10 Easy Indian Kitchen & Home Tips That Cost Almost Nothing
Most everyday kitchen and home problems — smelly containers, watering eyes from onions, dull-coloured sabzi, cluttered umbrellas — can be fixed with newspaper, an old sock, or a bowl of water, with almost no money spent.
This post collects ten quick tricks from Jasmine’s video, grouped by the problem each one solves so you can jump to what you need.
How can I organise small things at home without buying organisers?
Three of the tips reuse things you already own.
- Hair clip chain. Hook your clutcher clips into one another so they form a single chain. Make the chain as long as your collection requires and hang it — no more loose clips rolling around the dressing table.
- Umbrella sock cover. Slide each umbrella into an old sock. Dust stays off the fabric, the umbrellas stack neatly in your entryway, and a sock-covered umbrella also slips into a handbag without taking up extra room.
- Old container + sock organiser. Take any container or glass jar you would normally throw out, pull an old sock over it, and the eyesore becomes a tidy holder. Use it for stationery on a desk, for toothbrushes and combs in the bathroom, or for kids’ craft supplies.
None of these require drilling, glue, or a trip to the shop.
How do I get rid of bad smells from kitchen containers?
Newspaper is the hero here. It absorbs odours in three different places in your kitchen.
How do I remove smell from a dabba or jar?
Crush a sheet of newspaper into a tight ball, drop it inside the container, and close the lid. After about half an hour the newspaper has soaked up the trapped smell, even from containers that still smelled funky after a regular wash.
How do I remove onion or garlic smell from the fridge?
Lightly wet a sheet of newspaper, scrunch it into a ball, and place it inside the fridge. Leave it for 15–30 minutes. When you take it out, the food smells — onion, garlic, leftover sabzi — go with it.
How do I clean a mixer jar that smells of dal and masala?
Tear a few pieces of newspaper into the mixer jar, add a small splash of water, and run the mixer for a few seconds. Wash the jar as usual. The pulped newspaper scrubs out the smell of dal, haldi, and ground masala that plain detergent often leaves behind.
How can I cut onions without crying?
This is the tip most people will use the most often.
- Slice a thin piece off the top and bottom of the onion.
- Leave the skin on.
- Drop the trimmed onions into a bowl of water and leave them for a few minutes.
- Take them out and chop as normal.
The water pulls out the sharp compounds that irritate your eyes, so the chopping is almost tear-free.
Can I peel garlic in the same bowl of water?
Yes — and you should. Drop whole garlic cloves into the same water with the onions. After a few minutes the papery skins soften and lift off cleanly, which is much faster than dry-peeling clove by clove.
How do I keep my sabzi from turning brown?
A sabzi loses its colour for two reasons: too much water, and the vegetable getting buried in masala for too long. The fix is about technique, not ingredients.
- Heat the oil and masala and add the vegetable.
- Sauté briefly so the vegetable picks up the flavour.
- Add lukewarm water in small splashes — not one big pour.
- Use as little water as the dish needs to cook through.
The vegetable keeps its natural green or red colour, the masala clings to it instead of sinking into a watery gravy, and the final dish tastes more concentrated. Try it once on a bhindi or a green sabzi and the difference is obvious.
Which of these tips should I try first?
If you cook every day, start with the onion-soaking trick and the sabzi colour technique — both pay off at the next meal. If your kitchen feels cluttered, do the sock-and-container organiser pass on a Sunday; you will fill three or four organisers in twenty minutes from things you were going to throw away. The newspaper odour tricks are best kept in mind for the next time you reach for a dabba and notice it still smells.
📺 About this video. This post draws on Jasmine Choudhari’s YouTube video 10 New Amazing Kitchen Tips & Tricks जो आपको रोजाना किचन और घर के काम में आएंगे. Watch the full video for visual demonstrations of every tip.
Watch the video
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove the smell from old plastic containers and jars?
Stuff a crushed newspaper ball inside the container, close it, and leave it for about half an hour. The newspaper absorbs trapped food odours so even containers that smelled stubbornly after washing come out neutral. This works on jars, dabbas and reused glass containers without any chemicals or extra cost.
How can I get rid of onion or garlic smell from my fridge?
Lightly dampen a sheet of newspaper, crush it into a ball, and place it inside the fridge for 15–30 minutes. The wet newspaper pulls in onion, garlic and general food odours, and the fridge smells clean again with no scrubbing or sprays needed.
How do I clean the smell of dal and masala out of a mixer jar?
Tear a few pieces of newspaper into the mixer jar, add a little water, and run the mixer for a few seconds. Then wash the jar normally. The newspaper lifts out the lingering smell of *dal*, *masala* and spices that ordinary washing leaves behind.
How can I cut onions without my eyes burning?
Slice off just the top and bottom of the onion, leave the skin on, and soak it in water for a few minutes before chopping. The water draws out the sharp sulphur compounds that irritate your eyes, so when you finally cut the onion there is almost no sting.
Can I peel garlic more easily using the same trick?
Yes — drop whole garlic cloves into the same bowl of water you are using to soak the onions. After a few minutes the skins soften and slip off cleanly, so you can peel garlic in seconds instead of picking at dry papery skin.
Why does my sabzi turn brown or lose its colour while cooking?
Vegetables lose colour when they are drowned in too much water or overcooked in *masala*. Sauté the *sabzi* briefly in the masala first, then add small splashes of lukewarm water as needed instead of one large pour. Using as little water as possible keeps the natural colour bright and the flavour concentrated.
What is an easy way to organise umbrellas at home?
Slide each umbrella into an old sock before storing it. The sock keeps dust off the fabric, the umbrellas stack neatly without tangling, and your entryway stops looking cluttered. The covered umbrella also takes up less space inside a bag when you carry it out.
How can I reuse old containers and glasses instead of throwing them away?
Cover any old jar, bottle or glass with an old sock and use it as a free organiser. The sock hides scratches and labels, and the container becomes a holder for stationery, kids' supplies, or bathroom items like toothbrushes and combs. It is a zero-cost way to declutter without buying new organisers.
About Jasmine Choudhari
Jasmine Choudhari shares practical, no-frills ideas for organising small Indian kitchens and homes. Follow her on YouTube (600K+ subscribers · Silver Play Button), Instagram and Facebook. For collaborations: collab@jasminechoudhari.com.