Cooking Tips: Dessert

SOFT and CREAMY CAKES 

Add a little of milk when the cake is baked. 

This will make the cake softer and creamier.

KEEP LEFTOVER PASTRIES FRESH
Left over cakes and pastries should be packed or wrapped in cling film and stored in a cool place like a refrigerator. 

It is very important to see that they are not exposed to air at all, 

which would otherwise dry them out.

ICING TROUBLE
To avoid the cream from becoming watery and for it to come out of the pipng bag easily; the cream has to be chilled before you start to beat it. 

A safe way is to place the container over ice. 

If cream is not chilled enough it will always curdle (and water separated will ooze out), and the rest will be buttery.

SOFTER FRUIT CAKE
The more the proportion of fruit (for Christmas fruit cakes), the less soft it will be. 

But to improve it, soak the fruit in juice or rum overnight. 

Also keep a bowl of water in the oven while baking to keep the atmosphere moist

PIE CRUSTS
The secret to making a good pie crust - if there is one - is to bring the flour, water, and fat together, and mix it just enough without overworking the dough.

SPLITTING CAKES
Cake splitting on the surface as they rise is very common while baking cakes. 

Since the sides of the baking tin are in direct contact with the batter, they bake faster than the middle of the cake. 

Since the center is still rising, it tends to push the cake to the top and causes cracks on the surface.

STORING COOKIES
Before you store cookies, be sure to cool them completely. 

Otherwise you run the risk of taking funny shapes if packaged when they're warm. 

It's also a good idea to store different types of cookies separately, rather than in the same tin.

As brownies cool, they move away from the edges of the pan. 

So it's a good idea to cut cooked brownies after they cool down to room temperature.

How do you tell if brownies are done?
Brownies are generally cooked when the edges look hard and the top has cracked a bit. Check that the center should not jiggle when you shake the pan.

COOKING APPLES
If you want to cook fresh apples, remember you will be left with only half the amount you started out with. 

I kilo of raw apples = 1/2 kilo cooked apples.

Substitute one cup of sugar, with two cups of corn syrup.

JELLY BELLY
To unmould jellies, dip the container into hot water up to the rim, place an inverted plate over it, then invert the tin and plate again, shake the tin a little and the jelly will come off.

MERINGUES
To store meringues, wrap in foil or arrange in an airtight tin, putting grease-proof paper between two layers. 

Will keep fresh for up to two months.

CARAMEL CUSTARD
Do not cook a caramel custard too quickly, as this will cause bubbles in the mixture.

SHORT CUT DESSERT
arrange stewed or canned fruit in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle with icing sugar and brandy, cover with marshmallows and brown under a hot grill.

FREEZE ICE-CREAM
Always turn the refrigerator to its coldest setting, one hour before freezing ice-cream. When cream has frozen, turn back to normal.

SHORT CRUST PASTRY
When making short-crust pastry, the higher you lift flour while crumbling, the more air you infuse, and thus make the pastry lighter.

BROWN SUGAR BLUES
To soften rocky brown sugar, simply add a slice of soft bread to the package and close the bag tightly. 

In a few hours the sugar will be soft again.

ICE CREAM
Always chill glasses before preparing the ice cream in it. 

It will not melt quickly. 

Never try to refreeze ice cream that has melted completely. 

It will taste awful! Instead, convert it to make a delicious milk shake or add a fruit and run it in the mixie for a fruit shake.

PASTRIES
Always use whole milk rather than skim or reduced fat milk in your pastry recipes

OLD CHOCOLATE
If you notice a grayish color on your chocolate slab, don't worry. 

This is called bloom, and it is a sign that the cocoa butter has risen to the surface. 

It does not affect the flavour of the chocolate, and the grayish color will disappear when the chocolate is melted

CHOCOLATE
Always let chocolate come to room temperature to prevent it from flying around when being chopped; 

cold chocolate is too hard to cut and the knife may slip and cut you.

For maximum flavor and the best results when nuts are called for in a recipe, 

toast them before incorporating them into the batter or mixture.

NUTTY DESSERTS
To prevent nuts and fruits from sinking to the bottom of a cake during baking, warm them a bit in the oven and toss them with flour. 

Shake off excess flour before mixing them into the batter.

Cooking Tips: Butter, Cream and Icing

ICING TROUBLE 

To avoid the cream from becoming watery and for it to come out of the pipng bag easily; the cream has to be chilled before you start to beat it. 

A safe way is to place the container over ice. 

If cream is not chilled enough it will always curdle (and water separated will ooze out), and the rest will be buttery.

SOUR CREAM
Add a bit of lemon juice to fresh cream to make sour cream.

GARLIC BUTTER
For a quick recipe of garlic butter- just take plain butter and a couple of cloves of garlic and put them into a garlic press. 

Just give it a squeeze and you end up with perfectly soft garlic butter in a jiffy!

BUTTER IT RIGHT
If you need to bring butter to room temperature in a hurry, shred the butter in a grater. 

It will bring the temperature down.

ICING ON THE CAKE
To avoid your frosting from becoming hard and prevent it from cracking, just zap in a pinch of baking soda and it shall remain moist.

WHIPPED CREAM
While whipping cream never overdo it otherwise you will end up with butter. 

Always whip over a tray of iced water or ice cubes. 

Whip in sharp upward strokes till soft peaks form. 

Keep in refrigerator till used.

RUNNY ICING
To prevent icing from running off your cake, try dusting the surface lightly with cornstarch before icing.

SOUR CREAM
Sour cream can be made successfully by adding a little lemon juice to fresh cream.

HEATING BUTTER
When using butter or margarine over direct heat, always add a little oil to avoid the butter burning very fast and thus getting discoloured.

Cooking Tips: Bread, Rice and Noodles

UNSTICK YOUR RICE 

Adding a little lemon juice helps, and the correct measure

if the rice has been soaked, it is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water. 

If not soaked, it is 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. 

Cover it once it comes to a boil and cook over the lowest flame.

OLD NOODLES
Try rinsing the old noodles in water with vinegar in it.

CHEESY RICE
Put boiled rice in a serving dish, and pour a sauce made of onions and tomatoes over it. Then cover thickly with grated cheese.

RICE
For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per liter of water. 

To add extra flavour and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid reserved from cooking vegetables.

BREAD DOUGH
Yeast bread dough rises more rapidly at higher altitudes and has to be watched carefully. Should be allowed to rise only till doubled in bulk.

BREAD RISE
To help bread dough rise higher, heat a towel until it gets very warm and then wrap it around the bowls base.

BREAD MAKING
Yeast will last longer than the specified date printed on the packet if kept in the refrigerator, or even longer in the freezer, for up to a year. 

Bring to room temperature before using.

THE RIGHT NOODLES
For perfect noodles, add them to boiling water, then turn off the heat and let stand for 20 minutes. 

Noodles won't stick to the pan, won't overcook and there's no need to stir the pot.

UNSTICK YOUR NOODLES
If you add a lump of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil to the water while cooking rice, noodles or spaghetti, it will not boil over nor stick together.

LEFT OVER RICE
Refrigerate leftover cooked rice in a well-sealed container. 

Reheat cold rice with a sprinkling of water in a microwave oven or in a covered pot over low heat.

LONG GRAINED RICE
For long grain rice this is usually two parts liquid to one part rice; 

If you want firm separate grains, use slightly less water. 

Additional water makes the rice somewhat softer and stickier.

LEFT-OVER WATER
Don't throw away the water that paneer is kept in. 

This water can be used while making dough for rotis.

CHAPATIS
If you want to keep chapatis for a long period of time, use milk instead of water while making the dough.

DOSA SPREAD
To check if the griddle or tawa is hot enough before spreading dosa, sprinkle a little water over it. 

If it sizzles immediately, then the griddle is hot enough. 

Wipe with a clean rag, and then pour the dosa batter.

DOSA
To avoid the dosa from sticking to the tawa rub slices of onion on dosa tawa before spreading the batter.

Cooking Tips: Meat-Fish-Chicken

COOKING CHICKEN OR MEAT 

When you cook chicken or meat, 

you should first cook over high heat to seal juices and then lower the heat and cook till tender.

FREEZE FISH
If you want to store fish for more than a day, first clean it,

 rub it with salt, turmeric and maybe, a dash of vinegar, and then freeze. 

It will stay fresh.

Don't salt meat before you cook it
The salt forces the juices out and impedes browning. 

Instead, salt meat halfway through cooking, then taste when the meat is done and adjust the salt as needed.

Meat that is partially frozen is much easier to cut or slice.

HAMBURGERS IN A HURRY
Cooking of hamburgers may take hell of a long time. 

To cook them a little faster, you could poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. 

This helps them cook faster and the holes disappear once the burgers are done.

EVEN WITH MEAT
Allow meat to stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking:

It will cook more quickly, brown more evenly, and stick less when pan-fried.

MOIST CHICKEN
To help keep meats moist during a long grill or barbecue, 

add a pan of water close to the fire, but away from the meat.

COAT CHICKEN
To coat chicken evenly, you can place the seasonings or crumbs in a plastic bag, 

and then add a few pieces at a time and shake them well.

GOLDEN CHICKEN
For golden-brown fried chicken, roll in powdered milk instead of flour before frying.

BACON CURLS
To prevent bacon from curling, dip the strips in cold water before cooking.

FRY BACON
Sprinkle a little amount of salt in the frying pan before adding bacon to fry. 

That way it will not splatter all over.

MEAT FACTS
When browning meat in fat, choose a large, deep pan. 

This will enable you to fry quickly, without splashing the stove with fat and meat juices.

SAUSAGES
To ensure that sausages keep their shape, put them into cold water, 

bring to a boil and then drain immediately and grill or fry in a saucepan.

When you cook chicken or meat, you should first cook over high heat to seal juices and then lower the heat and cook till tender.

To avoid kebabs from becoming hard and chewy
marinate them for a longer time and avoid over cooking them.

To get rid of the smell of prawns
apply salt and lemon juice to the prawns before cooking. 

Leave for 15-20 minutes, then wash off and proceed with the recipe. 

This is usually done with prawns, fish and al kinds of seafood

For better results, mutton should be of a younger animal. 

It looks pink and not red and texture should be firm. 

If it is red and looks 'wrinkled', it will be tough

Softening chicken for salads and sandwiches
Chicken in salads and sandwhiches is usually poached. 

What poaching does is surrounds the chicken with liquid, 

so no moisture is lost and cooks the chicken gently, 

as opposed to grilling or pan frying.

Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking - it does not use water. 

The flavors roasting draws forth result from the process of browning. 

As the surface of the meat browns, and its juices and fats drip down and brown on the surface of the hot roasting pan, 

it adds to the flavour of the meat.

How can you tell that steaks are done?
Color can be a good indicator of doneness. 

This is because myoglobin which gives meat its color, changes from red to pink to brown as meat cooks. 

A rare steak is bright red. 

A medium-rare steak is dark pink with some red present; a medium steak is very light pink in color and of course, well-done is brown.

Thai Green Coconut Curry

Ingredients: 
750 gm boneless chicken
350 ml coconut milk
350 ml chicken stock
3 lime leaves

Green Curry Paste
2 tsp roasted coriander seeds
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
3-4 chopped green chillies
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3" piece lemon grass
1" ginger - peeled and ground
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
3 tbsp chopped basil/ mint
pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tbsp oil
350 gm potatoes

Method: 
Place the chicken in a pan with hot coconut milk, stock and lime leaves.

Simmer for 10 minutes, remove the chicken form the pan and reduce the gravy over a moderate flame.

Grind the spices with chillies, sugar, salt, lemon grass, ginger, garlic and onions until smooth.

Add coriander, mint, nutmeg and oil to the paste. Add 4 tbsp of curry paste and the potatoes to the gravy and simmer. Replace the chicken and serve hot.






Courtesy: Chef Niru Gupta,