TIP OF THE DAY

 Keep a couple of baby wipes or wet wipe packets handy around the house.. they make a great tool for cleaning the stove, things like the microwave etc. .. I have one in the bathrooms as well.. great for wiping down the sink or a quick mid week clean up of the potty seat.. (remember not to flush the wipes down the toilet, though)....

A feather brush (not made of feathers anymore) is a much better tool to wipe off dust than the dust cloth. It also gets into those nooks and corners without you having to move stuff around.. and generally, so much easier to use..

How To Store Fresh Coriander Leaves For Longer

Storing herbs is everyone's dilemma. You usually get a huge bunch of herbs from the grocery store and never seem to use them fast enough before they spoil. For some people, getting access to fresh coriander is not that easy too.

Everyone has their own tips and tricks here. I did try a lot of suggestions out there, but was looking for something that still kept the freshness and flavour intact for as long as I could push it.

How to store coriander leaves for longer

 The BEST way, was to store it in a glass air tight jar in the fridge. This kept it fresh for the longest period of time. I did not wash the leaves before storing. When you get the leaves, open them out on a tray to dry as there could be some moisture still in the bunch. About half an hour of drying should do. Remove any roots. You can store it lined with a kitchen paper towel or without. To be honest I've had better results without the kitchen paper roll.

Can stay easily for upto two weeks or more.

Once in a while, open the jar and wipe the inside for moisture and remove any blackened leaves. This step will help prolong its life, as once rot sets in a few leaves, the rest will start to rot faster too.

How To Store Curry Leaves For Longer

How to store curry leaves for longer

Curry leaves can stay up to a month in the fridge if removed from the stalk and stored in a glass jar.

When you get the curry leaves from the supermarket, remove the stalk and leave to dry on a tea towel for 10 mins or so (or alternatively pat them dry with a tea towel).

Store in a glass bottle. You can line the inside with a kitchen  paper towel if you like, or once in a while remember to wipe the moisture inside and pull out any blackened leaves.

Make sure you do not overcrowded them in the bottle or it will encourage moisture to collect faster. Here in Dubai we get big packets of them, so I sometimes use 2 bottles if required. 

One can store these bottles on any shelf in the fridge..

This picture was taken after more than 15 days of being in the fridge. Neither it's flavour nor its colour was compromised. 

TIP OF THE DAY

 When cleaning your cooking range, wipe off any splatters of oil with a kitchen paper roll or keep a small toilet roll just for this purpose.. Do NOT wipe it with your kitchen sponge or else your sponge will feel slimy after a while. This encourages bacteria build up and you will find yourself in a little while with a very smelly sponge!

TIP OF THE DAY

 If your lemon has been lying around in your fridge and gone a bit hard, don't throw it away just yet.. soak it for about 5 mins in boiling hot water and it's good to use again..It will become soft as the day you bought it..

TIP OF THE DAY

 Have you tried adding maple syrup when frying your bacon? The combination is heavenly! !! All you need is maybe a teaspoon or so of maple syrup, adding it halfway, when your bacon is almost done. ..yummy goodness..

TIP OF THE DAY

For some gardening tips:

Have you tried growing garlic chives? stick some garlic pods in the mud, pointy side up... They are super healthy and make a great addition to salads.. Easy to grow too..

Do not  keep your basil flowers too long on the stem, as soon as you see the tips bud, tear them off and throw the seeds in the pot, it will encourage new plants to spring up.. The basil flowers attract aphids and small black dot like insects that can eat away your plant..

To get rid of aphids, combine 2 tablespoons of clear, perfume-free dish washing liquid with 1 gallon of warm water. Mix the solution and spray it . All the aphids should be covered with the solution or they will multiply again.

Rosemary requires very little water, so go easy when you water it. With this weather now, you can skip one day and do the next..

Throw some dried beans in a pot, they are easy to grow and you can get a crop of French beans to add to your dishes.. They also provide the soil with a lot of nutrients...

Tomatoes need super rich soil.. They also drain your soil completely, so after harvesting your crop and when the season has finished, make sure you add compost back into the soil..

I've found that plants like eggplant and chilly do not bear vegetables the next year. The plant may survive and flower but wont bear any more veggies.

Don't forget to throw used coffee grinds, powdered tea, egg shells etc.. into your soil. They are all very healthy for your plants.

TIP OF THE DAY

 When making potato chops (mashed potatoes with a mince filling), croquettes or other such patties, oil your hands before shaping, to avoid everything from sticking to your hands. It will also help you to better shape the patties..

TIP OF THE DAY

When making chappatis to keep for the next day, do not use oil on your pan when frying. . Fry them dry or better still make phulkas and store in an airtight box... then the next day when required, say for lunch boxes, warm them on a pan with a slight drizzle of ghee..it will keep them soft and nice, till ready to eat..

TIP OF THE DAY

 When making pina coladas, chill your coconut milk tin and the pineapple juice and add ice to the shaker right at the start of making your drink. If they are at room temperature, the mixture can curdle. A lesson learnt the hard way..

TIP OF THE DAY

Have you tried growing your own rocket leaves.. all you need is a rectangular pot and potting soil and some seeds.. it especially grows well during the winter months here in Dubai. . you will get such a good crop, you won't be able to eat it fast enough. . Its super healthy too.. I planted my seeds a few days back and I can already see baby leaves sprouting. . Go ahead and try it.. Garden Centre is the best place to pick up a packet of seeds.. throw in a few seeds and leave the rest for next year's crop..

TIP OF THE DAY

Use nail polish or permanent marker to mark an "x" or a "0" (or any other such codes) to match your keys to the locks..

Especially handy for suitcase locks so you are not rummaging through a whole bundle of keys to see which one matches...

TIP OF THE DAY

Freeze grapes to chill white wine without watering it down.. looks great for parties too

TIP OF THE DAY

To make clear ice cubes, use boiling water. Regular water makes cloudy ice cubes..

TIP OF THE DAY

Snag those hotel-freebie shower caps to cover shoes before packing them in a suitcase. The plastic keeps dirty soles from sullying clothes.

TIP OF THE DAY

When using any greens (for a salad) or herbs like coriander, parsley etc, soak them for a few minutes in a bowl of water. You will be surprised how much grit falls to the bottom.. Rinse and then use!

TIP OF THE DAY

Do not salt or dress your salad till the last minute. Adding it before time will wilt most of your vegetables and give your salad a soggy texture.

If possible, keep the salad dressing in another jar on the side and serve separately, that way guests have the option to choose if they would like to add the dressing or not.

If making ahead of time (preferably only the salad leaves should be done before), clingwrap and store in the fridge. Vegetables like tomatoes should be added at the last minute. I prefer to chop and store the veggies in little containers and throw it all together in the end.

TIP OF THE DAY

If you want to cut down the calories from a dish, especially if a dish is cream based, try making a béchamel sauce instead, using milk..

For Indian cuisine dishes like butter chicken etc., I substitute the cream with yoghurt instead, adding just a little cream at the end to give it that richness.

I've even added milk sometimes instead of cream, which if you cook down a bit, will taste the same as cream without the guilt attached to it.

How To Store Green Chillies For Longer

To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing. Store in an air tight box, lined on the top and bottom with a kitchen paper towel.

How to store green chillies for longer

TIP OF THE DAY

To make good fried rice, use a day old cooked rice.

If you use freshly made rice which is still warm, the grains will break when you stir fry the dish.