Tips & Tricks

brighten

seeker of knowledge
:salam2:

some tips and tricks to share.

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Tips&Tricks

Cooking

Make a soft fluffy omelet
Heat a non-stick pan and add a little more butter than usual. Now beat the egg and stir briskly (even while frying) with a fork. This way more air goes in your omelet, making it light and fluffy. Fry till done and serve hot.

Prevent onions from burning, frying
Add a little milk to onions while frying, this will help retain a rich colour and prevent them from burning.

Cook pulses like chana etc. even if you have forgotten to soak them overnight.
Just put the chana in a flask full of boiling water for an hour. They are ready for cooking.

Okra will not stick to the vessel
Adding a spoonful of curd to the Okra while cooking will ensure that they do not stick to the vessel or turn black.

To remove excess oil in any fried vegetables
Sprinkle a little gramflour over the vegetables. Gramflour absorbs the excess oil and makes the vegetable tastier.

Curry turned out a bit oily and pungent ?
Take two bread slices and powder them coarsely. Add this to the curry and mix well. Bread absorbs the excess oil and spice.

Hurry to cook 'dal' ?
Add a little oil and turmeric powder to the dal before placing it in the cooker. It will get done in 10 minutes flat.

Boil potatoes faster
Peel and cut potatoes and boil them in water to which a little vinegar is added . They will be done in no time and will retain the texture as well.

Retain the green of vegetables
Green vegetables lose colour if subjected to continuous heat. So, don't overcook them.

Boiling Pasta & Noodles
Boil pasta/noodles in plenty of water and remove just before it is fully cooked. They continue to be cooked even after it is removed from flame and drained.

Serving Boiled Noodles later
If noodles/pasta has to be used after some time, then refresh the boiled noodles in cold water and drain. This way they will not stick to each other.

Instant Lemonade
Pour lemon juice with sugar and a little salt into ice trays, to make cubes which can be used for instant lemonade.

Making potato cutlets?
When boiling potatoes for cutlets add the salt to the water itself as potatoes absorb salt better this way.

Prevent Meat & Vegetable From Over Cooking
Add cold water if meat and vegetables are over cooked

Cook Rice Without Sticking.
To cook rice without sticking add a spoon full of vinegar in it.

Prevent Boil over
Add a lump of butter or a few tea spoons of cooking oil to the water. Good for Rice, noodles or Spaghetti.

Other Tips

To descale your kettle cheaply, fill it with water and boil it then add two or three tablespoons of vinegar. Leave it for a couple of hours and it will be like new.

Save the inner packets from cereal boxes; they make ideal bags for storing cakes and biscuits.

You can keep your potatoes longer if you pop a piece of ginger into it when you open the bag.

If you are trying to move a heavy object in the kitchen such as a cooker or a washing machine, pour a little washing liquid on the (tiled) floor; the machine will slip along easily.

You can revive dry cakes by brushing them with milk and warming them in the oven for a couple of minutes.

Stop bananas turning brown by wrapping them in a tea towel and storing them in a cupboard.

Freeze newly cut herbs in water in ice-cube trays for year-round freshness.

To get rid of the onion smell on your hands, wash them in milk.

Give rich fruit cake a lovely flavor when you are making it by adding a cup of black coffee.

If you can’t get the lid off a jar, wear a pair of rubber gloves; you’ll find it will come off easily.

For lighter fluffier omelets, add 1 tbsp. of water for each egg, instead of milk. The difference is truly amazing.

For a healthy bowl of porridge with a difference, just sprinkle on a few sultanas plus chopped pecan nuts or walnuts.

Make up a first-aid box and keep it in your kitchen, you never know when it will come in handy. You can also utilize one of your children’s old lunch boxes.

Placing mirrors in a room will give you extra light.

To sharpen a pair of kitchen scissors, cut up a sheet of sandpaper into fine strips.

Save the water after boiling eggs and cool it, then use it as a tonic for your houseplants.

To prevent potatoes and apples from turning brown after slicing, put them in room temp. water and pour half teaspoonful of salt.

More juice from a lemon
Putting a lemon in hot water before squeezing will give you more juice than usual.

Eggs will not crack
Pierce eggs with a sharp pin before boiling. This way you will prevent them from cracking.

Stop crying while cutting onions
After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 5 minutes. Now, when you cut these onions your eyes will not water.

To cut hard boiled eggs smoothly
While cutting hard boiled eggs, the egg yolk often tends to break. To avoid this dip the knife in cold water for a few seconds and then cut smoothly.

Keep garlic skins from sticking to your hands while peeling
Soak the garlic flakes in a cup of water for five minutes before peeling.

Potato peel wafers
Potato peels can be made into tasty wafers. Immerse the peel in warm water to which a pinch of salt is added and then dry it. Deep fry till crisp and you have delicious potato wafers.

Peeling of Garlic No Problem!
For Garlic it is difficult to peel off. To do it fast, put some Cooking oil, and warm it in Oven or over stove, you will find it fast and easy to peel off.

Onions
Once an onion has been cut in half, rub the left over side with butter and it will keep fresh longer.

Too many peeled potatoes
Cover them with cold water to which a few drops of vinegar have been added. Keep refrigerated and they will last for 3 or 4 days

Indigestion?
1 tsp. of mint juice mixed with an equal amount of honey and lemon juice is a good cure for indigestion.

Sore throat?
Drinking a glass of milk in which 1 tsp. "haldi" has been added and boiled will relieve and cure a sore throat.

Bite a clove to ease a toothache
Biting on a clove or rubbing clove oil on the tooth cavity itself will relieve the pain.

Suffering from bad breath?
Chewing on "saunf" makes your breath fresh and removes strong odours.

Have honey for an itchy throat?
Having honey will relieve the itchiness as it moisturizes the throat passage and has curative properties.

Constipated?
Have an apple to cure constipation.

Suffering from acidity?
Chewing on a few tulsi leaves will relieve burning, nausea and gas. For those with a sensitive stomach - add tulsi in any recipe using tomatoes.

For clearing sinuses and blocked nasal passages
Boil Eucalyptus leaves and steam with the same water. Alternately, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to hot water and steam.

Place 1/2 apple in the cake box or, a slice of fresh bread fastened with toothpicks to the cut edge of a cake will keep the cake from drying out and getting stale.

Don't store potatoes near onions!
Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions.

Refrigerate flour
Storing flour in an airtight container and refrigerating it doubles their storage time.

Storing Mushrooms
Cover mushrooms with a damp cloth or in a paper bag with holes poked in the cloth/bag for ventilation.This will keep them dry. Refrigerate for long life.

To preserve ginger-garlic paste
Fry them in oil before grinding and store in the same oil.

Store peeled potatoes
Mix a tsp. of vinegar in cold water and keep the potatoes in it. This will keep them fresh for 4 -5 days.

Store chili powder for longer
By keeping a piece of asafetida in the same container you can store chili powder for longer.

Preserve dry fruits and sugar
All you have to do is add a couple of cloves to the same container as the dry fruits. Same goes for sugar.

Keep ants away from honey
Adding a few peppercorns to the bottle of honey will keep them away.

Keep fruits & vegetables fresh longer
Wrap them in newspaper before storing them in the fridge.

Preserve coriander leaves or curry leaves
Keep them in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time without getting discolored.

Freshen slightly withered coriander leaves
If placed in a polythene bag and stored in the fridge these will freshen overnight.

Keep green chilies fresh
While storing green chilies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time.

Store green peas for 2 years
Tie the shelled green peas in a cloth and dip in boiling water for three minutes. Then dip in chilled water for three minutes. Dry under the fan till the extra moisture is removed and then pack into airtight jars or sealed packets. Freeze and use when peas are too costly. They will not spoil for 2 years.

Keep fried papads chips and biscuits fresh and crisp.
Put them in a polythene bag and store them in a refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.

Protect rice from insects
Dry 50 g. of mint leaves, powder them and add to 10 kg. Of rice. Not only will the mint leaves keep insects at bay, they will also impart a delicious flavor to the cooked rice.

Preserve eggs for a longer period
!) Wash the eggs and put them slowly in a container full of lime water or mustard oil. The eggs will not only be preserved for long - they will not get spoiled either.

2) For storing eggs for longer time say for about 30-40 days , you should apply any cooking oil with the help of brush on the egg shell.Inshaallah, they will stay for long time. Mariya K.S.A

Sunken cake?
Sunken centre in a cake could be due to too much sugar, shown by a sticky centre and very brown crust. It could also be due to too musch baking powder or undercooking in a low temperature oven.

Peaked cake?
Peaked top in a cake could be because of too much gluten being developed in the mixture either due to using too hard a flour or by overbeating. It could also be due to oven temperature being too high.

Avoid milk from spilling
Milk will not spill while boiling if one applies glycerine to the rim of the vessel.

Dough sticking to the rolling pin?
To prevent fresh dough from sticking to the rolling pin, keep it in the freezer for a few minutes before using.

Run out of fresh bread ?
Just keep leftover hardened bread on the lid of a pan containing hot water. The slices will be soft and as good as fresh, in no time.

To freshen stale bread
Sprinkle a little milk over it and place it in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes. The crust will be crispier and the bread tastier.

Make curd in winter
Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator . It will set overnight.

Overripe and difficult to use tomatoes ?
Dip them in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight. They will be fresh and firm to the touch next day.

To increase the quantity of curd for 'raitas'
Grind freshly grated coconut to a fine paste and mix with the curd.

Running short of chili sauce?
Make a quick sauce at home! Put a little chili pickle in the mixer and grind for 2-3 minutes to obtain a smooth paste. Add this paste instead of chili sauce to the dish.

Make tasty cutlets out of leftover vegetables
Best with cabbage or cauliflower. Boil, peel and mash potatoes with salt, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves and ginger garlic paste. Mix with the vegetable. Take small portions and roll into round balls. Flatten and dip the balls in beaten egg. Roll in breadcrumbs and fry in oil till done.

If you want a quick salad dressing
Blend a cup of curd with little lime juice and seasoning and toss the salad into it.

Getting the ketchup out of the bottle.
Insert a drinking straw, push it to the bottom of the bottle, and than remove. Enough air will be admitted to start an even flow

Fed up of Roaches
Cockroach Killing:
Take baking flour (Maida), sugar, milk powder and boric acid equal in quantity. Add some water in it and knead it. Then make small balls of it and paste it on walls at a number of places in your house.
Note:
(You will see all the cockroaches dead in three days and they will never come back again. If you have children, then please do not paste it within the reach of children.)

To remove permanent marker ink from any hard surface, spray it with deodorant and rub hard with a soft cloth.

Next time you take the hair from your hairbrush, don’t throw it away; sprinkle it over your lawn and the birds will pick it up and use it to reinforce their nests.

An easy way to clean your leather bag is to use Nivea on a clean cloth; the result is great.

A quick and easy way to stick a tile back on the wall is to mix 1tb.sp flour and 1tb.sp salt to a thick paste with cold water, then secure it back to the wall. It sets hard and saves buying a whole packet of tile fixative.

If you have run out of shoe polish, you can clean your leather shoes with cleansing face cream.

To bring faded black clothes back to life, hand wash them in warm water with a little vinegar. It strips away the fading properties of washing powder and softener.

If your tippex (corrector) dries up, add a little nail varnish remover and it will last a few more days.

You can join the ends of a broken cassette by dotting with a small spot of nail varnish.

Stand a finished bottle of shampoo, conditioner, or washing up liquid upside down and be amazed by how much more you can get out of them.

To prevent yourself from muddling your children’s shirts or underwears etc., color-code the labels using permanent markers.

You can water your plants while you are away by placing one end of string in a bucket of water and the other in the plant’s soil. As long as the bucket is positioned higher than the plant, the string will soak up the water and keep the soil moist.

Compact disc cases make great photo frames. A pack of five is very cheap and can be freestanding or mounted on the wall.

To clean small children’s toys such as Lego bricks, place them in a pillowcase, secure the top with safety pins and put through a cold wash in your washing machine.

A handful of washing soda in the washing machine will keep your garments very soft without using expensive softeners.

To remove the goo left by shop sticky labels on things you buy, first rub with butter. Then wipe away with a damp cloth.

If you get paint on the glass when painting a window frame, you can remove it with hot vinegar.

Use a baby wipe to clean delicate lampshades; it will make the room smell nice as well.

To avoid red eye when you are taking photographs, have your subject look away from the camera slightly.

Cut the bottoms off babygros when your child has grown too big for them and use the top half as a T-shirt.

To prevent shirts tangling everything in the washing machine, button shirt cuffs to the front of the shirt.

To get your net curtains really looking fantastically white and clean, soak them prior to washing in vinegar diluted with cold water, then wash in a normal way.

For a nice but cheap present, dry and press a flower and place it in a frame.
Baby oil conditions your fine leather shoes. All you have to do is rub a little into the leather at night and buff it off in the morning.

Rub a little Vaseline around the neck of your nail polish as soon as you purchase it. This will prevent the top from sticking, making it easier to open.

Going away on a vacation and no one to look after your plants? Well, place three or four thick towels in the bathtub and cover them with two inches of cold water. Place all your plants in their pots on the towels, they will keep well for at least two weeks.

If you are taking a photo of your child with his silver cup or trophy, pop the trophy into the fridge for fifteen minutes first, it will come out gleaming
 

ray.of.light

New Member
Jazakala

Thanks for the very handy practical tips !

Never again i'll use anti-dandruff shampoos because

vinegar treatment

has given me instant results.

i take a cup of warm water diluted vinegar. (1 part vinegar 4 parts water)

drouse the scalp with it, 15 minutes before taking a shower....

once a month... because i got oily skin, and it works quite well.
 

brighten

seeker of knowledge
Salaam sis

ermm that's sound easy. I'll try it soon insha Allah.

Jazakallah for sharing.

wassalam
 

umm hussain

Junior Member
Another tip, dont know if it has already been listed, if you put an open container of bicarbonate of soda at the back of the fridge it should inshallah absorb all the 'bad' smells and should last up to a month and just replace it after that to have a smell free fridge
 

Umm3mar

Junior Member
Salamo Aleikom

Great tips!!

I'd like to add a little one as well. Aloe vera for splinters. Mu grandmother always had aloe plants around. She used the flesh for burns, the juice for chapped lips and drank the juice as a laxative (diluted, of course).

When ever we had a splinter of wood in our finger (or foot) my grandmother would get a thick piece of aloe vera, slice off the spines, filet it down the center so there would be two flat halves with pulp exposed. Cut off a piece, enough to cover the splinter. (She would refrigerate the rest in a plastic bag to use on burns. Very soothing) Then she would place the pulp part touching the skin, and secure it with an adhesive bandage. The next day, when removing the bandage the splinter is on the piece of aloe. No digging in the flesh.

How does this occur? Just as our fingers get wrinkled when we soak them for a long time in water, the high moisture of the aloe in constant contact with skin makes it wrinkled, because the skin wrinkles, the splinter slides out on its own.
 

samiha

---------
Staff member
Wa alaykum assalam.

Mashallah sis, Your grandmother sounds like a very wise person.

I never saw aloe vera... besides on the sides of bottles of lotion :D

but Inshallah, if I ever have a splinter and come across one of those plants I will remember this!

Jazakallahu Khayr to everyone else.. haven't really gotten down that long list :D

wassalam.
 

arabiantxn

Junior Member
jazak allah khair .....may allah reward you .. you are a lifesaver.
thank you thank you thank you

now for a tip of my own you can eat ramen noodles raw if it calls for they actually don't taste bad( biscuit)
 
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