SESSION 3: FOOD PROCESSING METHODS (BOILING, STEAMING, SHALLOW FRYING, BAKING, SAUTEING) AND FUEL

CONSERVATION METHODS SHALLOW FRYING, BAKING, SAUTEING) AND FUEL CONSERVATION METHODS.

Using Air as a medium of cooking

Technique: Roasting Technique: Roasting on hot metal

Medium of cooking: Air Medium of cooking: Air
Method of cooking: Open flame Method of cooking: evaporation of water
Advantage: Less equipment is required Advantage: Less equipment is required
Disadvantage: heat cannot be controlled, more prone to Disadvantage: heat cannot be controlled, more prone to
burning food/hands. burning food/hands.

Technique: Grilling
Medium of cooking: Air
Method of cooking: Heat radiation
Advantage: Grilled Food Has Less Fat/ No Butter In
Grilling
 Disadvantage: Requires constant supervision/skilled
person is required/hand burn/incovenient

Items coming in direct contact with Water

Technique: Boiling Technique: simmering

Medium of cooking: Water Medium of cooking: Water
Method of cooking: Radiation + conduction Method of cooking: moist
heat method that falls
right between poaching and boiling.
 Advantage: food items absorb water and puffs up Advantage: heat regulation to keep a constant
and becomes easy to digest.
temperature
 Disadvantage: Water soluble vitamins can leech
 Disadvantage: time consuming/ excessive simmering
out of the food during cooking.
can destroy the nutrients present in the food.

Technique: Poaching Technique: stewing

Medium of cooking: Water Medium of cooking: Water along with food
Method of cooking: flavour of vegetables enters the
Method of cooking: submerging an water and the water remains with the vegetable + lid
ingredient in a low-temperature liquid prevents evaporation of nutrients.
Advantage: it uses little to no fat/ still Advantage:Less nutrient loss/little attention required/
creates delicious meals/ food you cook will digestible/ food remains moist
turn out succulent and tender, which is certainly a Disadvantage: slow method/ lacks texture
desirable outcome for fish, which can dry out using
another method of cooking.
 Disadvantage: Fail to make it crispy

Methods using Indirect Contact of Water

Technique: Pressure cooking

Technique: Steaming Medium of cooking: indirect contact of Water
Medium of cooking: indirect contact of Water Method of cooking: When pressure is applied, on
Method of cooking: Steam formed due to boiling water or steam water boils at a higher temperature; its
of water is used in cooking. boiling point increases.
Advantage: no direct contact between food and Advantage: item cooks fast/ less nutrient destruction/
water, nutrients are retained./ more items can be Constant care is not required/ As the temperature is
cooked at one time/ food items are light and easy to high, the food item becomes soft and easy to digest
digest. Constant care is not needed/saves fuel/ Disadvantage: Green leafy vegetables containing
chlorophyll, if cooked in a cooker become brownish
 Disadvantage: It takes longer time than boiling. green. Cabbage gives out a foul odour when cooked in
2. It consume more cooking energy. a pressure cooker because it contains sulphur
compounds which decompose when heat is applied,
which give foul odour. So, such vegetables should not
be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Method of cooking using fats as a medium

Technique: Shallow Frying

Medium of cooking: Fat
Method of cooking: less oil in pan
Advantage: It becomes crisp and tasty.
Disadvantage: it often takes a lot longer to fry foods
Technique: Sautéing completely
Medium of cooking: Fat
Method of cooking: very less oil
Advantage: fast and even cooking
 Disadvantage: constant handling is required.

Technique: Frying
Medium of cooking: Fat
Method of cooking:
Technique: Electric Fryer
Advantage: food item is cooked faster. Oil boils at
Medium of cooking: Fat
high temp than water/ The outer layer of the food
Method of cooking: oil is heated using electricity
items becomes crisp and crumbly
Advantage: Deep fryers allow you to use cooking oil
Disadvantage: constant check has to be kept on
multiple times./ fast cooking
the food item/ food item has to be stirred constantly
Disadvantage: Control is auto.
and as oil is absorbed, we get more calories on
consumption, but the item is difficult to digest

Cooking without using any medium

 Technique: SOLAR COOKING
Medium of cooking: No medium
Technique: MICROWAVE OVEN Method of cooking: solar radiation
Medium of cooking: No medium Advantage: no fuel is required/ cheap and economical/
Method of cooking: magnetron pipe ---electro- cost of a solar cooker is also less
Magnetic Energy Radiation waves. These waves Disadvantage: dependent on the season and weather
create movement in food particles and this time taken to cook ranges between 2 to 4 hours /
movement causes friction thus resulting in heat
generation.
Advantage: The food cooks up to 10 times faster/
time and fuel are saved/ Electricity cost is also less
Disadvantage: oven is costly/ food item get heat at
the same time, they do not become brown in
colour/ special vessels are used for cooking.

Technique: Inframatic Cooking

Medium of cooking: NO medium
Method of cooking: infra-red rays and radiation
Advantage: food cooks faster (eg cake 6min
instead of 45min) bcoz heat from all sides,
maximum food can be fitted in minimum space for
cooking
Disadvantage: food item does not become crisp,
and brown because temp is less.

Care to be taken to protect nutrients while cooking food –

1) Select fresh fruits and vegetables
2) Wash vegetables before cutting or peeling
3) Cut vegetables for salad at the time of serving.
4) Do not throw away the water used for cooking
5) Do not cook excessively food
6) Cover the vessel when cooking
7) Do not add soda to dals and vegetables
Effects of using wrong cooking methods –
There are many advantages of cooking food, but if proper methods are not used and care is not taken,
1. All essential nutrients are lost and the food becomes waste.
2. Water soluble vitamins and minerals dissolve in water. If this water is used while cooking, then it is useful; but if the
water is thrown away, all the nutrients are lost.
3. If fruits and vegetables are cut and kept for a few hours before cooking, the vitamins A and C gets destroyed due to
contact with air; as a result, these dry out.
4. Addition of soda to food articles makes them difficult to digest and destroys the B complex and C vitamins in them.
Methods of saving LPG in our kitchens –
1) Use stainless steel vessels instead of using earthen ones. Steel vessels are good conductors of heat. So, food cooks
faster thus saving gas.
2) Do not keep the gas flame high while cooking. The flame should not exceed the edges of the vessel.
3) The gas regulator should be switched off after use. This avoids gas leakage and saves it.
4) All the material required for cooking should be kept ready to save gas and time.
5) Pressure cooker should be used for cooking
6) When cooking or heating a food item, it should be kept covered to save gas.
7) Use right amount of water for cooking
8) Use of blackened vessels should be avoided. They consume more gas for heating up.
9) Gas regulator, pipe, burner should be inspected regularly
10) Use of unconventional energy can help save gas. Solar energy can be used to dry an item; also, solar cooker can be
used for cooking 11) Use solar water heater for heating water.