Things U Must Have Handy in Kitchen (Life Savers)

Its common for all of us at some point of our

mundane life to run in to a situation wherein we are unplanned/ have a short span of time to cook /unexpected guests coming for lunch/dinner. By maintaining few items in your kitchen handy, you can do wonders!!

These tips are for the benefit of my newly married cousins/friends, bachelors, students and for all the great homemakers who need a quick back up or life saving ideas with minimum kitchen handy items:

Refridgerator:

Maintain a minimum stock of the below items:

1. Eggs: You can make quick and pleasing dishes like Boiled eggs fry, egg gravy, scrambled egg, omlettes etc.
2. Milk: You can prepare flavoured milk, custard or kheer in no time.
3. Yogurt: Very gifted item during summers. You can make cool raithas, masala lassi, yogurt gravies (recipes soon).
4. Ranch Sauce: A great back up for yogurt or sour cream. It can be used for salad dressings, burger and sandwitches and also can be used in gravy curries like butter masala and kofta curries (recipes soon).
5. Tomato puree/paste: Can be used to make quick chutneys, rasams, gravies and soups.

Freezer section

1. Mixed vegetable pack - Available in freezer section of any grocery store. Maintain atleast 1 pack - a great backup for vegetables.
2. Butter (Fat free unsalted) - comes handy all the time - a great back up when you are running short of oil/ghee.
3. Puff Sheets - Peppridge farms brand - A great handy item for appetizers. You can bake any variety of puffs in just 10-15 mints.

Kitchen Shelves

1. Potatoes - maintain atleast 1 pound stock....a life saver and a great veggy and can be cooked in short span. Ex: Aloo crisps (receipe posted), aloo kurma and aloo paratas.
2. Onions - I know this is a frequently used item and very often we run out of stock. In such cases a fried onion pack can be a great saver. Fried onion packets are available in indian stores for about $3.50 cents. Better to keep a pack handy as it has got a longer shelf life. To be more cost effective, if you have patience make your own fried onions (receipe in vahrehvah) and store in an air tight storage box or zip lock.
3. Masala packs: MDH/Everest/Shaan brand. Keep handy each pack of Chana/Chole masala (great for any gravies, pav bhaji etc.), Biryani masala (use for any variety of rice dishes or even can be used for gravies), Chat masala (a great flavour to your raithas, boiled eggs and also fruit chats).
4. Kasthuri methi / dried flavoured fenugreek leaves: MDH brand: A great back up for coriander or mint leaves. Each pack lasts long for almost year. Comes in handy to garnish and also adds a great flavour in all butter masala curries.
5. Cashews/Almonds/Raisins: Always maintain minimum stock. You can use them in any dessert, also you can powder them and use to make flavoured milk/shake.
6. Bread/Bun: Make sure you keep a pack handy as its a great life saver. You can make yummy bread/bun pizza (recipe sooon), pav bhaji, burgers and sandwitches.
7. Miscellaneous: Aluminium foil sheets (for baking and grilling) saves a lot of clean up time. Zipper foils for left over storage.

Now I am running short of my ideas...well can't have a back up for this :) If you think there are any other tips you are welcome to share through comments and I would love to add them back here.