Five common kitchen mistakes Malaysian home cooks make and how to avoid them

However, many amateur cooks are guilty of mistakes that could result in wastage and ultimately affect the taste of the final dish.

Here are five common kitchen blunders you might be guilty of along with easy solutions to overcome them.

Not protecting your hands during chopping

Positioning your hands correctly is the key to fending off knife injuries in the kitchen. — Pixabay pic

While a good sharp knife is a must in any kitchen, there are safety precautions to keep in mind when handling a blade.

When chopping, hold the knife in your dominant hand and keep the other in a claw position with your nails perpendicular to the surface of your ingredient.

If the knife happens to slip during use, the claw position will greatly reduce the risk of injury as the blade will only come in contact with your fingernails rather than the soft pads of your fingers.

Pouring milk wrongly


You’ve been doing it wrong this entire time. — Picture by Mark Ryan Raj

Milk is a common staple in breakfasts all around the world but many are not aware of the correct way to pour it.

Pouring milk from a carton with the opening close to the glass results in poor airflow, creating splashes and possible spillage.

Before you shed tears over any spilt milk, hold the box with the opening facing the opposite direction.

This prevents your table getting drenched and reduces wastage when pouring milk.

Throwing away kitchen scraps


Making your own vegetable stock is a great way to give your kitchen scraps a new lease of life. — Unsplash pic

Did you know that you can use vegetable stalks, peels, ends, roots, and leaves to make a delicious vegetable stock?

Instead of chucking them in the bin, start collecting scraps from veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, leeks, scallions, garlic, ginger, and potatoes and freeze them until you have two to three cups worth to brew a tasty stock.

This way, you can avoid wastage by getting the most out of your veggies while saving a few extra bucks on powdered stock cubes from the supermarket.

Use your stock to add a flavour boost to any vegetable-based curries, soups, or sauces you whip up in the kitchen.

Cooking cold meat straight away


Cooking the meat right is critical in making sure your rendang is a success. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Everyone loves a good rendang with fork-tender meat and part of nailing the recipe is ensuring the meat is cooked correctly.

Take out any meat you’re going to use from the fridge at the start of the preparation process and let it come up to room temperature before throwing it into a hot pan, grill, or oven.

This solves the dilemma of the outer part of the meat cooking faster than the inside.

While you’re waiting for your meat to thaw, busy yourself by preparing the rest of the ingredients for your dish.

Having a cluttered workspace


A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen. — Pexels pic

Being disorganised not only delays the cooking process but heightens the risk of cross-contamination in your food.

Lay out all your equipment in an orderly manner before starting to prep your ingredients and clean as you go to prevent dirty dishes from piling up in the sink.

Don’t forget to clean your knives in between uses, especially if you’ve used them to cut raw chicken or meat.

Whether you’re a novice cook or an experienced chef, keeping these tips in mind the next time you’re in the kitchen can help make cooking a breeze.