To master the art of cooking it is not necessary to be a great cook. It is important to be a smart one though.

If you know some basic tips and tricks that come only with experience or are handed over down to generations, you can actually become a czar of perfect cooking.

Try out these amazing secrets that our readers and staffers have shared to make cooking easier.

Gunjan Arora If your milk is almost at the point of getting spoilt, add a pinch of baking soda and you can save your milk!

Ankita Shukla If your curd is not being set, add a slit green chilly to it.

Jamuna Das To prevent ants in your kitchen and also disinfect the floor and slabs, add turmeric and salt to the water used in wiping.

Shruti  Add a pinch of sugar while heating oil. It will give your veggies a rich look.

Inam Sarah Pangin Wrap the ends of bananas in silver foil to keep them fresh for long.

Kalpana Sharma To make softer rotis knead the dough in whey (paneer) water.

Muneet Walia To do away with the smell of garlic in your hands, rub your hands in your stainless steel sink or against a stainless steel container.

Pallavi Bansal Add 2-3 bay leaves and a bunch of dried curry leaves in rice to prevent rice moths.

Bhavjit Kaur Add a tbsp of hot cooking oil to ginger-garlic paste, mix well and store it in the refrigerator.

Deepika Singh To keep potatoes fresh for long, store them with apples. Ethylene gas from apples prevent potatoes from sprouting.

Source: Times of India

BDST: 1800 HRS, OCT- 14, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor