Have you tried cooking something special but found out you have run out of an important ingredient? You crave for a dish, but you are allergic to one of its components. You don’t have to despair, let your creative juices flow and do the substitution! Solve your problem with a few kitchen hacks that can save not only your recipe but also your budget.
- Make your own condensed milk
A can of sweetened condensed milk can be expensive; if you don’t have it, make your own. Boil a mixture of 1 1/8-cup of milk powder, ¾-refined white sugar, and ½-cup water, stirring constantly until the liquid thickens. This measurement can make about 14oz.
- You need tomato sauce, but you don’t have it
You are making spaghetti and needs tomato sauce, but you only have a small can of tomato paste, what to do? Don’t go crazy, get creative. Tomato paste is the concentrate form or puree; you can dilute it easily without any problem. Just add a cup of water to ¾-cup tomato paste. You can add seasoning to make the sauce tastier.
- You need a gluten-free gravy
There are dishes that call for a thick sauce or gravy and fried chicken is never the same without the creamy, garlicky dip. However, not all thickening agents are gluten-free. 100% Pure cornstarch is without gluten and can replace flour as a thickener. Use only half of the cornstarch when making the substitution (use 1 part of cornstarch instead of 2 parts of flour).
- Can’t find custard powder?
Custard powder makes delicious pudding, ice cream, gravy, tapioca dessert, pastries and baked goodies. Some stores don’t sell ready-to-use custard powder, if you need it but can’t find it, use corn flour instead. Add vanilla flavour, annatto or tartrazine for colouring.
- When you need baking powder but only have baking soda
These baking items sometimes can be confusing. Though they look the same, they aren’t exactly the same. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a leavening agent that makes bread and cakes rise. It needs an acid like lemon or another ingredient to neutralize the metallic taste of sodium carbonate.
Baking powder, on the other hand, is pure cornstarch, powdered acid, and baking soda. If your recipe calls for a baking powder and you only have soda, use 1:3 ratio or 1 teaspoon baking soda to replace a 3-teaspoon baking powder measurement. Don’t forget to add lemon or cream of tartar to mask the aftertaste.
Life can be stressful but if you know a few kitchen hacks, you can breeze through a difficult day without losing your cool.
Delta Food Industries FZC is one of the leading manufacturers of food and beverage in the UAE. For more details, you may send your e-mails here.