FUNDAMENTALS OF FOOD

TECHNOLOGY
TOPIC 2: CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION
METHODS OF COOKING
COOKING:
 The process of subjecting foods to the action of
heat is termed as cooking.
OBJECTIVES OF COOKING
 1. Improves the taste and food quality
For ex. roasting of groundnut and coffee seeds,
frying of onions and papads, cooking meat with
spices, frying cashew nuts in ghee, etc.

 2. Destruction of microorganisms
Harmful microorganisms causes infections or
produce toxins. Ecg. Clostridium botulism and
Salmonella. Some moulds produce toxin.
 3. Improves digestibility
Cooking softens the connective tissue of the meat
and the coarse fibres of cereals, pulses and
vegetables so that the digestive period is shortened
and Gastro Intestinal tract is less subjected to
irritation.

 4. Increases variety
By cooking, same food can be made into different
dishes, for eg. rice can be made into plain, bular,
lemon rice, biriyani or combination with pulses into
idli, wheat can be made into chapatis, bun, paratha
or halwa
 5. Increase consumption of food
Cooking improves the texture and makes the food
chewable.

 6. Increase availability of food

Raw egg contains avidin which binds biotin making
biotin unavailable to the body.

 7. Concentration of nutrients
This may be due to removal of moisture or using
combination of foods or due to cooking procedures
ex. Sweets, dehydrated foods, dry fruits.
LIMITATIONS OF COOKING
 Thiamine and vitamin C which is heat sensitive,
may be lost during cooking. Water soluble
vitamins are leached into the water during
cooking. Vitamin A content may be reduced due
to oxidation and heat.

 Quality of protein may be reduced due to

destruction of certain amino acids during cooking
eg. bread crust has less quality of protein
compared to the crumb.
METHODS OF COOKING
 Heat may be transferred to the food during
cooking by conduction, convection, radiation or by
the energy or microwaves – electronic heat
transfer.
 Water or steam and air or fat or combination of
these is used as cooking media.
 Moist heat involves water and steam.

 Air or fat are used in dry heat

 Foods can also be cooked by microwaves

CLASSIFICATION OF COOKING METHODS
I. MOIST HEAT

 boiling
 simmering

 poaching

 stewing

 blanching

 steaming

 pressure

 cooking
II. DRY HEAT
 Roasting

 grilling / broiling

 toasting

 baking

 sauteing

 frying

III. COMBINATION METHODS

BOILING
 Boiling is cooking foods by just immersing them
in water at 100oC and maintaining the water at
that temperature till the food is tender.

 ADVANTAGES:
 It is the simplest method. It does not require
special skill and equipment.
 Soluble starches can be removed and rice grains
are separated.
 Loss of nutrients: If excess water is used
in cooking and the water is discarded 30-
70% water soluble nutrients may be lost.
 Loss of colour: Water soluble pigments,
like betalains from beetroot may be lost.
 Time consuming: Boiling may take time
and fuel may get wasted.
 Loss of flavour and texture: Boiled
foods are not Google search –
Anilrana13014 Page 24 considered tasty
because flavour compounds are leached
into the water or volatile compounds gets
evaporated.
SIMMERING
When foods are cooked in a pan with a well fitting
lid at temperature just below the boiling point 82 –
92oC of the liquid in which they are immersed the
process is known as simmering.
ADVANTAGES
 Foods get cooked thoroughly
 Scorching or burning is prevented
 Losses due to leaching is minimum
DISADVANTAGES
 There is loss of heat sensitive nutrients, due to
long period of cooking.
 Takes more time and more fuel
POACHING
 This involves cooking in the minimum amount of
liquid at a temperature of 80-85C that is below
the boiling point.
 Foods generally poached are eggs, fish and fruits.

ADVANTAGES
 Very quick method of cooking.

 Easily digestible since no fat is used.

DISADVANTAGES
 It is bland in taste.

 Water soluble nutrients may be leached into the

water
STEWING
 This is a gentle method of cooking in a pan with a
tight fitting lid, using small quantities of liquid to
cover only half the food.
 The food above the liquid is cooked by the steam
generated within the pan. The liquid is brought
to a boiling point and then the heat applied is
reduced to maintain the cooking at simmering
temperature ie. 98oC. Stewing is a slow method
of cooking taking 2-4 hours depending upon the
nature and volume of the foods being stewed.
ADVANTAGES
 Retention of nutrients.

 Flavor is retained.

 The vegetables are stewed by which flavour is

retained.

DISADVANTAGES
o Time consuming.
STEAMING
 This method requires the food to be cooked in
steam.
 This is generated from vigorously boiling water
or liquid in a pan so that the food is completely
surrounded by steam and not in contact with the
water or liquid.
 Hence the food gets cooked at 100oC.
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF STEAMING

 a. Wet steaming
Here the steam is in direct contact with the food
e.g. idli.

 b. Dry steaming
Here double boiler is used for cooking the food.
Double boiling is cooking in a container over hot or
boiling water.
 ADVANTAGES
1. It does not require constant attention.
2. Nutritive value is maintained because there is
no leaching and cooking time is less.
3. Easily digestible since not much fat is added. It
is good for children and patients.

 DISADVANTAGES
1. Special equipment is required.
2. Many foods cannot be prepared by this method
eg. rice.
PRESSURE COOKING
 A relatively small increase in temperature can
drastically reduce cooking time and this fact is
utilized in pressure cooker.
 In pressure cooking, escaping steam is trapped
and kept under pressure so that the temperature
of the boiling water and steam can be raised
above 100oC and reduce cooking time
 ADVANTAGES
1. It takes less time to cook.
2. Different items may be cooked at the same time. 3.
Fuel is saved.
4. Requires less attention.
5. Nutrient or flavour loss may be less.
6. Food is cooked thoroughly by this method.
7. There is an indication for the completion of cooking.
8. There is less chances for scorching or burning.
DISADVANTAGES
1. Thorough knowledge of using the equipment is
required.
2. 2. There may be mixing of flavours.
3. 3. Foods may be undesirably soft.
4. 4. Foods cooked in pressure cooker are rice, dhal,
vegetables and meat.
DRY HEAT METHODS
 In this method either air or fat is used as the
medium of cooking.
A. AIR AS MEDIUM OF COOKING
 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 foods.
Then the heat is more slowly conducted through the surfaces
of the food downward.
 As heating is mostly superficial, grilled foods are usually
reversed or rotated.
 If the food is above the heater, heat is transmitted to the
food through convection currents as well as radiations.
 This will consequently increase efficiency.
 Foods cooked by grilling are cob of the corn, papad, brinjal,
phulkas and sweet potato
TOASTING
 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 at the same time
 ADVANTAGES

1. Quick method of cooking.

2. Less or no fat is required.
3. Flavour is improved.
 DISADVANTAGE

1. Constant attention is required to prevent charring.

2. Reduce protein quality due to browning and loss of
lysine
PAN BROILING (OR) ROASTING
 When food is uncovered on heated metal or a
frying pan the method is known as pan broiling.
e.g. groundnuts and chapathi.
 ADVANTAGES
1. Improves the colour, flavour and texture of the
food.
2. Reduces the moisture content of the food and
improves the keeping quality e.g. rava.
 DISADVANTAGES
1. Constant attention is required
2. Losses of nutrients like amino acids occur when
the food becomes brown
BAKING
 Here the food gets cooked by hot air.
 Foods baked are generally brown and crisp on the
top, soft and porous in the centres, e.g. cakes,
pudding and breads.
 ADVANTAGES
Flavour and texture are improved.
2. Variety of dishes can be made.
3. Uniform and bulk cooking can be achieved e.g.
bun and bread.
 DISADVANTAGES
1. Special equipment and skill are required.
2. Source of trans fat if hydrogenated fats are used.
FAT AS A MEDIUM OF COOKING
 Sautering :
This method involves cooking in just enough of oil
to cover the base of the pan (greasing the pan) e.g.
dosa. The food is tossed occasionally or turned over
with a spatula to enable all the pieces to come in
contact with the oil and get cooked evenly.

 Frying :
 Two types : Shallow fat frying and deep fat frying
 a. Shallow fat frying: Here the food is cooked in
larger amounts of fat but not enough to cover it.
Heat is transferred to the food partially by
conduction by contact with the heated pan and
partially by the convection currents of the foods.
 b. Deep fat frying : Food is totally immersed in
hot oil and cooked by vigorous convection
currents and cooking is uniform on all sides of
the foods. Cooking can be rapidly completed in
deep fat frying because the temperature used is
1800 – 220oC.
 ADVANTAGES
1. Taste is improved, along with the texture.
2. Increases the calorific value.
3. Fastest method of cooking.
4. In shallow fat frying the amount of oil
consumption can be controlled.
5. Fried foods have greater shelf life.
 DISADVANTAGES

6. Sometimes the food may become oily or soggy

with too much absorption of oil. \
7. More attention is required while cooking and
care should be taken to avoid accidents.
III. COMBINATION OF COOKING METHODS
 Braising: Braising is a combined method of roasting
and stewing in a pan with a tight fitting 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 to 2/3 of the meat. Flavourings and
seasonings are added and allowed to cook gently.
Many food preparations are made by not only single
method but by a combination of cooking methods.
 Vermicelli payasam - Roasting and simmering
 Vegetable curry - Sautering and simmering
 Upma - Roasting and boiling
 Meat cutlet - Boiling and deep frying
 Vegetable pulav - Frying and simmering
MICROWAVE COOKING :
 In microwave cooking heat is generated within the
food and the dramatic reduction in cooking time is the
main advantage of this method of cooking
 ADVANTAGES
They cook many foods in about ¼th of the time
necessary on a gas burner. There is no wastage of
energy. It saves time in heating frozen foods. Thawing
can be done in minutes or seconds.
 DISADVANTAGES
Due to short period of cooking, food does not become
brown and crispness unless the microwave has a
browning unit. It is not possible to make chapathi or
tandoori rotis in it. It cannot cook soft or hard boiled
eggs Deep frying cannot be done.
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