4
Easy Tips for Better Cooking
1. Read the entire recipe before beginning to work. Assemble and
prepare all ingredients. Follow recipe step-by-step.
2. Information on weights and measures is on page 5.
3. Unless otherwise noted, in the recipes:
•All foods are to be appropriately cleaned and washed.
•Onions are to be peeled.
4. For Users Outside India: In the recipes, size descriptions of
ingredients refer to food available in India. Outside India, follow the
weights rather than the size descriptions.
5. All Hindi words used in the recipes, if not translated in the recipes,
are translated to English or explained in the Glossary (Meanings and
Methods) on page 12. If you come across a word you do not know,
check Glossary page 12.
6. Time and heat settings in these recipes refer to the large burner of
an efficient domestic gas stove. You may have to adjust these times and
settings to suit your stove. For best cooking results, adjust the heat so
that cooking times are the same as those given in the recipes. You will
be helped in making these adjustments by the steps and indications
given in various recipes (for example, a few light brown specks should
appear on the underside of a paratha after 1 minute on medium heat).
7. Excessive heat may cause sticking and burning of food and wastes
fuel.
8. To prevent sticking of foods such as dosa, uttapam and poora
on the tava: before heating tava, rub 1/4 tsp
/
1.3 ml vegetable oil using
a clean cotton cloth or paper napkin all over the inside base of tava.
Heat tava on medium-high heat till oil just begins to smoke. Reduce
heat to medium. This is the point to pour batter on tava. Heating tava
to the correct temperature is critical: if tava is heated beyond the point
when oil just begins to smoke, tava will be too hot and batter will be
difficult to spread; if tava is not hot enough (before oil just begins to
smoke) batter will spread but dosa/poora will stick. For cooking
subsequent dosa/poora do not add oil on tava before pouring batter.
9. Ghee, butter or oil can be spread on tava with a pastry brush or
spatula.
10. The quantities of green chillies recommended in the recipes are
calculated to produce food of moderate pungency. You may increase,
reduce or eliminate the chillies according to your taste.
11. Do not leave tava unattended while cooking as cooking times are
short and food may burn.
12. It is possible to cook with less ghee or butter than given in the
recipes or substitute oil for ghee or butter. However, this may affect the
taste.
13. Eggs require controlled heat or they may become tough. Eggs
should be cooked on low to medium temperatures.
14. Certain recipes specify “medium-high” or “medium-low” heat
setting. By “medium-high” we mean a setting between medium and
high. By “medium-low” we mean a setting between medium and low.
15. Eggs, batters, doughs and fillings should be at room temperature
before beginning to cook.
16. To prevent sticking when rolling out rounds of dough: slightly
flatten balls and press the balls/coils lightly in flour on both sides.
Shake off excess flour and roll out.
17. While cooking on tava, paratha and phulka leave a residue of flour
that will burn. Using a kitchen cloth, wipe off accumulated residue
after every third roti.
