Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Back to basics

There is variety in vinegar

HERBAL FLAVOUR Herbed vinegars can be used in many recipes

Herbal vinegars are easy to make, are wonderful additions to the chef's kitchen, and make elegant yet inexpensive gifts. Herbed vinegars can be used in any recipe that calls for vinegar. Choose the type of vinegar according to the herbs you use. Red and White Wine Vinegars and Rice Vinegars are the most often used, because of their smooth taste. White Vinegar is sharper, but is still a nice choice with some herbs. Cider Vinegar has a taste of its own, so take care that it doesn't overpower the herbs.

White Wine Vinegar goes well with borage, chive, dill, savory, sage, opal basil, lavender sprigs or flowers, fennel, and parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, garlic or onion stems and blossoms and

Red Wine Vinegar goes well with basil, garlic, oregano, and thyme. White Vinegar is complimented by basil, rosemary, tarragon, and dill.

Cider Vinegar is enhanced by lovage, orange peel spirals, raspberries, and lavender blossoms.

Rice Vinegar goes well with parsley, dill, savory, sage, rosemary, purple basil, tarragon, thyme, and garlic.

Making herbed vinegars

The proportion of herb to vinegar is an important consideration as far as taste is concerned.As a baseline for proportioning the herbs, use three or four two-inch sprigs of fresh herb per cup of vinegar. If you use dried herbs, use one-fourth cup of herb per cup of vinegar. If you are using garlic or hot peppers, use one close of garlic or one pepper per cup of vinegar.

Place the herbs in clean jars. Gently heat the vinegar, but do not boil. Allow it to cool; pour the warm Vinegar over the herbs. Keep the jars in a dark place. The vinegar will be ready in three to four weeks and lasts for almost a year.

Wheat bread

Could you tell me how to make 100 per cent whole wheat (brown) bread in a convection microwave oven?

You can follow this recipe. Ingredients: Whole wheat: 500 gms, yeast: 10 gm, sugar: 50 gm, bread improver: 5 gm, glutin: 5 gm, water: 250 to 300 ml.

Method: Make a medium soft dough using the above mentioned ingredients. Prove it for 20 minutes preferably in a prover. Grease and bake at a temp of 220 to 230 degree c for 35 to 40 minutes.

Gnana Kumar

Food colour

What are the permitted food colours you recommend? Is there an index to know if the colour is safe?

There are two types of colours that can be used; one is natural and other is synthetic. For natural colouring, beta carotene, chlorophyll, riboflavin, caramel, annatto, saffron and turmeric can be used. For synthetic colouring, the colour should be ISI-marked and approved by the food and drug administration.

Sailaja Tarnaka

Coconut milk

What is the right way to extract coconut milk?

You need to have one medium sized, fresh coconut, grated. 1st extract:

Sprinkle half cup water over coconut gratings. Squeeze out milk to get the first extract. 2nd extract:Add one cup cold water to the squeezed coconut gratings and squeeze out milk to get the 2 nd extract.3rd extract: Repeat with two cups cold water.

Smita

East Marredpally

Right sweetener

Could you tell me what is the better sweetening agent for pickles — jaggery, sugar or any other sweetener?

Sugar and jaggery both are used to make pickles. For different type of taste,different types of sweetening are used.

Ritesh

Trimulgherry

Write to Metroplus
Foodline column to clarify all your doubts on food.
The queries can be mailed to hydmetro@thehindu.co.in
Or snail mail to Foodline,
Metroplus desk,
THE HINDU
Begumpet Road,
Hyderabad - 500 016
Or call between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on 23403902

PRADEEP KHOSLA

Executive Chef, Taj Krishna

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail