My must have Kitchen Gadgets…

Alliyah Dawud
April 1, 2019

Walk into any kitchenware aisle and you we will find lots of modern day stuff that is….useless. I have boxes full of gadgets and gizmos but as a home cook (or self taught cook) there are some things that I cannot live without.

1) Garlic crusher
Life is too short to peel and crush garlic. I have a trusted crusher I got from ikea many years ago and it’s still going strong.

2) Knife sharpener
Ask any cookery buff and they will tell you that blunt knives are a pain in the neck. To be efficient in the kitchen you need the right tools in perfect condition. And for me sharp knives are essential. No one likes chopping up an onion with something that couldn’t even chop up butter. End of story.

3) Digital scales
If you love baking you need these bad boys. Baking is a science guys; a science! No more estimating weight on the old fashioned scales.
If you don’t like baking but have children I still would recommend you invest in digital scales. If anything you maybe surprised at what a child’s portion of sweets and treats is.

4) Lemon elbow (press)
If you make cocktails, mocktails or bakes with lemon you need a press in your life. You don’t need biceps to get the maximum amount of juice out of a lemon these are awesome. You can also get a lime elbow too do if you like a good mojito you may have a set of these bad boys in your kitchen drawer.

5) Stick blender (With bowl attachment)
I have a range of Food Processors but they are huge and take up a lot of space on the counter. So for quick jobs e.g. making a marinade, soup or sauce I use a stick blender. Quick and easy to clean too. I have one with the bowl attachment which gives me more versatility.

6) Electrical Whisk
If you like frothy coffee drinks this is an essential for your kitchen. I got mine from good old Argos and paid under £10.00 for it. It’s battery operated and makes the best frothy drinks ever.

7) Mallet
Sometimes you just want to cook things quickly…especially meat/chicken. For that reason I have a mallet to flatten out meat. Plus it ‘stretches out’ the fillets which is always good!

8) Box/Triangular grater
Watch those fingers whilst using these. We love cheese so a grater is essential. Grating cheese yourself will save you money compared to pre-grated packs.

9) A range of knives and knife sharpener.
I’m not the only self taught cook that will tell you that sharp knives are a must have item in the kitchen!

10) A good quality Tin Cutter
Goes without saying but seriously you need a Tin opener/Cutter that does what its suppose to do!

What are your TOP kitchen gadgets? Let us know below or share with us on Social Media.

My top Kitchen Gadgets for Desi food lovers….

Alliyah Dawud
February 18, 2019

Don’t get me wrong; you don’t need specialist equipment to cook a decent Curry or Pulao Rice at home however I’m Asian and we do things a certain way. So here are my gadgets and gizmos I use a lot of when I am cooking ‘desi food’.

1) Spice grinder aka a coffee grinder.
I try my best to avoid pre grinded spice mixes as I love fresh spices. It’s as simple as that. So I try and buy my spices whole and grind down a months supply at a time. I know the old skool amongst you will say you need a mortal and pester…and that’s fine too however the grinder is faster.
NOTE: I purchase pre-made (grinded) chili powder. For real the pain of making your own is crazy so please do not try it at home).

2) A tava (flatbread pan)
If you make parathas, rotis etc at home I recommend you invest in a good tava. I also use mine to make delicate kebabs (Shaami) on my tava.

3) Electric Rice Cooker
Yes I know my Nanny wouldn’t have had one of these knocking about in her kitchen however modern day cooking in the West is much more different to the homeland. I love my Rice Cooker as it’s awesome for cooking boiled rice, pulao and even biryani. My Rice Cooker has a saute function which makes it uber useful as my kitchen aid. I often freeze pulao masala. When I defrost it I can stick it in the cooker with rice and stock and voila! Perfect pulao.

4) Small frying pan (a one egg pan would be ideal)
I dry roast my spices before grinding them to get maximum taste out of the spices. I have a small pan I keep for just spice roasting. But if you are serious about your desi food you’ll understand my passion of maximum flavour.

5) Strainers
If you cook daal or rice you’ll need a strainer or three. I have fine mesh ones for lentils and rice.

6) Steel bowls (in different sizes)
Great for when you need to make dough and leave it to proof, or make up pakora batter etc.

7) Rolling pin (wooden thin one especially for making super cool rotis.
I purchased mine off eBay.

8) Tin opener
I use tinned Alfonso mango puree to make Lassi as well as using tinned tomatoes in curry bases. So a tin opener is an essential item to have on hand.

9) Wooden Tongues
Ever burnt your fingers turning over a paratha? Painful! So I use wooden tongues to turn over rotis etc.

10) Mortal and pester
Chutney made in one of these is out of this world. Enjoy said.

Other items that come in useful include:

ikea Garlic Press/crusher
Pressure King Pro (for the Pressure Cooker function which is useful for cooking pulses)
Chopping boards & sharp knives
A range of cooking spoons (separate ones for sweet and savoury)
Small frying pan for tempering
Bouquet garni muslin bags-I put the whole spices in them for making ‘yakni’ (meat stock)