1. Cauliflower cooked in an aluminum pot will darken. Use a different kind of pot and add a little sugar, lemon peel or vinegar to the cooking water to keep cauliflower white.

2. To bring out the true sweetness of the onions when eating raw, place onion in the fridge, skin on, for one hour before using. In a hurry? Place the onion in a bowl of ice water for about 15-20 minutes, remove and drain on paper towels.

3. To reduce the sharp flavour of green chillies slit them and boil in water for two to three minutes before use.

4. After boiling rice, strain off the water and use it in soups or gravies. The residue is extremely nourishing.

5. Avoid freezing potatoes in cooked form as tend to darken and loose texture when thawed.

6. To retain the bright green color of the spinach when cooking dishes such as Palak Paneer you could add a pinch of cooking soda to the water, when blanching.(Adding soda does destroy most of the Vitamin C. )

7. You could smear your knife with a little oil while slicing onions to avoid tears.

8. A pinch of sugar added to butter while frying vegetables will give the veggies a wonderful glaze.

9. Wrap your fresh veggies in newspaper to keep them fresh for long in the refrigerator.

10. Add a little salt or Vinegar to water when boiling eggs to keep them from cracking.