Cooking Tips: Grinding frozen coconut

Does the frozen coconut/dried coconut ooze out oil while making coconut chutney or any other coconut based gravies? Use warm to hot water while grinding the coconut & see the difference!!

Cooking Tips

• When trying to chop the boiled potato, it sticks to the knife. To avoid it, dip the knife in water & then chop the boiled potatoes.  
• Sometimes dosa(especially neer dosa)/akki rotti sticks to the spatula when we try to remove it from the griddle. Dip the spatula in water & then use it. The dosa will no more stick to the spatula.

Cooking Tips: How to thicken the gravy/curry/stew?

We all, some or the other time end up with a thin gravy/curry instead of a thicker version. Here are some tips to thicken the gravy/curry. One of the these will do the trick for you!

• Mash boiled potato thoroughly & add it to the boiling gravy.  
• Add 2 tablespoons of potato flakes to the gravy & boil it.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch/all purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of water. Ensure no lumps & add it to the boiling gravy/curry. The gravy should thicken slowly.
• If the gravy is coconut based, then grind together 2 tablespoons of fresh/frozen coconut with 1 teaspoon of rice to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the gravy & boil. You could replace rice with soaked cashew nuts too. 

Cooking tips: How to make soft & sticky rice using rice cooker

Ever wondered why rice cooker couldn't give the same consistency of cooked-rice as you get in the pressure cooker? I always did, until I found this trick.  


Now, some of you may be wondering why soft & sticky rice.
1. To give it to your kids or elders who prefer soft rice rather than rice with each grain seperate.
2. Most families from South India prefer soft rice for their rasam, and sambar.


For white medium grain rice like ponni, sona masoori:
              Add 3 to 3.5 cups of water to 1 cup of white medium grain rice. When the water starts boiling in the rice cooker, remove the lid & partially cover the lid. Partially covering the lid ensures no water leakage from the rice cooker. Close the lid once water is almost absorbed by the rice.
Follow the same method while making khichdi or pongal in a rice cooker.


For brown rice or matta rice (Kerala or Udupi rice):
              Add 4 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Remaining steps as above.