Food Processor, mini This compact version of a big food processor is small and simple, with just a basic two-prong blade. I can easily shred onions with it and make Fresh Coriander Chutney (page 37) in a flash. Although some foods can be similarly processed in a blender, a blender is typically used to purée liquids or items with a soupy consistency. A food processor allows for more cuts than a blender, depending on the blade used. For the recipes in this book, a simple, mini food processor with just the basic blade and a low and high speed button will do fine. I do a lot of grating of onions, and that can be done with this mini food processor instead of a box grater.
Garlic Press This tool makes fast work of mincing garlic. It is usually made of metal and presses peeled or unpeeled garlic cloves through small holes, creating a close substitute for hand-minced garlic. Although this tool saves time, I have found the downside is that it can be hard to clean out since garlic can get stuck in the grooves. After using it, be sure to pry out any garlic stuck in the press so it does not go to waste.
Immersion Blender (see Blender) Juicer A juicer is a fun tool to extract the juice from the pulp of fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens such as spinach. Juicers come in manual and electric models; the manual ones being good for juicing citrus fruits such as oranges or grapefruits. But since I also like to juice fruits such as pineapple, and vegetables such as spinach and carrots, an electric juicer is ideal.
Mortar and Pestle A mortar and pestle is the traditional Indian tool used to crush and grind spices. It has a bowl-shaped base (the mortar) and a small bat-shaped stick (the pestle) that is used to crush the spices by repeatedly and forcefully pressing down on them while rotating the pestle. Mortars and pestles come in different sizes and materials, from marble or other stone, to wood, porcelain or metals. For all but very small amounts of spice or nuts, I prefer to use an electric coffee/spice grinder because it is faster. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can crush small amounts of spices or nuts by placing them in a plastic bag and, with the bag on a cutting board, tapping it with a rolling pin.
Parchment Paper This is a nonstick paper that is used in baking. I place a small piece between hot breads before freezing them so they will not stick to each other and tear or break when separating them for thawing and reheating. Even if the breads are very hot, they will not stick to the parchment when frozen. Parchment paper can be found in the same section of the grocery store where aluminum foil is found.
Rolling Pins I use mine to not only roll out dough, but I also use it to crush nuts and cardamom seeds and to ground up roasted cumin seeds. Rolling pins come in different material, such as metal, marble, silicon, and plastic. I prefer to use a wooden one because they are easy to find, relatively lightweight, and easy to clean. Tapered rolling pins can be pivoted and rotated while rolling out dough, which is very helpful when trying to roll out a perfect circle of dough.
Spice Grinder This handy gadget, also called a coffee grinder, can be used to grind spices, and definitely beats using a mortar and pestle—the traditional tool for grinding spices. From my experience, I have seen the motor burn out if you overload the spice grinder, or run it for a long time at one stretch. It is best to grind spices in small batches, and frequently rest the motor for a few seconds while operating it. To clean the spice grinder, I take a damp paper towel and carefully and slowly wipe the inside and the blade. You may also grind some uncooked white rice in the grinder so the spice aromas will be absorbed by the rice.
Sieve, also called strainer A sieve is a type of handheld strainer made of wire mesh that allows liquids to pass through, while keeping the solids in the strainer. They come in different sizes, from small to large. I use a small strainer when making Chai Tea (page 119) to collect the cardamom pods and seeds and the tea bags. I use a large sieve when making Tomato Soup (page 47) and also to squeeze out the liquid from the grated opo squash to make Opo Squash Fritters (page 51). A large sieve is also a great tool for washing rice and lentils without having to worry about losing any grains or lentils down the sink!
Spider Also called a wire skimmer, this tool gets its name because of its resemblance to a spider’s web. At one end of a long handle is a broad, circular, shallow bowl of loosely spaced, but sturdy wire mesh. The spider can be use to scoop up and strain a wide variety of ingredients such as vegetables or pasta in a boiling pot of water, or anything deep-fried. I especially like to use this tool when making Salted Fried Cashews (page 43), since I can put a batch of cashews in the spider, safely lower it into the hot oil, and then quickly raise the spider back up when the cashews are done.
Wok A wok is a round-bottomed cooking utensil popular in Asian cooking for stir-frying. It can be used to efficiently deep-fry, since the round bottom shape creates a deeper frying area that requires less oil than a flat-bottomed pot with straight sides. A karahi is an Indian wok that is used to deep-fry foods. The bottom of a karahi is not as rounded as a Chinese wok, but it is still an efficient utensil to deep-fry foods. If you prefer to get an Indian wok, they are sometimes available at Indian grocery stores, or you can order them online.
Cooking Tips
Here are some of my basic cooking tips that I would like to share with you to make cooking in the kitchen an easier, quicker, and more fun experience.