Do you know why scraped coconut is always added to a mallung? it is because
the fat in the scraped coconut helps to make the vitamins in the leaves more absorbable to the body.
A protein like maldive fish is also added to make the nutrient more absorbable too.
by Therese Motha
Why are Murunga leaves added to a crab curry? to reduce the heaty effect of the crab.
by Therese Motha
When using parsley, remember that most of the goodness is in the stalks. Use leaves for garnish, and flavour with the stalks.
by Therese Motha
Did you know that the gelling power of Agar Agar (China Moss) is destroyed if it is heated with even a small amount of anything acid?
by Therese Motha
Karavila (Bittergourd) in addition to containing a high amount of vitamins, has an effect of reducing blood sugar levels.
by Therese Motha
Why is salt added to cake recipes? It makes the gluten in the flour more elastic, and so helps the mixture to rise well.
by Therese Motha
Why is lemon juice added to Puff Pastry. ?To strengthen the gluten content in the flour, making it more pliable, and better able to retain layers of fat during rolling.
by Therese Motha
Worried because your custard or mayonnaise has curdled? Dont let it upset you. Put it through the blender and it will miraculously become smooth again.
by Therese Motha
A tip on gelatine. When a recipe calls for gelatine, always put in the water first into the pan, and then sprinkle the gelatine. and let it soak a couple of minutes before you dissolve it on a low fire.
by Therese Motha
A litle hint for those of you who sew. Keep sewing needles and pins in a box sprinkled with talcum powder to prevent them from rusting.
by Therese Motha
I do hope you dont throw away the green leaves that come with beetroot. They pack a nutritional punch. One cup of beetroot leaves provide your daily dose of Vitamin A. Beetroot, carrot, radish, turnip, and many others have "tops" of greens that are quite edible and quite delicious.
by Therese Motha
Lemon Peel has many nutritional benefits . Freeze the lemon and shred the whole lemon with a grater. The peel contains 5 to 10 times the nutrients as the flesh and juice. Sprinkle grated lemon on your salad , soup, cereal, noodles etc.
by Therese Motha
Add a pinch of cinnamon powder to your daily cup of coffee or tea to bring down your blood sugar.
by Therese Motha
Cinnamon as a cure for sore throat. Mix half tsp cinnamon powder with a pinch of pepper powder, and 2 tsp bees honey and gulp it down.
by Therese Motha
To reduce pains and aches, boil a few cloves of garlic in 1 cup water with added Karapincha (curry leaves) , a few peppercorns and a little Uluhal(Fenugreek seeds).
by Therese Motha
Did your cake mixture curdle when you added the eggs? Add a spoon or two of the measured flour and beat well. The curdled effect will disappear. Remember that the eggs should be at room temperature when added.
by Therese Motha
If you have too many ripe bananas mash them with a dash of lime juice and put away in a canister in the deep freeze to make Banana Bread another day.
by Therese Motha
A quick topping for a cake. Mix together brown sugar and chopped cadjunuts . Sprinkle over top of unbaked cake. Bake as usual. It will come out of the oven already frosted and delicious.
by Therese Motha
What do you do with an overripe papaw? I skin it, remove seeds, put through the blender with a few spoonful s of milk or condensed milk, and lime juice and sugar to taste. The lime juice and milk will not curdle in the blender. Makes a quick and delicious dessert served chilled.
by Therese Motha
Do you know why a yeast dough has to be left awhile to be "proved"? The yeast, being a form of plant life, grows on the sugar and in the the liquid and warmth of the dough. The sugar causes fermentation and produces gas (carbon dioxide) and alcohol in small bubbles. When oven heat is applied, the dough rises.
by Therese Motha
Do you know the easiest way to clean a blender? Pour water in up to the halfway mark, add a drop or two of liquid degergent, put on the lid and blend for a few seconds. Rinse it well thereafter.
by Therese Motha
I suppose you know that all custard puddings should be cooked in a water bath, meaning that the dish should be placed in a pan of water for baking. The water bath prevents curdling of the milk and eggs which can occur when they are exposed to heat for some time. Cooking at too high a temperature for too long a time will curdle the milk and toughen the eggs.
by Therese Motha
A simple remedy for phlegm in the throat and chest. Boil together about 8 leaves of lemon or lime with about 4 leaves of "Ada Thoda" . Inhale this just before going to bed. This thins out the secretions, and gives adequate humidification.
by Therese Motha
When using cream crackers as a base for a short eat, if preparing it well in advance, do remember to butter the biscuit to avoid the moisture of the filling from saturating the biscuit, and destroying its crispness. If you are serving it immediately, it is not necessary to butter the biscuit.
by Therese Motha
Hot tea should be always added after cold milk into your cup. The phenols in the tea brew react with the casein molecules in the milk, producing a bright beverage. If milk is added afterward, a different chemical reaction takes place, and the tea will not taste or look as good.
by Therese Motha
Hints on pastry making. If the pastry turns out hard and tough, you have used too much water. If it is crumbly, too much fat. If soggy, it has had too much handling, or been cooked, initially, at too low a temperature. Pre heating the oven is important.
by Therese Motha
When tomatoes are in season, puree them in the blender. Freeze in yoghurt containers in the deep freeze, or freeze in ice cube trays, remove, store in plastic bag in deep freeze. Thaw and use when needed.
by Therese Motha
Did you know that it is not advisable to serve raw eggs to the elderly, the sick, to the very young, and to pregnant women?
by Therese Motha
Why is it necessary to coat most foods which are to be deep fried ?To protect food surface from excess heat, prevent escape of moisture and nutrients, and modify excess penetration of intense heat.
by Therese Motha
When making Potato Salad, remember that potatoes saturate themselves with oil and vinegar much more easily when they are warm, and this makes them taste a great deal better.
by Therese Motha
A light fruit cake often calls for bicarbonate of soda as a raising agent in combination with vinegar. The reason is that the bicarb helps to brown the cake, while the vinegar reacts in the same way as does cream of tartar in scones etc.
by Therese Motha
How to season a non stick pan before using it for the first time. Wash well in soapy water. Rinse. Heat pan on low flame for 30 seconds. Smear 1 tsp cooking oil over surface with soft cloth. Wash well again and dry. Your pan is ow ready for use.
by Therese Motha
Home made Ice Cream needs a bit of gelatine. Do you know why?Because the ice crystals in it must be stabilized. The gelatine acts as a protective coating around the crystals, resulting in smooth ice cream.
by Therese Motha
Useful information about milk , which is the most complete single food we know. Milk is easily digested if you sip it, but if gulped down, it forms a difficult-to-digest clot inside you.
by Therese Motha
Fresh pineapple and its juice must be scalded before using in gelatine, because of an enzyme action which prevents stiffening. So do remember to cook the pineapple if you are using it in a cold pudding with gelatine.
by Therese Motha
Do not eat fruit just after a meal. (especially plantains), as this will cause your stomach to bloat. Eat fruit one hour after a meal, or half an hour or one hour before the meal.
by Therese Motha
Do not drink tea just after a meal. The acid content in the leaves make the protein in the food difficult to digest.
by Therese Motha
Add a tsp of vinegar to the cold water that you add when making pastry. It will make your pastry light and flaky.
by Therese Motha
I suppose all of of you housewives know that when you finish using the pressure cooker, you must remove the rubber gasket that is on the lid, wash it well in soapy water, shake it well, and hang it up to dry. This preserves the life of the gasket.
by Therese Motha
Lettuce and celery stay fresh longer if you store them in paper bags in the fridge, instead of in plastic ones.
by Therese Motha
Remember whenever you cook a dhall curry , to add a pinch of Asafoedita (Perunkayam) .This prevents flatulence.
by Therese Motha
When frying fish fillets in batter, first dust the fish fillets in plain flour, and then in the batter, as it helps the batter to stick to the fish.
by Therese Motha
For pastry, a metal baking pan is much better at conducting heat than a glass or china one. It also results in crisper pastry.
by Therese Motha
A simple remedy for phlegm in the throat and chest. Boil together about 8 lemon or lime leaves with about 4 leaves of "Ada Thoda ". Inhale this just before going to bed. This thins out the secretions and gives an adequate humidification.
by Therese Motha
Drop a lettuce leaf into a pot of home made soup to absorb excess grease floating on the top.
by Therese Motha
Many recipes go awry not because you are bad at cooking but because you are unprepared.
Preparation is key. Rushing a recipe is a bad idea; make sure you have allocated enough time.
Being precise in your measuring is being prudent.
Improvising is a bad idea unless your recipe suggests alternatives.
Avoid clutter. The chances of misplacing or forgetting an ingredient is greater if you are not organized.
Doing tedious tasks in advance can make your cooking less stressful. Make a mental note by reading the recipe repeatedly to know which tasks can be done in advance.
Storing cake in a fridge? Always use an airtight container!
Cracking eggs directly into your batter isn't a good idea. Crack them into a cup and then add the egg later. You avoid egg shells in your batter.
To remove eggshells in your cracked eggs, scoop them with another eggshell!
Use a clear glass or plastic measure when measuring liquids. Place the measure on the counter and check at eye level to make sure you measure correctly.
Sticky liquids such as honey will drain of quickly from measuring tumblers if you line them with grease first.
Not sure if your cake is done? Stick a toothpick in the center. It will come clean with no crumbs sticking to it!
