a frost free refrigerator, you need to close it and clean it once every six months or so.
5. Hot foods should never be placed in a refrigerator. Cool them to room temperature before storing them. Keeping hot foods into the fridge reduces its cooling capacity in the long run.

About refrigerator
General tips on storage of food

1. To use the space in the fridge to best advantage, wash all vegetables, trim off useless parts, wrap in polythene bags and store in the vegetable tray in the fridge.
2. When keeping packed foodstuffs in the freezer, label each of them with the name of the foodstuff and the date of storage.
3. Cheese should never be stored in the fridge without being protected in an air-tight container or wrapped in its original cover or aluminum foil. Otherwise, it develops a hard surface.
4. Do not overload your refrigerator as overstuffing the refrigerator with foods interferes with air circulation and puts extra stress on the compressor. The storage life of foods is also increased with good air circulation in the refrigerator.
5. To prevent odours from spreading, make sure that all food is wrapped, covered and bagged in plastic.

Keep a freezer inventory list. This list should give a detailed idea of what is stored in the fridge. This will help you to look out for food and use older items first.

Cleaning of a refrigerator

1. While cleaning the fridge, do not use strong alkaline solutions like borax.
2. Do not use harsh abrasive cleaners as they scratch and damage the smooth surface.
3. Never use soap or detergent to clean the refrigerator. A cloth dipped in lukewarm water should serve well.
4. The door liner should be cleaned with a small quantity of liquid detergent added to warm water.
5. Ice trays should never be washed with hot water as this can damage the protective coating on the trays and make the cubes difficult to remove.
6. Do not remove ice trays stuck in the freezer with a knife. Using sharp instruments can damage the cooling tubes.
7. When storing leftovers in the refrigerator, use airtight containers.

How to use measuring cups for perfect results?                Top
Accurate measurements are essential if you want the same good results each time you cook. Use standard measuring cups and spoons.

1. For dry ingredients like flour and sugar, spoon ingredients lightly into cup, then level with a knife.
2. For cereal and breadcrumbs, pour into a cup and level with a knife.
3. For solid fats, spoon into a cup and pack down firmly with a spoon, it’s easier to measure fat at room temperature.

1. For thin liquids like milk, pour into a spoon until full.
2. For thick liquids and dry ingredients pour or scoop into a spoon until full and then level with a straight edged spatula or a knife

Measuring spoons (nested)
Sizes: - Spoons used for measuring come in sizes ranging from ¼ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, i.e. (¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1teaspoon and 1 tablespoon).
Uses: - Spoons are used to measure liquids and dry ingredients.
Nested measuring cups sizes: Cups range in sizes from ¼ cup to 1 cup. i.e. they are available in ¼ ,1/3, ½ and 1 cup sizes. They are used to measure dry ingredients like flour, sugar etc. and solid ingredients like fats like butter.

Measuring Jugs
Uses - They are used to measure liquids. Always read the line on a measuring jug at eye level when checking the volume of liquid. Place the measuring jug on a level surface and slowly pour the liquid into the jug until it reaches the required mark.

Relationship between teaspoon, tablespoon and cups
1 tablespoon (15 ml.) = 3 teaspoons (5 ml. Each)
3 tablespoons = ¼ cup
4 tablespoons + 1teaspoon = 1/3 cup
6 tablespoons = ½ cup
8 tablespoons = 2/3 cup
13 tablespoons = 1 cup

Measuring Liquids
¼ teaspoon = 1.25 ml
½ teaspoon = 2.5 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml
¼ cup = 50 ml
1/3 cup = 80 ml
½ cup = 100 ml
¾ cup = 150 ml
1 cup = 200 ml

About deep-frying.                 Top

How to deep-fry food correctly? or What points should be considered when deep-frying food?

Introduction
Deep-frying is subjection of food to heat while it is completely immersed in hot fat. The process is very quick as heat penetrates from all the sides. The fat must be hot enough to seal the outside surface of the food being fried. If not, the food will absorb the fat and begin to release its juices into the fat.

A few points to remember about deep-frying.

1. There must be enough room in the pan to allow the bubbling of fat which takes place when frying.
2. Never fill the frying pan more than half full.
3. In case the fat should ever catch fire, keep a metal lid handy to smoother the flames.
4. Keep a slotted metal spoon ready to lift the food from the fat.
5. To judge the temperature for frying. The best way is to use a frying thermometer but the next best is generally what is used most of the time. When you think the fat has reached the right temperature drop a cube of bread on a small piece of dough. If the bread turns evenly golden and comes on the surface, the fat is ready.
6. If the fat is not too hot enough, the food will sink and will be greasy when lifted out. If it is too hot, it will brown before it is cooked inside. Never allow the fat to smoke, as it not only spoils the fat for re-use but also overburns the food and makes a hard crust.
7. Fry the items a few at a time.There should be enough space for the food to fry comfortably without touching each other. Also adding too many items for frying, lowers the temperature of fat.
8. Drop the food, one at a time gently into the fat, to avoid splashing. In case, you are apprehensive in the beginning, place the food to be fried over a slotted spoon and gently immerse the spoon into the fat along with the food and remove it, leaving the food behind.
9. After one batch of food has been fried, increase the temperature for a few seconds after adding the second lot. Skim out bits of food crumbs while the oil is being heated.
10. When you lift the food out of the fat, place it on a newspaper or tissue paper, to drain out excess fat.
11. Butter or margarine are not suitable for deep frying, since they smoke very fast. Oil and vanaspati are the best.
12. After you have finished frying, cool the oil and strain it through a metal sieve and keep aside.
13. Do not use the same oil to fry more than twice.

How to keep the kitchen clean?                 Top

1. Keep the counters, appliances, utensils and dishes absolutely clean with the help of soap and water.
2. Discard the unnecessary items from the refrigerator, as overcrowding the refrigerator will put unnecessary stress on the compressor and prevent air circulation.
3. Arrange the utensils and food products in a pleasing accessible way.
4. Wash the chopping boards with a mixture of liquid detergent and water. Scrub properly to remove the stubborn stains. Rinse, pat dry and put it in an appropriate place.
5. Keep pets out of the kitchen. Be sure to wash hands after playing with pets and before handling the food.
6. Wash kitchen linen e.g. towels and cloths because bacteria can stay in towels and clothes which are used over and over.
7. Clean up as you cook. It makes less work at the end. After you finish using a utensil, put it in warm soapy water to soak. Wash sharp knives separately and be careful of the sharp blades.
8. Wash and dry all the utensils you have used and put them away. Wash the counters and leave the kitchen neat and clean.
9. Check the range, oven and any other appliances to make sure that you have turned them off. Put away any appliances such as a hand mixer that you have used.
10. Rub the countertop stains such as mustard, tea, oil or fruit juice with baking soda and a damp cloth or sponge. If the stain persists, wipe it with a cloth moistened with a little chorine bleach.
11. Keep a garbage pail in the corner of the kitchen to prevent odours. Line the pail with a plastic bag and collect the garbage in it. Discard the bag after you have finished cooking.

Emergency substitutes               Top
Instead of 10 gms fresh yeast,
Use 5 gms dried yeast dissolved in lukewarm water.
Instead of 1 teaspoon baking powder,
Use 1 teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon cream of tartar.
Instead of 1 cup self-raising flour,
Use 1 cup plain flour (maida) plus ½ teaspoon baking powder.
Instead of 1 tablespoon cornflour,
Use 1 heaped tablespoon arrowroot.
Instead of 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (for example parsely, basil etc.)
Use 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Instead of 1 cup salad oil,
Use 1 cup refined oil.
Instead of 1 cup desiccated coconut,
Use 1 whole fresh coconut, grated.
Instead of 1 tablespoon parsley,
Use 1 tablespoon fresh coriander.
Instead of 1 cup sour cream,
Use 1 cup cream plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 2
tablespoons thick curds

How to follow recipes correctly?                Top
To get perfect results every time you cook, follow these simple rules

1. Check out for the preparation time, which is mentioned on top of the recipe. Please do not lose heart if you find it takes longer than the time given. After you have made the dish once, you will find the preparation much speedier on subsequent occasions.
2. Check out for the cooking times also. The size of containers, individual cookers or the ripeness or tenderness of the foods being used can cause a slight variation. So do not be worried, if there is some difference in the cooking time.
3. Read the recipe carefully. If you cannot follow any terms mentioned in the recipe, look through the glossary.
4. Weigh or measure the ingredients accurately to get perfect results.
5. Read the ingredients carefully and check to see whether you have all the ingredients ready with you in the kitchen.
6. The first time you try a recipe, follow the directions exactly. You can alter the recipe once you are confident in the kitchen.
7. Read the instructions carefully as sometimes marinating the food is required to be done 2 to 3 hours before hand. Time yourself accordingly in the kitchen.

More
Indian Recipes
International Recipes
Tips