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Cooking can take up a lot of time, from chopping veggies to soaking pulses. Try these smart kitchen hacks to make meal prep faster, easier, and more efficient
If you’re looking to save time and simplify your kitchen tasks, these easy hacks can be a big help. (News18 Hindi)
A beautifully laid table with delicious food can make anyone’s mouth water. The aroma, colours, and flavours instantly spark cravings, but behind that tempting spread lies effort. Cooking isn’t always as easy as it seems. Once you step into the kitchen, it usually takes at least an hour to prepare a full meal. Even before that, there’s the time spent chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and soaking pulses like rajma or chole. If you’re looking to save time and simplify your kitchen tasks, these easy hacks can be a big help.
Soften Chole Quickly
Forgot to soak chole overnight but still craving it? Place the chole in a pressure cooker with some ice and salt, then cook on a medium flame. Turn off the heat after 25 minutes. The chole will be soft and ready to prepare as desired.
Keep Dough Soft For Longer
Pressed for time and need to knead dough in advance? Often, dough becomes hard or blackens if kept for too long. To keep it fresh and soft, knead it using cold water instead of room temperature water. This simple switch keeps it usable for longer.
Prevent Curd From Turning Sour
Homemade curd often becomes sour within 3–4 days. To avoid this, add a few pieces of raw coconut to the leftover curd. This helps retain its sweetness and prevents souring.
Avoid Burns While Preparing Tadka
When adding tadka, hot oil or ghee often splashes, sometimes causing burns. This usually happens when asafoetida or cumin seeds are added directly to hot oil. To prevent splashing, first add a pinch of salt to the oil before the spices. This will reduce the risk of burns.
Fixing Excess Salt In Food
Accidentally added too much salt to your dal or vegetable? Add a piece of bread or some raw dough to the dish to absorb the excess salt. Raw potato slices work well too. You can also use lemon juice, curd, or tomato—sour ingredients naturally balance out the salt. A spoonful of ghee can also help mellow the flavour.
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