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15 Quick & Easy Garnishing Ideas For Food

Food tastes just as good as it smells and looks. Now that is a piece of advice that we have all received from our mothers and grandmothers. Your appetite is heavily dependent on what you see on your plate. So, you need some great garnishing ideas for food to make it look good. The only difference is that you might be a busy working woman unlike your mom and grandmum who had lots of time to garnish their kitchen's creations. That is why, easy ways to garnish food are in high demand now.

TABLE DECOR IDEAS FOR FUNCTIONSTABLE DECOR IDEAS FOR FUNCTIONS

Sometimes, the simplest of ingredients like coriander leaves and green chillies can be used to come up with the most awesome garnishing ideas for food. And if you need quick garnishing ideas, then you just have to be smart and think on your feet. Food decoration ideas are something that a good homemaker needs to discover on the spot. The colours that are there in front of you in food you have just cooked should suggest easy ways to garnish the food.

It is not always necessary to have exotic garnish ideas you have copied. You can always throw something together in the last minute and make your everyday dish look delicious. To improve the way your serving table looks, you can certainly use these simple and quick garnishing ideas for food. These ideas are for a busy woman who cannot spend too much time in the kitchen.

Fried Onions

Fried Onions

How much time does it take to fry sliced onions that are crisp and brow? May be 10 minutes. But this traditional garnish idea can make a huge difference to your rice recipe; especially Mughlai ones like biriyani.

Chopped Coriander Leaves

Chopped Coriander Leaves

The most basic and smart way to garnish an Indian curry is to take a bunch of coriander leaves, chop it or break it with your fingers and then spread them delicately over the curry.

A Spring Of Mint

A Spring Of Mint

A single sprig of mint broken fresh from the plant is a very suave way to present your soups and platters. Besides, it adds a light flavour to the dish as well.

Pinch Of Kesar/Saffron

Pinch Of Kesar/Saffron

Saffron is an expensive but common ingredient in most Indian homes. If you have saffron in your stock, you can use a few strands to garnish your kulfis or kheers. The flavour, smell, taste and look of your dish will be changed for the better.

Fried Dry Fruits

Fried Dry Fruits

Always soak dry fruits (especially raisins) in water before you fry them. You can fry these dry fruits in ghee and use them to garnish pulao or desserts like kheer.

Grated Carrot or Cucumber

Grated Carrot or Cucumber

If you want to add some colour and good health to your kebab or grill platters, try this garnishing trick. Add grated carrots and cucumber on the side of grilled foods like chicken and paneer.

Sprouts

Sprouts

Did you ever think that sprouts could be a garnish? Well, make a mesh of sprouts over fried eggs or grilled platters to give it an edgy feeling.

Pickled Onions (Kachummer)

Pickled Onions (Kachummer)

Plain onion rings are boring. But onions chopped, mixed with spices, and dipped in vinegar looks mouth watering. In India, this mixture is called kachummer and often added with kebabs.

Chopped Lemon

Chopped Lemon

Lemon is a very versatile garnish ingredient. You can slice it to garnish drinks, you can chop it to garnish platters and you can shape it to decorate any kind of food.

Diced Tomatoes

Diced Tomatoes

Diced tomatoes can be halved or quartered when you use them for garnishing. They add a burst of red colour to food that is otherwise colourless.

Sculpted Bell Peppers

Sculpted Bell Peppers

When it comes to adding colour, bell peppers, especially the red and yellow ones, are really good. Try not to chop the bell peppers. Instead, cut through the entire length of the bell pepper and use the sculpted piece for garnishing.

Chopped Onion Greens

Chopped Onion Greens

It is a misconception that onion greens have to be cooked to eat them. You can sprinkle raw onion greens on healthy salads and on bakes platters.

Cherries n Maple Syrup

Cherries n Maple Syrup

If you have to dress your dessert at the last minute, use whole cherries and strawberries for colour. If you are garnishing a flat item like pancakes, you can drizzle some maple syrup on it.

Plain Green Chilles

Plain Green Chilles

There is so much you can do with simple green chillies You can chop them finely and sprinkle them on food. You can slice a green chilli from the middle and use it to decorate a platter. Even sticking two green chillies into a thick gravy can be an innovative way to garnish food.

Pomegranate Seeds

Pomegranate Seeds

Pomegranate seeds are an ingenious way to decorate curd-based food in South India. You can easily use this method to garnish mayo or yogurt-based gravies.

Story first published: Monday, May 12, 2014, 13:25 [IST]
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