அஞ்சறை பெட்டி

ஒவ்வொரு சமையல் அறையிலும் முக்கியமாக இடம் பெரும் ஒரு பாத்திரம் அஞ்சறை பெட்டி. வட்டமாகவோ, சதுரமாகவோ இருக்கும் இதன் பெயர் தான் அஞ்சறை பெட்டி அனால் இதில் 6 அல்லது 7 சிறிய கிண்ணங்கள் இருக்கும். அந்த கிண்ணங்களின் அளவிற்கு அழகாக, அளவாக ஒரு சின்ன ஸ்பூன் உண்டு. 

இதில் கடுகு, உடைத்த உளுத்தம் பருப்பு, கடலை பருப்பு, மிளகு, ஜீரகம், கட்டி பெருங்காயம், மஞ்சள் பொடி, தனியா, போன்றவற்றை போட்டு வைக்கலாம். இதற்கு ஒரு மேல் மூடி உண்டு அதில் மிளகாய் வற்றல் வைத்து கொள்ளலாம்.

How to get more juice from lemon

Roll the lemon with one hand on a counter top to release more juice. 
While buying lemon or limes choose the bigger ones as they will be much more sweeter. The skin should be thin so that it will be much much more juicier.
To get more juice from Lemons/Limes microwave it in high for 30 seconds and then cut and squeeze

How to keep Leafy vegetables fresh

After getting green leafy vegetables, wash and cut them to small pieces and wrap them in a kitchen towel or newspaper and place it in a zip lock bag and store it in the fridge. This will help in keeping those leafy vegetables fresh for almost 2 weeks.

How to avoid the knife getting blunt

After chopping or slicing tomatoes or pinapples or cutting limes, wash and wipe the knife immediatly so that the knife doesnot go blunt.

How to make Paneer at home

Ingredients:
Milk - 1 ltr
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:
Bring the milk to boil, while doing so warm the water and after removing from fire add the lemon juice to it. When the milk comes to a boil, pour the lemon juice to it and sim the stove. Keep stirring constantly, to ensue that the entire milk is curdled. Remove from fire and let it cool. Strain through a clean muslin cloth. Keep the muslin cloth under running water and then squeeze out the remaining water. Hang the cloth so that all the Whey drains out. Donot throw the whey. It is rich in proteins. It could be used to make gravies or can also be added instead of wate while making Chappatis.

When you feel that all the water have come off then place the muslin cloth in a plate and keep a heavy weight over it. After 2 to 3 hours it can be removed and sliced. Refrigerate it and use it whenever needed. Make sure you dont store the Paneer more than a week.

List of Groceries that needed for a month for a family

Ofcourse the elders will help in setting up the kitchen for the new weds, but nevertheless after the stock is over, it will be kind of confusing for all what to buy and the quantity that one needs to buy. I have added the list of grocery that my mom suggested me. Hope this will be helpful for all. 

This list is for the family of 2 to 4. So depending upon the usage you can adjust the quantities:
1.Rice - 12 Kg
2.Thoor Dal - 2 to 3 Kgs
3. Rice Flour - 1 Kg
4. Salt - 1Kg
5. Black Gram Dal Whole- 1 Kg
6. Boiled IdlyRice - 2 Kg
7. Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 Kg
8. Bengal gram Flour - 1 Kg
9. Broken Black Gram Dhal - 200 gms
10. Coriander Seeds - 1/2 Kg
11. Red Chillies - 1/2 Kg
12. Wheat Flour - 2 Kg
13. Sugar -2 Kg
14. Mustard - 50 gms
15. Cumin Seeds - 100 gms
16. Pepper - 100 gms
17.Refined Oil - 2 Kgs
18. Gingely Oil - 1 Kg
19. Green Gram Dal - 1/2 Kg
20. Tamarind - 1 Kg
21. Fried Bengal Gram - 1/2 Kg
22. Cashew Nuts - 200 gms
23. Turmeric Powder - 50 gms
24. Red Chillie Powder - 100 gms
25. Butter - 1 Kg
26. Jaggery - 1 Kg
27. Dry Ginger - 50 gms
28. Cardomom -5 gms
29. Vermicili , Sago - each 1/4 kg
30. other dals like Channa Dal Broken Beans, Rajma etc etc which you need to make sundal or gravies

Essentials needed for all new weds

Nine years back when I started my life as a new wed, my mom and mom in law stayed with me for a few days to help me set up my house and kitchen. But even before marriage my mom started collecting a lot of things that will be needed for me. Though this might not be the full set or an excess list for a new kitchen, still it will be helpful for all. 

Most essential articles you need to start a kitchen.

1. Shripet or Pearlpet jars for tea/coffee/sugar and salt (better go in for Tupper Ware or rubber maid products. (Edited in 2022). Now you have various other companies manufacturing food grade plastic containers. 

2. Baskets for potatoes and onions. Never keep onions and potatoes in the same basket. They need to be kept in 2 different baskets

3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons

4. Anjarai petti or small size Shripet or Pearlpet jars for spices and masalas. There are lot of different shaped masala dabbas with containers ranging from 6 partitions to 12 or more. 

5. 12 medium size plastic jars for grains & cereals. (to hold atleast 1 kg)

6. Rolling pin & board

7. Chopping board

8. 2-3 knives

9. Steel tong

10. 1 peeler

11. Lighter or Match Boxes

12. 1 grater

13. 6 tea towels

14. 2 cleaning sponges

15. Kitchen roll or paper towel rolls mainly to be used to drain oil.

16. 2 saucepans

17. Serving bowls

18. 1 tava/non-stick

19. Seive

20. Strainer 1 bug one or two small

21. Serving plate

22. 3 kadhai and one of them a deep one for frying

23. Table cuttlery

24. Pressure cooker 2 or 3 different sizes

25. Glasses

26. Dinner plates

27. Side plates

28. Bottle opener (optional)

29. Blender or food processor

30. 1 ladle1 flat spoon, serving spoons & wooden spoons

31. 2-3 thalis

32. Slotted frying spoon

33. Cooking utensils of various sizes

34. Grinder

35. Refrigerator

Have different vessels for milk and other spicy foods. It is always better to have Non-Stick cookware in large number in your kitchen