Kitchen Disasters

I was reading a favourite magazine when I came across some interesting  tips to follow, when cooking disasters take place in the kitchen. How many times have we  got to a stage where we think we have to  throw away  the food because we have added too much of salt in the food. And  how much does it infuriate you  when everyone starts complaining  that the food is too oily and leave their plates barely eaten. I find that in most instances  when making ,soups and stews,I unsuspectingly tend to   add extra salt and hold my hands in my head wondering what  I  am going to do with a pot full  of salty soup and  who on earth is going to eat it after that.. Many times I have added cupfuls of extra water to reduce the saltiness but  have ended  up with a pot of  watery soup.

By following some procedures ,I am sure we can relish the salty food too which otherwise would probably go waste.I found these tips very useful and easy to handle. So make sure  to  try  them  next time  you  encounter similar mishaps when cooking.Try adding raw potatoes to the soups and discard  them once they are thoroughly cooked.The cooked potatoes absorb the extra  salt ..Another method is to mix  a teaspoon of cider vinegar and sugar.To get rid of excess fat from soups ,refrigerate the soup after cooking.The excess fat will come up to to the surface and can  be easily removed. Lettuce leaves also absorb fat. Place a few in the pot and the fat will  cling onto it. Simply remove the lettuce leaves. This is a good technique to  adapt to prevent wastage of food  from  possible cooking disasters .


               A pot of soup can turn disastrous if too much of salt is added

Sago Pudding

Sago is a cereal acquired from the powdered pith of a sago palm. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago It is starchy and  used for making  puddings and pancakes and for various other purposes. Sago is commonly used for cooking  in India, Bangaladesh and  Sri Lanka.

Traditionally,in our home,sago is  cooked and eaten in the form of a pudding.It is in  the spotlight during the festive seasons.It makes a good dessert  and keeps us feeling warm and cosy during the  cold wintry days.In summer, you can chill the pudding and enjoy it's thick texture. Sago is  widely sold  in the form of "pearls". Sago pearls can be boiled with water or milk and sugar to make a sweet  sago pudding.I usually  purchase white sago pearls to make  a warm dessert.Some prefer to eat  sago pudding or porriage  with a serving of thick coconut milk.

Ingredients

¼ pound sago pearls

6-8 oz jaggery

½ teacup coconut milk

5 cardomom pods

A piece of cinnamon stick

A pinch of salt

A tablespoon sugar ( optional)

Method

Wash and soak the sago pearls for about 15 minutes.Put the pearls into a pan,add the water ,cinnamon ,and the cardamons and bring it to a boil.Scrap the jaggery and add it to the cooking sago.Add a pinch of salt.At this point,( optional)  you can add an extra tablespoon of sugar if you want the pudding to balance your taste buds..Now pour the coconut milk and stir it very well.Remove from heat and pour the contents  into a glass dish.This will taste good when eaten warm. Some love to serve it with a spoonful of thick  coconut milk/cream.

Remove the  cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving.

Tip: Add an extra cup of water to the above recipe to make sago porridge. And add sugar according to taste.