Alternatives for cooking ingredients

Sometimes we may need a particular item for and we realize that we have run out of it! using alternatives saves time and is an economical way to help us when we are in a fix.

1. Tomatoes can be replaced by tomato ketchup to give colour and volume to soups, stews and curries.
2. Tamarind can be replaced by slices of raw mango to give it that tangy taste.
3. Groundnuts are a cheaper alternative to walnuts and almonds especially for rice dishes like biryani .
4. Instead of breadcrumbs, we can use crushed cornflakes or semolina.
5. When you run out of orange candied peel, we can use some orange marmalade.
6. Tinned tomatoes can be replaced by blanched fresh tomatoes.
   
7. Expensive breakfast cereals can be substituted by a porridge of semolina, sago or broken wheat that has been soaked for a few hours.
8. Add a mashed banana to egg white and beat it stiff. It makes a great replacement for whipped cream.
9. For vegetarians, a recipe that requires egg coating can be substituted by using a paste of flour and milk for fried fritters and vegetable cutlets. Brush the cutlets in this and roll in breadcrumbs as usual.
10. Another alternative for egg coating is using grounded gram(chickpea flour).This fine powder must be stored in an airtight jar. To use when necessary, mix a little of this fine powder into a thin batter. Coat the item in this batter and fry as usual.