Kitchen tips for newly married and settled abroad

Hai,

I have given many tips in Storing tips thread.

Just click this link and see that also. will be useful to you.

Krishnaamma

Thank you for your great tips. Sometimes they remain good for a long period . But sometimes they won't. I think there is some problem with my fridge. Need to check it out.

Originally Posted by ReetaRoy

Krishnaamma

Thank you for your great tips. Sometimes they remain good for a long period . But sometimes they won't. I think there is some problem with my fridge. Need to check it out.

yes you please check your fridge settings and also note about how much water you are adding to grind the green chilly. ok?

Hi Krishnaamma!!

Your tips are really good!! Will definitely try some...

Take Care

Originally Posted by krishnaamma

note about how much water you are adding to grind the green chilly. ok?

Krishnaamma,

How much water should i add? Is there any particular measurement?

Thanks.

Hi Reeta roy,

use as much as little water you can.

Dear Krishnamma,

Have a query in storing vegetables. My house is quite far away from the market so we shop veggies only once in 15 days. At times i struggle a lot to store the coriander leaves and some tender veggies like beans. i plan well to make use of the peishable quite early still not able to keep hold @times.

Particularly coriander leaves.I pat dry it with kitchen towel(tissue) and keep it wrapped in a newspaper.Should i change the paper also frequently or maintain the same for 2 weeks? Plz let me know when you find time.Thanks.

Hi Cindhuja,

No problem. Let me tell you how to keep the veg. fresh. Before 20 years when we dont have fridge, I use to keep veg. fresh with out any problem. Now we are having frosefree fridge, we can do wonders.

I will also buy veg. once in 15 days or even sometimes 1 month. First use the peishable veg. like beans, avaraikaai, green bell pepper, carrot etc. first. Then use other veg. like potato, tomato, green plantain ( vazhakaai) etc.

Let me explain.

First while you are buying the veg. decide about that. and buy the correct quantity. This is for green veg. and leafy veg. so decide the cooking type like kuttu or curry and then buy the correct quantity according to your family.

After getting them, first wash and clean them and dry them with a towel (cloth).
If you want to keep beans for a long period, cut them into small pieces for 'kootu' or curry purpose and put them in a food cover according to your usage. That is if you remove a cover from the freezer you should be able to use that in one time.
ok? Like that, put the correct quantity of beans in the veg. covers and keep them in the freezer.

And cut beans for avail or pulav and cut carrots and potatoes and put this mixed veg. in another cover and again, for one use. So whenever you take one cover you must use that for curry or avial or pulav. ok?

When you keep carrot in the freezer, peel the skin and then cut them. Like that you can also grate carrot and keep it in the freezer for raitha purpose.

Wash green chilly and keep them as it is in the freezer.

You can keep chow chow, Kuzza, cabbage and cauliflower in the freezer.

Clean any keerai or kothamali and no need to cut them. Just wash them and drain it well. Keep them in the boxes which are having holes. you can use the boxes in which we get strawberry or small pears. And just keep them in the freezer. When ever you need them, take the correct quantity, cut and put them stright in the dish.

You will see ice on them , but no problem. Just put them as per your wish.

I think I explained well. I am keeping like this for more than 10 years and I keep them in the freezer before I leave India or Saudi and my son and husband use them for more than 6 months, without any problem of cutting veg. I will keep the correct quantity and they can remove and cook what ever they need for the day. And one can decide about the menu, easily because there are many veg. ready to cook. correct?

so enjoy cooking with frozen veg.

Hi ladies,

dont worry if you dont have 'frost free fridge'. Here are some hints to keep the veg. fresh for long time. let us see how?

As I said before buy the correct quantity veg. for one week or 15 days. and also select fresh veg.

If you buy tomatoes, get them half riped so that you can keep them for more than 15 days. First use the riped one. Then one by one when they are ready.

Next for beans, clean and wash beans. drain the water and put them on a cotton towel. Then keep them in a cloth bag and keep it in the crisper.

For carrot, plantain, vazakaai, brinjal ... wash and wipe with a cotton cloth and remove the 'kambu' or head and tail of the veg. and then keep them in cotton bags.

If you dont have cotton bags, you can use plastic covers. But it is easy to use cotton bags. You can get many cotton bags, from textail stores. you can use them.

But one important thing is........... daily you have to remove all the veg., from the fridge and keep them outside for one hour. wipe them throughly and then keep them again in the bag and keep them in the crisper. like this you can keep the veg for more than 1 month.

But one thing you cant decide your own dish, Big Laughyou have to see the veg daily and then only you can decide your menu. ok?

any doubts? please write to me. to answer.

For coriander, curry leaves,pudina and keerai varities, just wash them and no need to cut them. drain water, put them in a cotton towel and remove the water. Then keep them in a cotton bag.

Or you can keep as it is in cotton bag. First use which are a bit dull.

Or if you bought them to make them thuvial or podi, make it first.

Or you can dry them thoroughly and powder it and keep in a bottle and use them when required.

You can use pudina and coriander leaf powder, to make lassie.

Or just grind the fresh coriander or pudina or curryleaves with one pinch salt. use very minimum water and keep it in the freezer. then you can add 1/2 sp to any dish.

hope this will help you.