• While kneading dough for puris add two to four tablespoons of rawa to make the puris crisper.

• The art of making good naan khatais lies in beating the mixture till it becomes light and fluffy. Also only vanaspati should be used to make them.

• To deskin tomatoes, roast them over a gas flame with the help of a fork. The skin will come off easily.

• Place rolled puris in the fridge for ten minutes before frying them, they will consume less oil and will be crisper.

• To set thick curds, mix one cup of raw milk with two cups of warm milk and one teaspoon curds.

• Lightly salted cucumbers are delicious as sandwich fillings in wafer thin buttered brown bread. An ideal snack for high tea partys.

• Always salt the water for boiling vegetables, this enhances their natural flavour and diminishes the need to add salt to the table.

• Do not salt meat before cooking as salt draws out all the flavoursome juices, but fish fillet will benefit from a bit of salt during refrigeration before cooking.

• When using cooked or raw garlic as an ingredient in dishes that will be stored for several days, be sure to remove any small green shoots found in the centre of the cloves. These shoots have a slightly bitter taste, which develop over time and can be imparted to the finished dish.

• Grated lemon, lime or orange zest can be added to sauces or marinades for a hint of citrus tang.