Since there are many varieties of potatoes available in the market, how do I determine what kind takes longer to cook and what doesn’t? A lot of times, when I put them in a pressure cooker, some remain undercooked while some get overcooked. Is there anything in particular that I can keep in mind?
Whether you are boiling, baking, roasting, mashing or pureeing, there is definitely a variety of spuds out there to fit your need. It’s hard to know which one will work best but generally potatoes are pretty much split into two basic types — starchy and waxy, and with a bit of trial and error, you will be good to go.
Starchy potatoes are high in starch, low in moisture, and tend to have a course, rough skin and are white when you cut into them. This high starch combo make them best for frying — chips, French fries etc and take on the golden colour.
Waxy potatoes have more moisture and sugar. They tend to weigh heavier and have a smooth skin. They are often smaller and have a creamy colour when you cut into them. And yes, these take longer to boil. They are great for boiling, roasting and slicing. They hold together when cooked, unlike the starchy ones. They are great in stews, curries, chaat and salads too.
Can you suggest any one or two salad dressing that can be prepared and stored in the fridge? I use a basic dressing with olive oil, lime, salt and pepper most of the time and I don’t know what else I can use for different veggies.
So I think olive oil, lime, salt and pepper is pretty much the best dressing you can ever make and works so well with pretty much anything you throw it over. That said, there are a million different dressings you can make that will keep well if refrigerated. So I am going to give you three quick ones to get you started. Once made, keep them refrigerated in a bottle or jar and all three will last for weeks.
The first is for a good, relatively thick French mustard dressing and coats everything beautifully. Start with a mixing bowl and a whisk. Add to this 2tbsp French or Dijon mustard, a clove of garlic — minced, 1tbsp white wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then slowly whisk in 150 ml of olive oil and you are done.
The second is a little on the Asian side and is brilliant to dress pretty much any and everything and can easily be used as a stir-fry sauce as well. Again, start with a mixing bowl and a whisk. Whisk together 1tbsp each of hoisin and oyster sauce, 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1tsp finely chopped ginger, 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 1tbsp white vinegar, and 100ml olive or sunflower oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
And finally, something filled with desi flavours…. Into a mixing bowl, mix 1tsp finely chopped ginger, 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 1tbsp each of red, green and yellow capsicum, 1tbsp chopped coriander, 2 green chillies finely chopped, 2tbsp white vinegar, ½tsp each of crushed roasted cumin, cracked coriander seeds and chaat masala. Drizzle in 150ml olive or sunflower oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
While cooking something with green bell peppers, most of the times it tends to get soggy. How can I avoid this and at what stage of cooking should I add them?
All vegetables have different cooking timings and a lot of times when you are adding different vegetables during the cooking process, it is all about experience. For instance, let’s say I am making a nice seasonal soup. Then I would start with things like onions, potatoes, beetroot, carrot etc. Then after a five minutes of simmering, I add things like pumpkin and sweet potato. Then five more minutes later, I will add broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, capsicum and simmer for a further five minutes. Then turn the heat off. It should be done with all the vegetables cooked perfectly. At this point if you have fresh peas or fresh herbs, you can also stir them in.
What is the perfect way of adding yeast to make a dough so that when it rests it actually doubles? In my case, most of the time it doesn’t double in size and remains as it is.
I will be honest here. Unless your yeast is really really old, like long dead, this is the first time I am hearing this. Depending on the kind of recipe, I add yeast to dough at the beginning, in the middle and sometimes towards the end. Some recipes with lukewarm water, sometime iced and with fresh, dried and freeze-dried yeast. The only real thing I can think about where you can be going wrong is that you are not using a good strong bread flour and kneading it long enough to stretch the gluten but even then it will still rise. Or, it could be that every single time you have made dough so far, you have forgotten to add the yeast!
