Cooking with Shail

Not a recipe post….I have got a few requests from followers and friends to give a few tips on baking as my baking is always done in an oven there are many of us who do not have an oven at home. So here are a few baking tips for oven users and non oven users also. Using these tips you can bake a cake sponge, breads and cookies also. The cake in the picture has been baked by me in a wok.

Microwave Oven Tips:

1) Always preheat your oven before any baking for atleast 5 mins. This is a very essential step.

2) Every oven is different so even though the recipes on baking show you a specified temperature to bake on you can adjust the temperature as per your oven. My oven is a bit soft hence for me most of time I have to maintain the temperature to 180/190 degrees and even the time required is somewhere around 35 to 40 mins. Hence always adjust your oven temperature accordingly.

Pressure Cooker Tips:

1) As in an oven preheat your cooker also. Take off the ring and whistle of the pressure cooker then close it and let it heat on low flame for 5 mins.

2) For baking in a pressure cooker always take off the ring and whistle and cook only on low to medium flame.

3) You can cover the whistle knob with a small glass or bowl but not something too heavy.

4) Just keep a cooker stand inside and keep your tin on the stand while baking. Do not place the tin directly touching the bottom of the cooker.

A stand looks something like this. This image has been taken from google but I have a similar stand.

5) You do not need any salt or sand to place in cooker. Do not add water while baking in a cooker.

Baking in an wide wok:

This image has also been taken from google. I have a similar wok at home. You can use any heavy wok except STEEL WOK.

1) Take a thick and heavy wok.

2) You do not need to preheat a wok for baking.

3) In the wok place a ring/stand as used for the cooker. Place your tin on this stand and cover the wok with a dish. Place a weight on the dish so that the air does not escape. Be sure that the dish should completely cover the mouth of the wok it should not be small or else the air will escape.

4) Bake on low flame at all times while using a wok. There isn’t any need to put water or salt or sand at the bottom.

So these were my tips and precautions used by me while baking if anyone has any more queries feel free to email me or fire away in the comments.