Check out some of our best answers on quora for this week.

What are the differences between buttermilk and heavy cream?

Originally buttermilk is the liquid left over from making butter, hence it is more like a low-fat milk – except with sitting out during the butter making process it tended to sour. What we usually buy now is cultured buttermilk. Buttermilk is thick for the same reason yoghurt is thick – partly the action of the culturing, and partly due to added thickeners like carrageen. Heavy cream is thick because of its high butterfat content.

Buttermilk is used in biscuits and scones as a liquid, flavouring agent (the sourness), and acidic ingredient that reacts with baking soda to produce CO2.

Heavy cream, on the other hand, is used to provide some or all of the fat. There are, for example, biscuit/scone recipes that use heavy cream in place of butter or other shortenings. Others use it along with those fats to add richness. Since heavy cream is not acid, it does not react with baking soda. Instead, you need baking powder, which has its own built-in acid.

As to taste, some people like the slight tang that buttermilk adds to baked goods. Others prefer the fatty richness that cream brings. As long as you pay attention to the baking soda/powder difference, you can freely substitute milk and buttermilk for each other in baked goods.

What are some good substitutes for coconut cream?

Almond milk: tastes a little “nutty,” which not everyone likes, but it’s widely available.

Cashew milk: slightly sweeter, and has a taste that most people find a little closer to cow’s milk.

Either would work well in a curry or drink recipe, or just as something to lighten your coffee with. If you’re struggling to get the texture right, a pinch of gelatin might also help thicken up a gravy and provide the same creaminess as coconut milk.

One can also use regular dairy cream instead.

Is it ok to consume raw eggs without cooking in India? What are health risks in doing so?

Just like cooked eggs, raw eggs are extremely nutritious. They’re rich in high-quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, eye-protecting antioxidants and various other nutrients.

Raw eggs are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin. These important antioxidants protect your eyes and may reduce your risk of age-related eye diseases.

It’s important to note that almost all the nutrients are concentrated in the yolk. The white mostly consists of protein. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein in your diet. In fact, eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids in the right ratios. For this reason, they’re often referred to as a “complete” protein source. However, eating the eggs raw may decrease your absorption of these quality proteins.

Research indicates protein in cooked eggs is much more digestible than protein in raw eggs. If you eat them raw then your body may not be able to absorb all the protein.

Raw egg whites contain the protein avidin, which may block absorption of biotin, a water-soluble B-vitamin. However, it’s unlikely, unless you eat a lot of raw eggs.

Raw eggs may contain a type of pathogenic bacteria called Salmonella, which can cause food poisoning. However, the risk of an egg being contaminated is quite low.

Infants, pregnant women, older adults and other high-risk groups should avoid eating raw eggs. In these groups, Salmonella infection may lead to serious, life-threatening complications.

What is the difference between filtered groundnut oil and refined groundnut oil? Which one is better and why? Also, what are the benefits of groundnut oil?

Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a mild-tasting vegetable oil derived from peanuts

Filtered oils are oils which are filtered through strainers or others equipment to remove the solid particles and contaminants from the oil but no chemicals are used in the process. They are generally dark and cloudy in appearance and have a peculiar seed smell from which they are extracted.

Refined oils are generally treated with chemicals to further rid the oil from impurities, odour and give it a clearer appearance. Most oils sold in the market are refined oils.

Whatever the type of oil is, filtered oils are better than refined ones as they are less processed and treated. They have more nutrients in them, On the other hand, Refined oils are devoid of beta-carotene, vitamin E and minerals.Another benefit of using filtered oil is that since they have a strong aroma, they are used in lesser amounts helping you manage weight and lipid levels better. They also contain more amount of vitamins and minerals.

Benefits:

• Groundnut oil Controls the Cholesterol Levels
• Groundnut oil increases the levels of good cholesterols and scrapes off the bad cholesterols, hence boosting your heart’s health
• It helps to Prevents Cancer
• It Prevents Cognitive Disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
• The vitamin E in peanut oil keeps your skin looking young and healthy as you get older. Protecting it from the effects of free radicals that cause wrinkles, blemishes, and other signs of premature ageing.
• It Boosts your Immune System.

What’s the difference between toned milk and slim milk?

‘Skimmed milk’ is milk from which the cream has been removed. (It is not “slim” milk, slim milk is the name of the milk products from Nestle and Amul, which is a fat-less milk that is made particularly for people who are weight conscious.) The process takes place to remove fat from the milk. On the other hand, ‘Toned milk’ is a mixture of skim powdered milk and water mixed with whole buffalo milk in order to decrease the fat.

Skimmed milk is obtained after skimming, that is removing cream from the milk. Once the cream is removed from milk, it will contain only 0.3% of fat. Skimmed milk is also called as non-fat milk.The importance of skimmed milk is that it helps in reducing weight. For those who weigh heavy, it will be helpful for them to reduce some weight. There is a very simple concept that if a fat is removed from milk you will be able to adapt more nutrients which are good for your health. Skimmed milk reduces the calorific value and the fat content in milk but retains the nutrients found in whole milk. A glass of skimmed milk provides approximately 80 calories, half of the full cream milk.

Toned milk is obtained after fat is removed only once. It is obtained through a process which combines whole milk with water, skimmed milk and powder skimmed milk. This process reduces the fat content of the milk as well as brings down the price, making it more affordable. Milk used in this process differs from brand to brand. Most of them use a combination of buffalo and cow’s milk, the proportion of which may vary. Though it retains some of the nutritional properties of whole milk, it does not have fat-soluble vitamins. A glass of toned milk has 120 calories. It contains a minimum of 3.0 % fat. It is a useful source of protein for special conditions such as malnourishment, pregnancy, etc. Toned milk is often used in areas where milk production is extremely low. In these cases, untreated milk tends to be high in fat, and mechanical removal of the milk-fat would be cost-prohibitive.

What are the best street foods in Chennai?

Kayendhi Bhavans. Ever heard of it? If you’ve visited the beautiful city of Chennai and strolled across different streets, you would have probably noticed some bright blue push carts with big wheels, parked on the sides of the street or corners of small roads. These, are kayendhi bhavans. These push carts are found all over the city and are something the locals love, like a go-to food joint for the locals in the city. Kayendhi bhavans dominate the street food scene in the city, and very often you can find hoards of people surrounded by the pushcart eating their meal or eagerly waiting for their food. These push carts have it all – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tiffin, and meals are made fresh every day just in time for when hunger strikes, calling for a large crowd lining up to have a meal.

You could say that Kayendhi bhavans are the food trucks of Chennai. Delicious food always awaits, and it is always regional, and traditional. Nothing fancy about the way it looks, or the presentation offered on your plate but there is a reason why everyone heads over there. It’s the one place to get your South Indian food fix, and fast. Located all over the city, that works as a huge plus, especially the working crowd that needs to catch a quick meal break. Priced well for everybody, kayendhi bhavans give you the best of street food that Chennai is famous for and we hear some might even have specials for the day and so on.

The standard idli and dosa are most common, besides everyone’s favourite parotta and korma combination, or even the kotthu parotta, something Chennai is well known for. For eggs to order, you can have boiled eggs or omelettes at these push carts. Biriyani is also a popular item at kayendhi bhavans, and quite often you can find several people enjoying some of this on a lunch break. For beverages, you have the popular filter coffee and tea, and if you’re lucky, masala tea, too. If this is something you haven’t tried, we suggest you give it a shot for a memorable experience.

How many days can I keep a banana shake fresh?

Many smoothies or shakes are made with bananas, and bananas degrade more quickly than almost any other food. The cut bananas may brown and soften within a day. If your drink contains a lot of banana, you may notice a change in color and texture. Bananas actually become sweeter as they brown, hence it’s safe to drink a smoothie with discolored bananas as it isn’t an issue.

In most cases, it’s safe to drink a smoothie or shake that has been in the fridge for at least two days, although the texture and flavor may be significantly affected. If it’s in an air tight container, it would last another day.There is always some air inside most of the air tight containers, so for best results, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the smoothie and then close it.

Another tip is that, add lemon juice to your smoothie or juice. The extra vitamin C will also help prevent oxidation.

Of course, if there is any mould or an unusually strong smell, it’s too late and you should avoid drinking it.Just use your eyes and nose to tell – if it smells off or looks dark brown don’t drink it.

The Verdict is that you can keep it fresh and edible up to 24 -28 hours and maybe up to 48 hours, depending on the container and the temperature. But the best advice is that do not keep it for more than a day.