Indian Cooking Tips

* Excess salt in any dish can be brought down by adding diced potatoes, tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar.

* To thicken any gravy or soup add corn flour to it. It is an excellent thickening agent. Remember to mix it in good water before adding to avoid lumps.

* To get crisp, golden dosas add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to the urad dal and grind it.

* For maintaining the bright color of any vegetable don't forget to put it in ice cold water as soon as you blanch them.

* Remove the stems from chilies before storing them. This will keep them fresher for a long time.

* Chill onion is refrigerator before cutting to avoid tears. One other way to avoid tears is to soak peeled onion is water before cutting.

* It is better to use round dishes in the microwave oven rather than square or rectangular dishes as round dishes spread heat faster.

* To keep apples from turning brown, add little citrus juice like the juice of a lemon or orange and toss apples in it. Oil applied to dal before it is cooked helps it to cook faster by softening the proteins.

* To make a healthy chicken dish remove the skin from the chicken. This will remove the major fat content on the chicken.