Tips Gunti Manohar Page : 64 Page : 1 Manohar Ratna Tips for Puddings · Use cornflakes as a substitute for sev or papdis. It is available every- where and give the same crunchiness to a dish, eg. bhel. · Add a tsp. of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chilli, · Add a few methi (fenugreek) seeds to toor dal while pressure cooking. along with salt to make it last longer and taste fresher. This makes the dal easier to digest. · Blend all ingredients together and keep overnight in a cool place. Use · To avoid fingernails getting grimy and gritty during messy work, apply with any savoury dishes like pastas, minestrones, bakes, etc. some petroleum jelly or vaseline generously all over the hands. · Always sprinkle gelatine over the water. Never put in dry pan, then add · Place candles in a dish of water while burning. They will last longer. water and heat. Never boil gelatine. Only warm to dissolve. Safest is to · Lime peels dipped in salt can be used to make coppers-bottoms spar- heat the container over a hot griddle (tawa). Stir always. kle. Rub with salt dipped peel. Leave for a minute. Scub with soap and · While whipping cream never overdo it or butter will form . Always whip wash. over a tray of iced water or ice cubes. Whip in sharp upward strokes till soft peaks form. Keep in refrigerator till used. · Puddings (at least of my kind) are a no hassles beauty. No hard and fast rules about ingredients. Don't grimace if any of the ingredients is missing. Just substitute, compromise and eureka! You'll come up with an original. Just stick to general norms for mixing of jellies, gelatine, whipped cream etc. You cannot go wrong. · You can top with any sauce of your choice, if you like while serving or accompany it and let the guests pour to their liking. Ideal sauces may be chocolate, custard, orange, grape, caramel or just basic coloured sauce. · Cadbury's nutties & gems, gluced cherries, whipped cream, crumbled biscuits, dry fruits used inside, coloured sugar etc. make excellent deco- rations for party puddings. · Day old bread slices can be substituted for cake if cake is not available at hand. Tips for Naans & Rotis · A good thing about most rotis is that you can half roast and pile them and do the final roast just before serving · Many variations can be got from the basic roti receipes by using your own imagination · Eg. layered roti can be made with a filling or dry masalas mixeds, or kasoori methi or paneer or thick spicy chutney. This must be spread be- fore folding the roti and after applying the ghee. All triangles may be prepared first but sprinkle dry flour over each before piling. Roll and shallow-fry as required. · Puri may be rolled and place between well-rinsed wet muslin cloth at least an hour ahead. Fry before serving. More Tips.... · Watermelons can be slices thinly, to expose high seed areas, from which seeds can easily be dropped down with a fruit fork or knife tip. Or Page : 2 Page : 63 Manohar Ratna · To get rid of dandruff, mix juice of 1 lime in 1 tbsp. curd (yoghurt) and 1 tsp. cleverly handling a mixer for a few seconds, can separate seeds from fruit, coconut oil. Apply to the scalp and hair 1 hour before shampooing. Do this like watermelon, custardapple, etc. The mixture when sieved will separate at least once a week for dandruff-free hair the seeds from the pulp. · Any extra water in which vegetables have been boiled can be saved and · Do not throw away decorative wrappings and boxes you get from diwali, used as stock for soups. Stock prepared in large quantities can be frozen in and other festive occasions. Use the good ones to pack your preparations icecube trays and stored in a plastic bag as cubes. Use as required. creatively and attractively, by just adding a few ribbons or flowers. · Add a few drops of limejuice and a tsp. of ghee to rice before boiling to · Never overheat butter if melted is required, or else it will curdle to turn to separate each grain. ghee, and will not give the same taste and texture as required in any recipe. · When the sewing machine gets stuck on a thick, coarse cloth, rub the area · Dried peels of almonds, can be powdered fine, sieve and mixed with gram- on which you wish to run the machine with a candle. flour to use as a scrub. Mix 1 cup gramflour to 1 tbsp. Almond peel powder. · Rub powdered borax on fruit stains, then pour boiling water through the fab- Store in airtight container. For one bath, take on heaped tbsp. Mixture with ric before washing it. 1 tsp. Curds or cream, scrub over body, instead of soap. · Synthetic fibres stick to the bottom of the iron. Cool the iron, then rub the · Take a teaspoonful of sesame seeds, just pop into mouth, chew on them, affected surface with nail polish remover to get rid of the stickly matter consume. This helps significant reduction in hairfall. But do not expect over- · To make samosas crisper add some cornflour to the maida for dough. night results. · Rain spots on satin, felt or similar fabrics will disappear if you brush them in · A good and fast way to skin charred or grilled veggies, is to place them in- a circular motion, using a soft ball of tissue paper. side a closed polythene bag for a few minutes, then remove and rub skin off · Soak a few (4-5) tablets of camphor in your hairoil (coconut) to keep away easily. dandruff and lice. · Chop apples, pears, etc. into a bowl of chilled salted water, drain, pat on · Do not throw away any excess water used in boiling dal. Just keep it in the clean kitchen towel, to keep them from discolouring for a longer period. fridge and use as stock for soups, when required. Will keep in fridge for a · Though salads taste best fresh and crunchy, one may prepare dressing day. ahead of time, and chop nondiscolouring or wasting ingredients, like or- · Soak used lime peels (20-25 at a time) in hot water for an hour or two. anges, sweetlimes, veggies, etc. hours ahead and finish off in a jiffy at the Squeeze peels inside the water. Strain. Mix 2-3 tsp of rose water. Mix this time required. water in the last part of you bath water, for the tangy lemony-fresh luxury · Chill whole those fruit which discolour, and then cut when required in rec- bath. At no extra cost !!. ipe, so they are chilled yet not discolour. · Rub your windscreen with a cut potato or apple to prevent misting or icing. · Any leftover thick kheer may be further boiled to thicken more, oversweeten · Dip your silvers (jewellery, cutlery, etc. ) in water used for boiling potatoes. a bit, cool and set kulfi in kulfi moulds or icecube trays. Wash with soap after an hour. This will bring back the sparkle. If you are · Just sprinkling three-four threads of saffron on the kheer,after pouring into busy just let them be soaked till you can wash them at your leisure. No individual bowls, makes all the difference, in the kheer looking rich and invit- harm. ing. · Apply toothpaste on both sides of an ink-stain on cloth. Wash after dry. · Just bury a sweet potato which has 'eyelike' growths at nodes, in a pot of · Add a little alum to the last rinse water for cleaner, whiter white clothes. soil. Water regularly, and you have a lovely bright green creeper growing · Mix spirit and milk to wipe away ballpen stains from foam leather. beautifully in your sill! Below the soil,small potatoes will be taking shape. · If your cutlery is discoloured by egg stains, crumble a sheet of silver paper Don't harvest your sweet potato, until after season is over, and the leaves and one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Put the spoons and forks in tend to turn yellow and fall off. this and they will come out looking clean and shining in a few minutes. · To prevent falling hair - take a thick succulent leaf of the aloe plant. Make a · A little lime juice added to beetroot will make them a brilliant red colour. slit on one side, lengthwise, fill the slit with 2 tsp. fenugreek seeds. Tie with twine, keep aside for 24 hours. Grind the leaf, the sprouted fenugreek in- · A tsp. of ghee add to the dal before pressure cooking, will keep it from over- side, and 400 ml. coconut oil.together. Apply this mixture on hair and scalp flowing out of the container into the cooker. overnight, tie with cloth. Wash off with mild shampoo or shikakai next day. To loosen a rusted bolt, apply a few drops of household ammonia or brake · Repeat every week for 6-8 weeks. fluid. · If preparation of kheer in advance is desired, then boil milk, add sugar, and Rub brassware with tamarind and salt before washing with soap. It will · complete the time consuming steps a few hours ahead of time. Heat milk, sparkle like new. Page : 62 Page : 3 Manohar Ratna finish off additions and final steps just before serving. · Dehydrate the residue of coconut used for coconut milk by drying the sun. · When kheer is served in small earthen teacups available in many parts of This dried flaked coconut can be used in dry chutneys, sweets, masalas, India in many shapes, they give add a wonderful earthy preparation to the etc.