Common Cooking methods

There are some common cooking methods that we use in our daily life. In this either air or fat is used as the medium of cooking. By these cooking methods we can cook different types of recipes in different styles.

By knowing the use of each and every method, we can conclude which method is good and suitable for particular food item. Let us know about all the advantages and disadvantages of cooking methods as below.

1. Grilling Or Broiling:

Grilling consists of placing the food below or above or in between a red hot surface. When under the heater, the food is heated by radiation only this results in the browning of food. As heating is most superficial grilled foods are usually reserved or rotated. Foods cooked on grilling are cob on the corn, papad, brinjal, phulkhas, sweet potato. Barbecues are also made by this method.

The term toasting is used to describe a process by which bread slices are kept under the grill or between the two heated elements to brown from both sides of the bread.

Advantages Of Broiling:

  • Quick method of cooking.
  • Less or low fat is required.
  • Flavour is improved.

Disadvantages Of Broiling:

  • Constant attention is required to prevent charring.

2. Pan Broiling Or Roasting:

When food is cooked and uncovered on heated metal or a frying pan the method is known as pan broiling. EX: Groundnuts and chapatis.

Advantages:

  • Improves the colour, flavor and texture of the food.
  • Reduces the moisture content of the food and improves the keeping quality. Ex: Ravva.
  • It is easy to powder. Ex: Cumin seeds, coriander seeds.

Disadvantages:

  • Constant attention is required.
  • Losses of nutrients like amino acids occur when the food becomes brown.

3. Baking:

In baking food gets cooked by hot air. Food baked are generally brown and crisp on the top, soft and porous in the center. Ex: Cakes, puddings and breads. The principle involved in baking is the air inside the oven is heated by a source of heat either electricity or gas or wood in case of tandoori. The temperatures that are normally maintains in the oven are 120 – 260°C. Foods prepared by baking are custards, pies, biscuits, pizzas, puffs, buns, bread, cake, tandoori chicken and meat and fish.

Advantages:

  • Flavor and texture are improved.
  • Variety of dishes can be made.
  • Uniform and bulk cooking can be achieved. Ex: Bun and bread.

Disadvantages:

  • Special equipment and skills are required.

4. Stir Frying:

The chinese invented stir frying. Here the food like meat or vegetables cooked by constantly stirring at high fire.

5. Sauteing:

Sauteing involves cooking in just enough of oil to cover the base of the pan. The food is tossed occasionally with a spatula to enable all the pieces to come in contact with the oil and get cooked evenly. The product obtained in cooking by this method is slightly moist, tender but without any liquid or gravy.

6. Shallow Fat Frying:

Shallow fat frying in which the food is cooked in the fat or oil but not enough to cover it. This prevents local burning of the food by heating away the intense heat of frying pan. Ex: Paratha, chapathi, fish, cutlet and tikkis. The iron content of food increases when iron tavas are used. Nonstick coated frying pan can be used.

7. Deep Fat Frying:

Food is totally immersed in hot oil or cooked by vigorous convention currents and cooking is uniform on all sides of food. Cooking can be rapidly completed in deep fat frying because the temperature used is 180-220°C. The absorption of fat by food increases the calorific value of food. Samosa, papads, chips, muruku, pakoda, bajji and bonda are made by deep fat frying.

Advantages:

  • Taste is improved along with the texture.
  • Increase the calorific value.
  • In shallow fat frying the amount of oil consumption can be controlled.

Disadvantages:

  • Sometimes the food may become oily with too much absorption of oil.
  • The food becomes very expensive and food takes long time to digest.
  • Repeated use of heated oils may produce harmful substances and reduces smoking point.

8. Braising:

It is a combined method of roasting and stewing in a pan with a tight fitted lid. The meat should be sealed by browning on all sides and then placed on a lightly fried bed of root vegetables. Stock or gravy is added which should come to 2/3 of the meat. Flavorings and seasoning are added and allowed to cook gently.

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