5 kitchen secrets you wish you knew sooner

Cooking is love made visible, a matter of craftsmanship and no less than art. But, if you think it’s such a chore, you’re not alone. According to a study by Harvard Business review, only 10% Americans love home cooking! The main reason being the remaining 90% consider cooking to be time consuming and overwhelming. So how does one go from dreading turning the hob on to being a good culinary artist?

The idea is to be not a perfect but a clever chef.

You can always order your Double Whopper or Pepperoni pizza at the end of the day, but these kitchen hacks can get you a decent meal with less time, effort and cleanup.

I have got 5 “tried and tested” hacks and tips that will make your time in the kitchen less stressful.

1. Peeling Ginger with a spoon

If you’ve been peeling ginger with a knife, you are really wasting chunks of this immunity boosting powerful root. Instead of using your knife, take a spoon grip it between your thumb and forefinger. Taking the ginger in your other hand, scrape the skin in a forward/backward motion whichever suits you. This method is child friendly, produces less amount of waste, and helps you get the most out of your ginger.

2. Get those annoying egg shells out of your bowl

Ever cracked eggs into a bowl and those pesky little pieces of egg shells falls in it? You might spend a good two minutes poking them with a fork to get them out of your bowl ! Relatable isn’t it? Well, there is a much easier way to solve this problem. Simply, make your fingers wet and pick them out. You would be surprised with the results!

3. Keep your cut fruits from browning

On days when we have some kind of a ritual(Puja) in our home, cut fruits are one of the most common “prasad” items (offerings). Since childhood till date, I don’t remember a single occasion where I saw a plate of beautifully coloured fruits being offered to the deity. They were all brown! I guess we all have seen it! And when a Thakuma or Didima offers you those sun tanned apples after the Puja, you just can’t say “okthanxbye” because “proshad ke na korte nei”(considered a bad omen if you refuse the offering). And trust me, you don’t need to anymore! The next time fruits are being cut, sneak into the “thakurghor” (prayer room) and squeeze a lemon over the cut fruits”. They would look fresh even after the “Shantir jol” session.

This would probably fall under a “5 thakurghor hacks” category but this hack has been tried and tested by me especially when I pack fruits for lunch or slice up an avocado for breakfast. Because no matter how much you have sinned, you don’t deserve a brown Avocado, nor an apple, nor a banana, nor a….Ah, you get my point?

4. Keep your mixer/grinder razor sharp

So I have a Bajaj mixer at my Calcutta home that’s probably older than me. And yes it still works! No, we aren’t a “kipte” (miser) Bengali household. Yes, we can get a new mixer, but why on earth should we do it when we can just put a pinch of salt in the mixer and let it run. Yay, sharp blades before every use!

5. “Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate”

As much as Bengalis need their “pashbalish”(body pillow we cant sleep without) they need their “aloo” (potato) too. Being a 100% “aloo khor Bengali” here’s my take on a few little known potato hacks.

• After you’ve chopped your potatoes for your fries, remember to wash the starch away completely in cold water. This ensures the crunch factor if you are making Fries, “Jhuri aloo bhaja”, wedges etc.

• If you are concerned about the amount of oil potatoes take up during frying, try boiling them first. Trust me, boiling and then frying uses 30% less oil, and also decreases cooking time.

• You can save tons of time by cooking potatoes in the microwave instead boiling them on stovetop. Remember to poke a few holes in them and pop them into the oven with skin on. 2-3 minutes on High power and you’re ready to go!

So, that’s all about “5 kitchen secrets you wish you knew sooner”. Hope you liked reading them!