It's Monday and it's time for another How to post. I was wondering what to give my gyan without being to preachy. I was like jugaad karna padega. And so this week I am giving a step by step guide on How to do jugaad in your everyday life.
First thing I did was google the word jugaad. And I was very surprised to find a wiki page about it. For me jugaad is about saving money instead of spending it on what I feel are over expensive items. ( I am very miserly) So here's my list of jugaadu hacks for everyday life.
Smoking vegetables: You don't need expensive equipment to smoke those capsicums. You just need a pair of wooden skewers, some coal and an earthern pot. Read my post on How to smoke vegetables here! It's pretty simple. Soon you will want to smoke everything. (Ok, maybe not your house!)
Using foil instead of expensive silicon mats to make nougat and other sugar candies: If you love working with sugar and want to experiment you don't need expensive silicon mats. You can easily make nougat and other sugar candies with foil.
Use ziplock pouches and parchment paper as instant piping bags: I do this all the time. Though I also use proper piping bags for frosting with nozzles, when I am out of piping bags I just use washed ziplock pouches for piping. It's very easy, just fill the pouches and cut of one end like you would cut a piping back. You can wash and re-use the bags when you're done. Another alternative is washed milk packets.
You can also use parchment paper to make instant cones for chocolate and sugar frostings.
When short of 1 egg while baking : Don't panic if you've started baking and realise that you're short of an egg.
Replace one egg with 1/4 cup vegetable oil OR 1/2 a mashed banana OR 1/4 cup curd( make sure it's not sour.) This works for cakes, cupcakes and brownies. Remember that you can't completely substitute a recipe which calls for eggs with these items! This jugaad is to substitute only 1 egg. You can also trying using a mixture of 1/2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp water and 1 tsp of baking powder( have not tried it myself though some say it works!)
Freezing ice cubes: If you're out of ice cubes trays you or if you want bigger chunks of ice you can use cake/brownie tin moulds to freeze ice.
Use lemon juice or curd instead of citric acid when making paneer: Want to make paneer/cottage cheese but are out citric acid? You can try using a tsp of lemon juice or a tsp of curd. The acidity in both of these items work well to make paneer.
Stenches and stinks: If a room has a weird smell and there is no air freshener available, you can light a candle and keep it on a window sill. Often air freshner just masks the smell. Candles on the other hand will actually get rid of the smell. Incense sticks work too but the smell can get quite strong at times.
If washed boxes/containers still smell weird you don't need to keep washing them. Keep a lemon peel in the container and the smell will go away in no time
Makeshift jugaad till you get things repaired: If one of your keyboard stands breaks you can use those black clips as a make-shift stand.
If one of the wheels of a portable table or a stand for a table breaks, you can use books/ diaries to hold it up till you can get it repaired.
Storage jugaads: Store smaller suitcases inside bigger ones to save space.
Instead of throwing unused icecube trays use them to store small trinkets like earings, rings and pendants. Or to store anything small enough to fit in it.
Recycle paper to save money AND the environment: Use the the blank side of old bills to make a writing pad. You can also use the un-used side of printed material. Neatly cut and staple them to make pads. Save money AND paper. A win-win.
Use old toothbrushes to reach unreachable places: Again, don't throw away toothbrushes. They come in handy when cleaning intricate hard-to reach-otherwise places. I use an old one to clean my laptop keyboard.
Don't buy brooms: There is no need to buy a broom when your old one breaks or wears off. Just use your hair to sweep the floor. It is that simple!
That's all for now. This ofcourse is not a comprehensive list and maybe it needs a part two. I hope you add your own jugaad to the list. It will be fun to collect jugaad tips!
First thing I did was google the word jugaad. And I was very surprised to find a wiki page about it. For me jugaad is about saving money instead of spending it on what I feel are over expensive items. ( I am very miserly) So here's my list of jugaadu hacks for everyday life.
The kitchen: Baking, cooking and other kitchen related jugaad
Smoking vegetables: You don't need expensive equipment to smoke those capsicums. You just need a pair of wooden skewers, some coal and an earthern pot. Read my post on How to smoke vegetables here! It's pretty simple. Soon you will want to smoke everything. (Ok, maybe not your house!)
Using foil instead of expensive silicon mats to make nougat and other sugar candies: If you love working with sugar and want to experiment you don't need expensive silicon mats. You can easily make nougat and other sugar candies with foil.
Use ziplock pouches and parchment paper as instant piping bags: I do this all the time. Though I also use proper piping bags for frosting with nozzles, when I am out of piping bags I just use washed ziplock pouches for piping. It's very easy, just fill the pouches and cut of one end like you would cut a piping back. You can wash and re-use the bags when you're done. Another alternative is washed milk packets.
You can also use parchment paper to make instant cones for chocolate and sugar frostings.
When short of 1 egg while baking : Don't panic if you've started baking and realise that you're short of an egg.
Replace one egg with 1/4 cup vegetable oil OR 1/2 a mashed banana OR 1/4 cup curd( make sure it's not sour.) This works for cakes, cupcakes and brownies. Remember that you can't completely substitute a recipe which calls for eggs with these items! This jugaad is to substitute only 1 egg. You can also trying using a mixture of 1/2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp water and 1 tsp of baking powder( have not tried it myself though some say it works!)
Freezing ice cubes: If you're out of ice cubes trays you or if you want bigger chunks of ice you can use cake/brownie tin moulds to freeze ice.
Use lemon juice or curd instead of citric acid when making paneer: Want to make paneer/cottage cheese but are out citric acid? You can try using a tsp of lemon juice or a tsp of curd. The acidity in both of these items work well to make paneer.
Household jugaad
Stenches and stinks: If a room has a weird smell and there is no air freshener available, you can light a candle and keep it on a window sill. Often air freshner just masks the smell. Candles on the other hand will actually get rid of the smell. Incense sticks work too but the smell can get quite strong at times.
If washed boxes/containers still smell weird you don't need to keep washing them. Keep a lemon peel in the container and the smell will go away in no time
Makeshift jugaad till you get things repaired: If one of your keyboard stands breaks you can use those black clips as a make-shift stand.
If one of the wheels of a portable table or a stand for a table breaks, you can use books/ diaries to hold it up till you can get it repaired. Storage jugaads: Store smaller suitcases inside bigger ones to save space.
Instead of throwing unused icecube trays use them to store small trinkets like earings, rings and pendants. Or to store anything small enough to fit in it.
Recycle paper to save money AND the environment: Use the the blank side of old bills to make a writing pad. You can also use the un-used side of printed material. Neatly cut and staple them to make pads. Save money AND paper. A win-win.
Cleaning jugaad
Don't buy dusters and dusting cloths: If you're setting up a new place you will be tempted to buy new cleaning material and you may have a dusting cloth on your list. Don't buy it! You can easily use an old unusable piece of clothing as a duster. We have been using old curtains and towels as dusters.Use old toothbrushes to reach unreachable places: Again, don't throw away toothbrushes. They come in handy when cleaning intricate hard-to reach-otherwise places. I use an old one to clean my laptop keyboard.
Don't buy brooms: There is no need to buy a broom when your old one breaks or wears off. Just use your hair to sweep the floor. It is that simple!
That's all for now. This ofcourse is not a comprehensive list and maybe it needs a part two. I hope you add your own jugaad to the list. It will be fun to collect jugaad tips!
Wow!! LOvely tips to make best use of waste..But hair as broom?? :o That sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely try doing it. It actually works ;)
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