Maharashtra SSC Cookery Divyang cheat sheet

Fire triangle = fuel + oxygen + heat; removing any one side stops combustion, so a lid on a pan fire cuts oxygen and a wet cloth or fire blanket works the same way.

Never pour water on an oil or fat fire: water flashes to steam, expands about 1,700 times, and throws burning oil outward; switch off the heat and cover the pan instead.

Burn classification used in first aid: first degree = redness and pain; second degree = blisters; third degree = white or charred, painless skin needing hospital care.

Cool a burn under running cool water for at least 10-20 minutes; never apply ice, butter, oil, toothpaste or cotton wool.

Knife safety rule: cut on a stable board, keep fingers in a claw grip, cut away from the body, and never leave a knife in a sink or soaking water.

Gas safety sequence: check for the smell of LPG, do not operate electrical switches, open windows, shut the cylinder valve, and only then ventilate and call for help.

Wet floors are the leading slip cause: spill-clean-dry immediately, place a warning sign, and wear closed non-slip footwear in the kitchen.

Pressure cooker rule: fill no more than two-thirds full, and no more than half full for dal or foods that froth; release pressure fully before opening the lid.

Electrical safety: keep hands and equipment dry, never overload one socket, unplug by the plug not the cord, and keep cords away from heat and water.

Handwashing steps: wet hands, apply soap, rub palms, backs, between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse, then dry with a clean towel or air dryer.

Danger-zone temperatures: bacteria multiply fastest between 5 °C and 60 °C; keep hot food above 60 °C and cold food at or below 5 °C.

Two-hour rule: cooked food left in the danger zone for more than 2 hours should be discarded, not reheated and served.

Cross-contamination control: separate colour-coded boards (commonly red for raw meat, green for vegetables, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked food) and separate knives.

Personal hygiene rules: tie back hair, cover hair, wear clean apron, remove jewellery and watches, keep nails short and unvarnished, and never cough or sneeze over food.

A food handler with diarrhoea, vomiting, jaundice, infected skin lesions or a sore throat with fever must be excluded from food handling until cleared.

Four-step cleaning: scrape or pre-rinse, wash with hot water and detergent, rinse, then sanitise or air-dry; cleaning removes soil, sanitising reduces microbes.

Pest control basics: store dry goods in sealed containers off the floor, keep bins lidded and emptied daily, seal cracks, and screen windows and drains.

Garbage handling: line bins, keep them covered, empty before they are full, and wash bins away from food preparation areas.

Knife anatomy: blade, spine, edge, bolster or ferrule, tang, and handle; a full tang gives strength and balance.

Standard knife set: chef's or French knife for chopping, paring knife for peeling and small work, bread knife with serrated edge for crusts, filleting knife for fish.

Mise en place means all ingredients measured, washed, cut and arranged before cooking starts; it reduces errors and speeds service.

Measuring equivalents: 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml; 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 240 ml; 1 kg = 1,000 g; 1 litre = 1,000 ml.

Oven temperature equivalents: 180 °C = 350 °F = gas mark 4; 200 °C = 400 °F = gas mark 6; 220 °C = 425 °F = gas mark 7.

Mixing tools and uses: balloon whisk for aeration, wooden spoon for thick mixtures, rubber spatula for scraping bowls, pastry blender for cutting fat into flour.

Cookware materials: stainless steel is durable and non-reactive; aluminium conducts heat well but reacts with acids; non-stick coating needs low to medium heat and non-metal tools.

Weighing and measuring: dry ingredients are levelled in dry measures, liquids are read at eye level in a graduated jug, and a digital scale gives the most accurate mass.

Cleaning and storage of equipment: wash in hot soapy water, sanitise food-contact surfaces, dry fully to prevent rust, and store sharp edges away from hands.

Food groups and key nutrients: cereals and millets give carbohydrate and B vitamins; pulses give protein; milk gives calcium and protein; fruits and vegetables give vitamins, minerals and fibre; fats give energy and fat-soluble vitamins.

Pulses such as tur, moong, chana and masoor are the main plant protein source in Indian diets; combining them with cereals gives complementary amino acids.

Millets - jowar, bajra, ragi, foxtail - are gluten-free, high in fibre and minerals; ragi is notably rich in calcium.

Wheat flour types: maida is refined, all-purpose; atta is whole wheat; semolina or rava is coarsely milled durum wheat used for upma and halwa.

Rice types: basmati for pulao and biryani, short-grain for idli and dosa batter, parboiled rice for everyday meals with better retention of B vitamins.

Fats and oils: ghee and butter are saturated and add flavour; groundnut, mustard, sunflower and coconut oils are commonly used; oils degrade and smoke at their smoke point when overheated.

Raising agents: baking powder is baking soda plus an acid and starch and works without extra acid; yeast is a living organism needing warmth, moisture and sugar to ferment.

Perishability classes: highly perishable (milk, meat, fish, eggs), semi-perishable (potatoes, onions, nuts, flours), and non-perishable (salt, sugar, dry spices).

Seasoning and flavour bases: salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, tamarind, and asafoetida are staples of Indian cooking.

Moist-heat methods use water, steam or stock: boiling, simmering, poaching, steaming, stewing and braising; dry-heat methods use air or fat: baking, roasting, grilling, frying.

Boiling is at 100 °C at sea level; simmering is 85-96 °C with small bubbles; poaching is 70-85 °C with no bubbling; higher altitude lowers the boiling point.

Steaming preserves water-soluble vitamins better than boiling because there is no leaching into cooking water; it is the standard method for idli and dhokla.

Frying temperatures: shallow fry uses a thin layer of fat; deep fry is typically 175-190 °C; the oil is ready when a small piece of dough rises immediately with bubbles.

Sautéing uses little fat and high heat with constant tossing; sweating uses low heat to soften without browning; braising is searing then slow cooking in a little liquid.

Maillard browning occurs when proteins and sugars react above about 140-150 °C, giving browned crust and aroma; caramelisation is sugar browning alone.

Blanching is brief boiling then plunging into ice water to set colour and stop enzyme action; it is used before peeling tomatoes and freezing vegetables.

Dough and batter techniques: kneading develops gluten for bread and chapati; resting allows gluten to relax; fermentation in idli and dosa batter produces gas and sourness.

Tempering or tadka means heating fat, adding seeds such as mustard or cumin until they crackle, then adding aromatics; it is added at the start or poured over the finished dish.

Standard recipe structure: name, yield or portions, ingredients with exact quantities, method in numbered steps, cooking time, temperature and serving suggestion.

Mise en place order for a simple dish: wash and cut vegetables, measure dry ingredients, preheat oven or put water to boil, then start the longest-cooking component first.

Tea and coffee basics: brew tea with freshly boiled water and steep 2-3 minutes; instant coffee dissolves in hot water or milk, while filter coffee uses a decoction.

Common Indian snacks and their base techniques: pakora and bhajji are batter-fried; samosa is stuffed pastry, deep-fried; upma is a semolina sauté-and-simmer dish; poha is flattened rice rehydrated and tempered.

Beverage categories: hot (tea, coffee, milk, hot chocolate), cold (lassi, lemonade, milkshake), and health drinks (buttermilk, coconut water, fruit juice); each has a defined dilution and sweetening ratio.

Balanced snack design: combine a cereal or starch with a protein such as curd, dal or paneer, add a vegetable for fibre, and keep oil and salt moderate.

Portion control: standard serving of a snack is about 30-50 g; a beverage serving is 150-200 ml; consistent portions make costing and nutrition calculation possible.

Garnishing and presentation: use fresh coriander, lemon wedge, grated coconut or a sprinkle of chaat masala; keep the plate clean-edged and serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold.

Safe holding and service: keep fried snacks hot and uncovered briefly to stay crisp, refrigerate curd-based items, and never refreeze thawed food.

Macronutrients and energy: carbohydrate and protein give about 4 kcal per gram, fat about 9 kcal per gram; alcohol gives about 7 kcal per gram.

Balanced diet definition: a diet supplying all nutrients in correct proportion and adequate quantity, with energy matched to age, sex and activity level.

Indian food guide plate: about half the plate vegetables and fruit, one quarter cereals and millets, and one quarter pulses, eggs, meat or milk products, plus limited fat and sugar.

Deficiency diseases: vitamin A - night blindness; vitamin D and calcium - rickets and osteomalacia; iron - anaemia; iodine - goitre; vitamin C - scurvy; thiamine - beriberi.

Protein-energy malnutrition: marasmus from overall energy and protein lack gives severe wasting; kwashiorkor from protein deficiency shows oedema, moon face and skin changes.

Food preservation principles: destroy microbes (heat), remove or bind water (drying, salting, sugar), lower pH (pickling), lower temperature (refrigeration, freezing), or exclude oxygen (vacuum, oil layer).

Methods and examples: sun drying for papad and vegetables; salting for pickles and fish; sugar preservation for jam and murabba; canning and bottling for heat-sterilised products; freezing for peas and meat.

Refrigeration rules: cool cooked food quickly before chilling, store raw meat below cooked food, cover all containers, and keep the refrigerator at 1-5 °C and the freezer at -18 °C or below.

Food spoilage signs: off odour, slime, mould, gas, colour change and sour taste; never taste food to judge safety.

Team roles in a kitchen brigade: head chef or chef de cuisine, sous chef, section chefs such as sauce, vegetable and pastry, plus commis and kitchen helpers.

Communication protocol: use clear, short call-outs such as 'behind you', 'hot pan' and 'order away'; confirm instructions by repeating them back.

Workplace etiquette: arrive on time in clean uniform, report absence in advance, follow the duty roster, and keep personal phone use away from food areas.

Conflict resolution steps: listen without interrupting, state the issue factually, agree on the action, and escalate to a supervisor if unresolved.

Customer service standard: greet promptly, listen to the request, repeat the order, deliver within stated time, and handle complaints calmly with a replacement or refund policy.

Entrepreneurship basics: a business plan covers product, target customer, cost per portion, selling price, break-even point and marketing method.

Costing formulas: food cost percentage = food cost ÷ selling price × 100; selling price = food cost ÷ target food cost percentage; gross profit = sales minus cost of goods sold.

Legal and licensing awareness for a small food business: FSSAI registration or licence, trade licence, GST registration where applicable, and hygiene and safety compliance.

Record keeping and hygiene documentation: maintain purchase records, temperature logs, cleaning schedules and staff health records to demonstrate due diligence.

Portfolio contents: personal profile, list of dishes prepared with recipe and photograph, skill checklist, hygiene and safety checklist, and a reflective note on each practical.

Skill checklist items: knife cuts, weighing and measuring, boiling, steaming, frying, kneading, tempering, plating, and cleaning down the station.

Standard knife cuts and dimensions: julienne about 3 mm × 3 mm × 40 mm; brunoise about 3 mm cubes; dice 1 cm cubes; chiffonade for leafy herbs.

Practical assessment criteria: correct mise en place, adherence to recipe and quantity, hygiene and safety practice, doneness and seasoning, presentation, and timely completion.

Doneness checks: vegetables should be tender-crisp, rice grains separate and tender, chapati puffs and browns on both sides, and baked goods spring back when pressed lightly.

Seasoning rule: add salt in stages and taste before serving; acid such as lemon or tamarind is added at the end to preserve aroma.

Workstation discipline: keep the bench clean as you go, use one board per food type, return tools to their place, and wash hands after handling raw food.

Timing and sequencing: start the longest-cooking item first, use waiting time for preparation, and plate all components so they are served together at the right temperature.

Self-evaluation format: state what was planned, what was done, what went well, what went wrong, and the specific correction for next time.