Chinni Chinni Chitkalu

These chitkalu are very useful for newly married and novice cooks

1. When peeling the skin of the small onion or sambar onion, cut 2 edges of the onion put in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. It is easy to peel and chop.
2. When you want to fry brinjal add salt immeditaly, so that brinjal pieces don't shrink in size and not turn the color into black.
3. At the time of cooking curries or fries, add turmeric powder at the time of seasiong. So that the color of the dish looks nice.
4. While preparing dosas, soak 1 spoon of menthi seeds and soya along with rice and urad dal.
5. When preparing toor dal, soak raw dal for 1 to 2 hours before cooking to save consumption of gas and electricity.
6. To peel garlic pieces easily, add drop of oil to garlic flakes and keep it for sun for 30 minutes.
7. Before cutting plaintain apply drop of oil to your hand and drop the cut plantain pieces in the water with adding 1 spoon of curd.
8. When preparing dosa,  drop  oil on pan and spread with a small piece of onion to avoid sticking of dosa to pan
9. Wash leafy vegetables throughly with running water before cutting to avoid lose of vitamins.
10. To wash the stains on cups etc. rub it with salt , stains go off easily.
11. If you want to store rice for long term, add some neem/vapa leaves to rice to avoid worms.
12. Remove the stems of the green chillies to keep them fresh.
13. Remove curry leaves from branch and keep in airtight box for freshness.
14. Don't cut the vegetalbles much in advace before cooking to avoid decrease in nutrition value.
15. Cut the vegetables big chunks to preserve food value and minarals.
16. When you cook the vegi\etables don't throw the water, use it in making soup.
17. Keep the used lemon pieces in the bottom of the pressure while cooking to remove stains if any.
18. Add little water to vegetables when cooking separately to avoid lose of vatamins.
19. Add little bombay rava to wheat flour while preparing poories for its crispyness.
20. Keep hing in air tight box to save its flavour.
21. Add salt while grinding urad dal for vads instead of water to avoid vada batter becoming loose.
22. Add turmaric powder in heated oil at the time of seasoning to curries. Color of the curry will look nice.
23. Measurements is only for guidence. It is best to adjust the measurement according to your taste.
24. Use dry spoon for serving pickle. Otherwise pickle wii spoil quickly.
25. Before storing any pickle or chutney in the jar or bottle, keep the jar under the sun for few minutes.