3 Awesome Ways to Use Lime Powder
As restaurants reopen and the hospitality industry goes into overdrive trying to get back customers, it is time for some urgent stock-taking in the kitchen. Chefs can no longer afford to be anything but strict with food prep and cooking — you must maintain the strictest standards for hygiene in the kitchen so as to keep your customers safe.
Time is always of the essence in the kitchen, and more so in a pandemic-ridden world when time is literally money. As more people opt to stay indoors and order in their meals, your workload has increased exponentially. Not only are you bound to prepare patrons’ favourite meals in record time, you must also work safely and double quick to ensure repeat orders. The competition is immense, and time must be saved in every department in the kitchen, be it washing to packing the food/serving out plates in the restaurant.
This is where seasoning powders come in. They replace actual ingredients such as vegetables and herbs, so that the effort and time involved in cutting, chopping, de-seeding, blanching, drying and thickening is cut out entirely. Instead of using the actual ingredient in raw form, you can simply add lime or tomato powder to your preparations and cut out peeling, cutting, chopping, grating, grinding, juicing and sieving from your to-do list.
Of all the seasoning powders available today, we love lime powders the most. They offer ease of use and high versatility. Lime forms a base for many Indian and international dishes, as also a range of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Lime seasoning powder — A wonder ingredient in the kitchen
Professional kitchens around the world stock up on lime powder for the convenience and constancy of taste it affords. Most chefs depend on this wonderful powder to lend authenticity and consistency of taste to their preparations. As a chef, you cannot have the same dish tasting differently at different times. Seasoning powders help you maintain the taste profile you aim for in all your preparations.
The pressures of a restaurant or hotel kitchen prompt chefs to look for as many time-saving tips and cooking ingredients as possible — and lime powder is a godsend. Imagine cutting, de-seeding and juicing mountains of limes every day! Instead, a dash of lime powder does the trick in a few seconds, while helping you maintain consistency of taste and texture every day, all year round. That’s what your clients expect from your dishes, and that’s why they keep coming back for more.
How to use lime powder
Lime powder is created to replicate the taste of lime juice. All good cooking is based on exact usage of ingredients and not approximations, and so is the use of lime powder. Here’s some basic information on using it:
· The package contains about 500 gm of lime powder. This is equivalent to 142 limes.
· Dissolve 3.5 gm powder in 7 ml of water to get the juice of one lime. This helps when making lime-based beverages and sauces. Alternatively, the entire pack can be dissolved in 30 litres of plain water to make lime juice. Instead of the dry powder, you can use the prepared lime juice. However, be sure to store the lime water safely and free from contamination.
· The lime powder has a shelf life of 9 months and does not alter in taste when stored in cool, dark conditions.
· The lime powder can be used directly in cooking, or when dissolved in water — this is entirely up to your preference and style of cooking.
Lime powder in your kitchen: Whipped up 3 ways
The sour and tangy citrusy taste of lime powder replicates the taste of lime juice in both savoury and sweet preparations. As a chef, you are constantly on the lookout for time-saving and innovative solutions that help enhance the flavour of your food while cutting down prep and cooking times. Lime powder is a versatile ingredient for both non-vegetarian and vegetarian cooking, and also the base for many a beverage.
1) In non-vegetarian dishes: As you know, lime complements meats with its citrusy zest. It lends itself well as a dressing for meat preparations, or as a base for a zingy sauce to go with chicken or mutton kebabs, or even to add a new flavourful dimension to traditional Indian preparations like Chicken Xacuti. When taking orders for large groups in your restaurant, you can quickly whip up dishes using lime seasoning powder to create recipes like Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken, Pan Fried Prawns, or Murg Tikka.
2) In vegetarian preparations: Seasoning vegetables or adding an extra zing to Indian vegetarian gravies like Paneer Do Pyaza or Vegetarian Korma becomes a breeze with lime powder. Add the required quantity of lime powder or prepared lime juice to the gravy and let it simmer to a tasty finish.
3) In drinks: Food professionals know the perils of using differently sized limes and lemons that end up changing the taste profile of their patrons’ favourite drinks. Though you cannot control the size and taste of seasonal produce, you can certainly add consistency to your drink recipes by substituting actual limes with lime powder. Make a mean mojito, or kiwi cooler, or even a dazzling daiquiri or honey limeade using lime powder instead of lime juice.
Which is your favourite dish using lime powder? What is the quantity of powder you use, and your preferred recipe?
