At The Kitchen

Kitchen work and cooking have many processes to follow.
These could confuse a beginner.
No amount of teaching gets the desired results unless one is constantly practicing.
Carelessness could spoil dishes at times but that is the only way to learn!
For us who have been at it for many decades now, these tasks are second nature.

When milk is boiled in large quantities, a portion is cooled in a separate container until it is just warm enough. A teaspoon of curds is then added to set it. Until milk turns into curds it should not be refrigerated.
Another portion of milk is kept aside for the noon's tea and this has to be absolutely cool before it is refrigerated for later use. If this is not done, the milk could curdle in the humid temperature of Chennai and render it useless for tea.

My husband who lends a helping hand at the kitchen is never able to understand why I don't follow the same rule for everything! I would insist that all dishes have to be covered with a lid and kept near the cooking counter to retain heat.
But when I am making chutneys, the shallow fried ingredients have to be kept open and under the fan to cool before passing them through the blender! When I think it is ready to be ground, I find the fan switched off and the dish covered, still hot!!
There are times when items to be covered are kept open and those that need to be cooled are neatly covered! Holy confusion arises and precious time is lost. These are funny situations!

There can be a mismatch when work is shared by two or more people unless processes are understood and each complements the other, otherwise it could turn out to be 'Laurel and Hardy' early in the morning.

Mahalakshmi.