Vikram Ganpule

Executive chef, Hyatt Regency

Before starting, read the recipe twice so you are less likely to miss a step. Having said this, I also recommend that you try to experiment with your cooking — don’t become a slave to your cookbook. Make the choices intentionally, not through forgetfulness.

In addition to prepping ingredients, get your pans ready too — start with HOT pans. Instead of putting a cold pan on the stove, then adding oil, start with an empty pan on the stove. The pan will get warmer as you prep your ingredients, making it the perfect temperature for your food (and it cooks faster!)

Creamy sauces like those in fettuccine alfredo or home-made macaroni and cheese are often loaded with butter, heavy cream and/or cheese. Using less cheese gives any dish an easy health upgrade. Opt for bold-flavoured cheeses, such as extra-sharp Cheddar, goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano, to give more flavour impact, with fewer calories and less fat.

Ditch heavy cream and make velvety sauces with low-fat milk that’s thickened with flour.

Wine can add a lot of flavour to a meal. If you are braising meat, for example in a pot roast, pour some wine. The alcohol content left after cooking is not enough to make this an ‘adults-only’ meal. The general rule is to use red wine with red meat, and white with white. If you are going to pan-fry some fish, just pour in a half cup of white wine and some herbs, and you can make a lovely meal with a ready-made sauce.

t2 loves:

To make your own cream substitute: Combine 1 cup low-fat milk with 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour; whisk over medium heat until bubbling and thick. For creamy salads, such as a potato salad, opt for low-fat mayonnaise and/or reduced-fat sour cream; a blend of the two tastes great.

Chef Ashutosh Awasthi

Sous chef, The Park

Marinade is the key to flavour and this is particularly important for meats. Use any kind of marinade to enhance flavour and to help cook faster.

Slow cooking enhances flavour. Go for it.

Be creative when it comes to flavour. Use wine, spices like cardamom or star anise, or anything to give the flavour a boost.

Boiling or poaching — that is when your medium of cooking is water — makes food healthier.

Use healthier fats, like olive oil, for cooking.

Make organic raw materials and probiotic items like home-made yogurt a part of your daily meals.

Always use wholewheat or any wholegrain product.

t2 loves:

Marinate fish and seafood with lemon juice. The acid in the juice helps cook fast.

Mayank Kulshreshtha

Executive chef, ITC Sonar

Always blanch leafy vegetables and subsequently chill them in ice water to hold the greenness and protect the nutrients. Boiling it for a long time without a lid results in the loss of essential vitamins and nutrients.

Serve egg preparations with tomato ketchup for a sour complement to avoid burping after having eggs. It also helps remove the eggy smell and flavour which may not appeal to many.

While poaching eggs, add a few drops of vinegar — it helps in the coagulation of egg white.

While making stir-fry meats at home, freeze fresh and lean meat to cut into thin slices, which is required for the preparation. Lean meat is good for health.

Never wash vegetables after peeling or cutting as the nutrients may get washed away.

Roast poppadoms in microwave, it is high in taste and low in calorie.

Store dry fruits in refrigerator to increase shelf life.

Once spice packets are opened, keep them in the fridge to prevent formation of lumps due to humidity. It also increases shelf life.

After making pudina chutney, freeze the chutney in an ice tray. Once the cubes are formed, take it out and store in the freezer. On requirement, take a cube out of the freezer, dissolve it in water and serve.

t2 loves:

To reduce fat in soups and stew, chill the dish and skim off the white layer that is formed, subsequently reheat and serve it hot.

Sujan Mukherjee

Executive chef, Taj Bengal

A pressure cooker or a microwave oven saves you time in cooking. Don’t be wary of using these.

If you’re cooking something on the stove, use a lid on the pan. This saves you time and keeps the food from turning unpalatably dry.

Practice your chopping skills. For stir-fries or for any preparation for that matter, thin slices of meat and vegetables cook faster.

Make your stir-fries on high temperature and quick heat.

Do not skimp on seasoning. Adequate seasoning is the key to flavour.

Crush or tear fresh herbs for better aroma. You can use a bouquet garni (a small pouch of herbs) too.

Do not overcook food. Stick to the time the recipe calls for. That way you do not lose the nutrients.

Do not dilute a soup or a sauce with water. Use vegetable or meat stock.

Stir-frying or pan-searing food is any day a better and healthier option than deep frying.

Do not add salt to seafood and fish. If required, add at the very end.

t2 loves:

For meat preparations, always sear the meat to seal in juices, before you start cooking in an oven or on stovetop.

Utpal Mondal

Corporate chef, Hotel Hindusthan International

Keep spices and herbs in a cool, dark place. It protects both flavour and colour.

While cooking rice, add a bit of vinegar. It makes the rice whiter.

When making eggless cake at home, add soda water or a fizzy soft drink like Sprite to the batter instead of only water.

If you’re storing fresh, leafy vegetables in the fridge, roll them up in newspaper. It keeps them fresher for a longer period.

To protect your chopping board from smelling, put garlic in a plastic bag first before mashing with a wooden hammer.

For fresh herbs like basil, mint or coriander, keep the leafy side in chilled water, and the stems at room temperature. The herbs stay fresh for a long time.

If you’re chopping jackfruit, banana stem or raw banana, apply oil on your hands. The gummy resin doesn’t stick to your hands that way.

t2 loves:

Peeling garlic is very tough. Rub a little oil on the garlic pods, lightly roast in the oven and you’d find them very easy to peel. You could also blanch the garlic pods in hot water for 10 seconds.

Pranay Kumar Singh,

Executive chef, Swissotel Kolkata

Never fry paneer. Put it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy.

To get the full flavour out of saffron, warm it slightly before crushing (you may do so in a microwave oven for 10 seconds on high), add one teaspoon of warm milk and stir well.

When noodles are boiled, drain the hot water and add cold water. This way the noodles won’t get clumped.

For dosa batter, if you add half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, your dosa will be more crisp.

To easily shred cheese, place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Firmer cheese is less likely to make a melted mess on your grater.

t2 loves:

For a bright yellow colour when you’re cooking desi food, use a bit of red chilli powder along with turmeric powder.

Madhumita Mohanta

Executive chef, The Lalit Great Eastern

Use ingredients like butter and eggs at room temperature. This helps in better emulsification of the batter and also saves time when preparing a cake.

Rotate cake or bread when it is halfway of the baking time and forms a firm structure, again very gently to ensure even baking.

Always demould the cake and keep it upside down. This will flatten out the tops, creating easy-to-stack disks for layer cakes. If the top of a cake is still too rounded, slice it off with a serrated knife.

Adding lemon juice to dough helps prevent black spots in the dough and also retains its whiteness.

While caramelising sugar, say for making a caramel custard, add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallisation.

To make your idlis softer, add a little amount of sagu to the urad dal.

Caramelise onions in half the time by adding a little baking soda.

Cook with a 1:1 ratio of butter and oil. Oil stops the butter from burning and the butter adds richness to the dish.

t2 loves:

Save your hard cheese rinds and store in a sealed bag in the freezer. Use it to add intense flavours to broths, soups, and stews. Just add the rind to the simmering liquid for 20 to 30 minutes.

As told to Anindita Mitra