Cooking feels therapeutic for many people. This is why many of us like to experiment and cook so many different things. But has it ever happened to you, when you’re cooking, you suddenly realize that you’re running out of a specific ingredient? At such times we always feel that our dish will not be complete or it will lack some special flavour. However, this isn’t always the case. If you’re out of a specific ingredient and are afraid your dish will taste incomplete, don’t worry. You can always swap out the specific ingredients and get the flavor you want. In fact, changing the ingredients can even enhance the flavor of your dish. However, if you are unsure about what all the ingredients can be changed and replaced, a Reddit user recently inquired about the same. This thread has yielded many interesting tips. Take a look at them below:
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1. “Depending on the food, I’ll replace the liquid with other liquids. Instead of water, I’ll use stock. Instead of stock, I can use alcohol. Or vice versa, if I don’t have stock If I don’t have alcohol, I can use stock.”
2. “I’m a South Indian in the US; fresh coconut is often hard to come by, and processing it for future storage is also challenging at busy times when you’re cooking for one. I’ve found that Coconut powder and flakes are excellent substitutes in many recipes that require ground or grated fresh coconut, plus, they are shelf stable and can help adjust the consistency of the dish as well.”
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3. “Sometimes, the best breadcrumbs are made by throwing the dried little ends and crusts from various breads into a food processor. This should be spent on what you expect from your crumb choice, what you want.” What kind of textures/flavors you’re going for, and what have you.”
4. “I replace unsalted butter with salted butter. Even in baking. I honestly love the extra salt, especially in desserts, because it balances out the sweetness.”
5. “I’m a vegetarian, so basically any dish that contains chicken or pork, I replace it with tofu. It has a very neutral flavor, so it depends on how you cook it. That you can take it whatever you want.”
6. “When baking, dairy is (mostly) interchangeable with any other dairy. Sometimes you just need to tweak it a bit. Want milk, but have half-and-half? Thin it with a little water Do it. Want buttermilk but have milk? Add some acid to the milk, or dilute a little yogurt. I know it’s not exactly the same, but it always works fine.”
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7. “Wheat/gluten ingredients. There are so many options! Gluten-free flour blends. Or use tapioca, rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat, etc., depending on the result.”
So, the next time you cook, keep these tips in mind!