Perfection comes from practice. No one can jump from level one to level ten instantly. Similarly, all the world’s best chefs once had to learn the basics of cooking too.

Today we’re listing down some of the basic skills that every beginner chef must have to eventually undergo, from a nervous beginner to a confident cook. These skills are not only going to help you gain confidence in the kitchen, but also improve your familiarity with the art of cooking.

#1 - Cooking Rice

This is a basic skill that doesn’t mandate much guidance, yet it may require some practice to perfect - unless you have a rice cooker at home. Before you jump online to buy one, note that the prospect of cooking fluffy, soft rice is achievable without one. YouTube cooking tutorials are quite helpful in instances such as these since they will introduce you plenty of videos on how to cook rice with nothing more than boiling water and a lidded pan.

Pexels | Rice is a daily staple in most cuisines - this is one skill you don’t want to miss out on

#2 - Kneading Dough

Bread is a key component of our diet and in all honesty, it tastes quite heavenly too, especially when it’s fresh and warm straight out of the oven. And while we’re on the topic of food made from dough, don’t even get us started on pasta. To make the perfect dough, you should start with mixing water and flour together and pummeling it in order to activate the gluten that makes the dough elastic and stretchy. Clean your kitchen counter and sprinkle a little flour onto it to set the perfect space to hand-stretch the dough. Grab your risen dough, gather it into a ball, and place it on the flour-dusted counter. Using the heel of your hand, press downwards and forward, squashing and stretching the dough. Turn it halfway and fold it, and continue doing this in a rhythmic manner for as long as your recipe indicates.

Pexels | Kneading helps you achieve two delicious staples - bread and pasta

#3 - Crushing Garlic

Garlic is an important ingredient in most dishes, which is why learning how to handle it properly is equally as important. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that offer guidance on how to crush a piece of garlic with nothing more than a kitchen knife. This hack comes in handy since you won’t have to deal with the annoyance of peeling the garlic yourself or cleaning out the garlic crusher once you’re done.

Pexels | One more guaranteed benefit - no garlic lumps in your dishes!

That’s about it! Start with these super easy and useful kitchen tips, and who knows? You might even be the next Guy Fieri in the making!