UNIT 6: COOKING METHODS

Unit objectives
By the end of this lesson the learner, should be able to:
1. State and explain the types of cooking methods
2. Select the suitable cooking method for various conditions
3. Describe the preparation of salads, sauces, juices and soups
4. Explain the effect of cooking foods on nutrients
➢ Cooking is the practice or skill of preparing food by combining, mixing and
heating ingredients

6.1 Cooking Methods Classification

Cooking methods are classified as moist or dry heat.
✓ MOIST HEAT
➢ This is where heat is conducted to food product by water or steam, milk,
juice, wine, broth
➢ The common moist heat cooking are;
i. Boiling
➢ Cook in a liquid that is boiling rapidly and is agitated greatly.
➢ Mainly used to cook some vegetables and some starches
➢ High temperatures toughens protein in fish, meat and eggs and rapid
movement’s breaks delicate food
Procedure:
 Bring appropriate amount of liquid to a boil over high heat.
 Add the food to be boiled to the rapidly boiling water. Bring the liquid back to a
boil and adjust the temperature to maintain a boil.
 Cook until done.
 Serve the boiled food immediately.
Some points which must be kept in mind while boiling food are as follows:-
 Wash the food thoroughly before boiling;
 First boil the water and then put the food;
 The water should cover the food completely;
 Boil food in a pan which has a well fitted lid. This way the steam from boiling
water will not go out from the pan and the water will not dry up. Food gets cooked
(boiled) faster and fuel is also conserved in the process.
 Do not boil food longer than needed. Once it is soft and tender, take it off the fire.
If food is cooked for a very long time it loses its colour, shape and taste.

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 Over cooking also destroys the nutritive value of food.
 Potatoes and other root vegetables should be boiled with their skins on to retain
their nutritive value.

Water soluble nutrients present in food dissolve in water in which the food is being
boiled. If you throw this water, nutrients will be lost.
What can you do with this water? You can use this nutrient rich water to make soup
or gravy for other vegetables.
Advantages of boiling:
 Boiling is a safe and simple method of cooking also the food does not get charred.
 It is suitable for large scale cooking.
 Boiled food is also digested easily.
 It does not require special skill and equipment.
 Soluble starches can be removed and rice grains are separated.
 Protein gets denatured, starch gets gelatinized and collagen gets hydrolysed.
 Uniform cooking can be done.
Disadvantages of boiling
 Some people may not like boiled food as they find it bland.
 The taste of boiled food can be enhanced by adding lemon or other herbs and
spices
 Loss of nutrients: If excess water is used in cooking and the water is discarded
30-70% water soluble nutrients like vitamin C may be lost. To prevent this type
of losses, cooked water should be used in [Link] is considerable loss of
minerals especially sodium, potassium and calcium due to leaching.
 Loss of colours: Water-soluble pigments, like betanin from beetroot may be lost.
Beetroot should be cooked along with the skin to prevent the loss of colour.
 Time consuming: Boiling may take time and fuel may get wasted.
 Loss of flavour and texture: Boiled foods are not considered tasty because flavour
compounds are leached into the water. Over-boiling of food may make the food
mushy.
ii. Simmering
➢ Involves cooking in the liquid which is brought to a boil then held simmering
at lower temperatures until cooked or both the liquid and the product can be
slowly heated to the desired temperature and then held.
➢ Simmered products are often tender and juicer and have a lot of flavors than
product that have been cooked with dry heat method.

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 ➢ Most food cooked in liquid are simmered though the word boiled may be
used as a Menu item
iii. Stewing
➢ Process where small cuts of poultry and/or meat are simmered in a liquid.
➢ The item being stewed in completely covered with a liquid
➢ Stewing involves thickening of the liquid and serving it along with the
product as one course.
iv. Braising
➢ Involves cooking food in small amount of liquid after preliminary browning in
a small amount of fat first or sautéed using dry heat e.g. pan frying or
cooking at low temperatures in a small amount of liquid without browning
first in fat or with only light preliminary sautéing.
➢ Braised food is not covered by the cooking liquid. The liquid is thickened
before service by reducing the liquid over high heat rather than using a
thickening agent.
➢ In some recipes for braising, the item cooks in its own moisture and does not
require added liquid
v. Blanching
➢ Cook an item partially and briefly usually in water but foods like French
fries could be blanched in hot fat.
➢ Blanching is done to dissolve not blood, salt or impurities in meat and
bones.
➢ Such items are brought to boil, simmered a bit and cooled by plunging in
cold water.
➢ Vegetable are blanched to set color and destroy enzymes, and also to loosen
skin of vegetables and fruits.
➢ Blanching also helps in freezing fruits and vegetables.
➢ Blanched food is prepared using other methods before service.
vi. Parboiling:
➢ Is similar to blanching but involves immersing product in water for a longer
period until partially cooked.
➢ Usually done in reparation for roasting etc.
vii. Steaming.
➢ Is cooking by moist heat from boiling water or liquid.
➢ Equipment used must be arranged so that steam can circulate freely round
or under food etc. Examples are

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 ▪ Pressure cooked; direct contact with steam.
▪ Indirect: for warming up cold cooked food.
Procedure:
 Cut, trim or otherwise prepare the food to be steamed.
 Prepare a steaming liquid and bring to a boil in a covered pan or double boiler.
 Place the food in a steam rack, in a single layer. Do not crowd the items. Place
the rack, over the boiling liquid.
 Cover the cooking assemblage and cook to the desired doneness.

▪ Food is cooked with the heat from water vapours. The big utensil with a lid is the
steamer. It consists of two pans and a tight lid.
▪ The lower pan contains water, the pan above this has tiny holes on its base and
the food is kept in it. A tight fitting lid covers this food. When water boils in the
lower pan the steam comes into the upper pan through holes and cooks the food
kept here.
If you do not have a steamer one can devise one.

Advantages:
 Steaming shortens the duration of cooking and helps to conserve nutritive value,
colour, flavour and palatability of food.
 Steamed food is light, nutritious and easy to digest.
 Such foods are especially good for people who are sick or people with weak
digestion or for the elderly. Young children also can be served steamed food.
Pressure Cooking

Pressure cooking is a process of cooking in a special utensil which allows cooking

with a lot of steam under pressure. Pressure cookers are made of steel or from a
mixture of aluminium and other metals and can withstand high pressure. The steam
produced is trapped inside the cooker thus increasing the pressure and temperature
above 100°C.
Rice, pulses, meat, potatoes, roots, beans, and peas are cooked well in a pressure
cooker in the shortest possible time.

It is important to remember that once the pressure cooker develops optimum

pressure the excess steam is released through the weight kept on its lid. One should
lower the flame under the pressure cooker at this time. This maintains the pressure

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and avoids fuel wastage. We must also remember to clean the weight regularly as it
has tiny holes which get blocked with food. This prevents the escape of excess steam
built up in the pressure cooker which can lead to the bursting of the pressure cooker
and causing severe injuries. You must also check the rubber gasket of the pressure
cooker as it creates a seal because of which steam is trapped
Advantages: Pressure cooking kills all bacteria and hence the food is safe and
hygienic to eat. The food gets cooked faster i.e. almost in 1/3rd time than boiling.
This also saves the fuel. Several foods can be cooked together in the pressure cooker
by using separators. It is not necessary to immerse food in water while cooking and
this reduces the loss of water soluble vitamins and minerals.
Disadvantages: If food is cooked for very long, it loses its texture and may even burn.
viii. Poaching
➢ Cooking in the liquid that is hot and not boiling or cooking of food in the
required amount of liquid at just below boiling point.
➢ Used to cook tender food, fish or fruits
➢ The liquid may or may not cover the food but usually liquid should be at
least half way up side of the food.
✓ DRY HEAT METHODS
Involves use of hot air to cook food .They include;
i) Baking;
➢ Food is cooked by dry heat in oven.
➢ Is usually applied to vegetables, fish fruits, pastries and some dessert.
➢ Some type of breads and rolls are baked with the use of steam and produces
a crisp and shiny crust
ii) Roasting;
➢ Essentially similar to baking because make use of hot air to cook food in an
oven but usually applied to meat and poultry.
➢ In an oven pan, fat side of meat should be placed up to enable meat baste
itself while cooking,
➢ Coagulates the surface albumin seals in the juice and renders all the tissues
tender
➢ Baking or roasting uses a combination of all modes of heat transfer i.e.
conduction-pan ,convection- hot, air and radiation-hot walls
iii) Broiling
➢ Cooking by radiant heat.

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 ➢ Food is placed above, below or in between heat source. Before broiling, food
is dipped in oil or fat to prevent sticking and reduce loss of moisture
➢ The rack can be moved near or away from heat sources depending on
fattiness of the food, tenderness and size of the food
iv) Grilling
➢ Cooking on a hot surface coated with melted fat to keep the products from
sticking, the process is similar to frying and sautéing
➢ The product is turned over for cooking on the second side.
➢ Griddling: done on open grid over heat sources with or without small units
of fat.
v) Barbecuing
➢ Involves roasting/broiling a covered pit while basting with a sauce.
➢ Smoke gives flavor to the products. Temperatures are kept low.
Frying methods; involves cooking in fat or oil.
i. Sautéing-
➢ Cooking quickly in a small amount of fat. The pan should be pre heated and
not crowded so that the food does not simmer in its own juice.
➢ Meat could be dusted with flour for uniform browning and to prevent
sticking.
➢ Wine or stock is frequently added to browned meat to dissolve brown bits of
food clinging on the sides or bottom of pan, a process called deglazing.
Pan-frying; cooking in moderate amount of fat. Over a moderate heat, pan
frying uses fat than sautéing and takes a longer cooking time.
ii. Deep frying
➢ Food is submerged in hot fat/oil
➢ Well prepared product for deep frying should have minimum fat absorption,
minimum moisture, attractive golden color, crisp surface or coating.
➢ No off flavors imparted by frying fat/oil.
Losses of nutrients during cooking
Food can loose its nutritive value in the process of cooking. Correct methods of
preparation and storage must be used to preserve nutrients.
a. Vitamin A:
It gets oxidized when it reacts with oxygen present in the air and gets destroyed.
Cooking at high temperature in an open pan results in food coming in contact with
oxygen for a long period of time and this brings about a reduction in vitamin A
content.

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Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. It gets dissolved in fat when foods are deep fried.
Temperature as high as 300°C is reached during deep frying which destroys vitamin
A rapidly.
b. Vitamin B Complex
It is a group of eight water soluble vitamins. They are generally found together in
most foods and share certain properties in common.
 Vitamin B gets dissolved in water when these foods are washed, soaked or cooked
in water. If this water is discarded, it results in the loss of Vitamin [Link], pulses
and some vegetables are the main sources of vitamin B complex in our diet and
therefore care should be taken while washing, soaking and cooking these foods.
 Another reason for the loss of Vitamin B complex from our food is the addition of
cooking soda to the food during the process of cooking. Therefore use of soda
while cooking food should be avoided. Milk is a good source of Riboflavin also
called Vitamin B 2.
 It gets destroyed when milk is exposed to sunlight (due to ultraviolet rays). In
order to preserve Vitamin B in food, exposure to sun light should be avoided.
c. Vitamin C
 It is another water soluble vitamin which is easily destroyed by heat and
oxidation. When you cut vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C and leave them
exposed to air for a long time before cooking or eating it, some of the vitamin is
lost.
 Vitamin C is also lost when you wash vegetables and fruits after cutting or if you
cut them too fine.
 When food rich in vitamin C are cooked for a long time or cooked with soda most
of vitamin C is lost.
 This vitamin is also lost when the water in which the food is cooked is thrown
away. Therefore, proper care during cutting, washing and cooking of vitamin C
rich fruits and vegetables should be taken. Citrus fruits and vegetables (sour and
juicy) have this vitamin in plenty and we can conserve it.
d. Proteins
Cooking results in softening of proteins in foods such as egg, fish and meat. All
proteins present in the food items absorb water and get coagulated by heat.
 If the coagulated protein is further heated, it loses moisture and becomes dry and
rubbery. It also becomes difficult to digest.

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 Addition of acidic ingredients like lemon juice, tomatoes, curd or tamarind juice
increases cooking time and makes the protein tough and leathery. These
substances should be added towards the last stage of cooking.
 When protein rich foods like milk are cooked with sugar for a long timethe sugar
and protein react to form a brown colored compoundand the quality of protein
deteriorates.
e. Oils and Fats
At high temperature, fat molecules decompose into their glycerol and fatty acid part
which affects the nutritive value and keeping qualities of the fat. They are likely to
become rancid.
Oil and ghee are used for cooking and frying of foods. During frying the oil or ghee is
heated to a high temperature i.e. 300°C. Repeated use of oil for frying is quite a
common practice but must be discouraged because when ghee or oil are heated for
long periods of time over and over again, their quality becomes poor(Trans-fats).
Repeated use of the same oil or ghee as a cooking medium should also be avoided.
f. Minerals
Minerals like sodium and potassium dissolve in water. Minerals get lost when food
is first cut and then washed and the extra water in which they are boiled, is thrown
away. Hence, we should not throw away water in which food has been cooked. While
cooking, we should wash vegetables and fruits before cutting.
g. Carbohydrates
There is little effect on the nutritive value except for increased digestibility of starch
in presence of a liquid. Gelatinization occurs whrn starches absorb water and begin
to swell. This helps in thickening and in making gravy.
h. Non-Enzymatic browning (Maillard reaction)
If a food containing protein and carbohydrates is dry heated, a reaction occurs
between the two. This results in the production of substances that cannot be digested
and will therefore cause the loss of small amount of protein and carbohydrate.
Such losses are insignificant and the substances contribute to the appearance of the
cooked product as they are brown in color. Foods that demonstrate this reaction
include bread, roasted nuts, breakfast cereals and biscuits.
Conservation of nutrients
Conservation of nutrients means saving nutrients during the process of preparation
and cooking of food. We can conserve nutrients in food items by following some
simple practices:

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1. Wash vegetables before cutting them so that minerals and vitamins are not
destroyed. Wash them only as much as necessary.
2. Scrape the peels of vegetables as thin as possible because vitamins and minerals
are found just under the skin of the vegetables.
3. Cut vegetables into large pieces just before cooking. Small pieces mean greater
loss of nutrients.
4. If vegetables are to be cooked in water, put them into boiling water.
5. Use just enough water for cooking. Do not throw away the extra water. Use this
extra water to cook some other food.
6. Do not use cooking soda while cooking.
7. Use of tamarind or lemon juice during cooking helps to conserve the vitamins.
8. Cook rice in just enough water which gets absorbed during cooking.
9. Cook in a pan which has a well-fitting lid. When you cook in an uncovered pan
most of the nutrients are lost.
10. Do not overcook the food as many nutrients will be destroyed.
11. In order to preserve nutrients, use a cooking method which cooks food the fastest.
Enhancing nutritive value of food items
There are different ways that help us to conserve nutrients while cooking. It would
be brilliant to increase the nutritive value of food items without increasing the cost.
The process of improving the nutrients in food items by special methods is called
Enrichment or enhancement of nutrients.
You must understand the purpose of enhancing the nutritive value of food. It helps
to–
a) Provide food which can meet the nutritional requirements of the body;
b) Provide opportunity for proper selection and preparation of food items;
c) Provide an opportunity for balanced food;
d) Improve the flavour and texture of the food;
e) Make available a variety in food;
f) Assist in planning the daily menu, keeping in mind the content of the nutrient in
the food;
g) Prevent deficiency diseases in the body; and
h) Develop good food habits.

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Methods of Food Enrichment
We can enrich the foods using the following simple methods:
a. Combination
b. Fermentation
c. Germination

Combination
• No single food provides us all the nutrients. Hence, we eat a variety of food. For
example, we eat vegetables and rice. Combining foods from different food groups is
the easiest way of eating all nutrients.
• Similarly we can also combine a number of food items in one dish and get all the
nutrients from it. A combination of food items improves the quality of nutrients.
• Cereals lack certain amino acids. And these are present in pulses. When a pulse
and rice are combined, the quality of proteins becomes as good as that of milk.
Ideally cereals (rice, wheat, and maize) should be combined with pulses, nuts and
oil seeds like groundnuts, sesame seeds and milk products to get a good quality
protein in our diet.
• Similarly vegetables like spinach, and carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals.
These when added to a meal can further enhance the nutritive value of food.
Advantages:
 The quality of a meal is improved without increasing the cost by combining two foods
selected from same or different food groups.
 It is a simple technique that can be followed in every household.

Fermentation
Fermentation is a process in which micro-organisms present in the food or added in the
form of curd or yeast, change nutrients already present in the food, into simpler and
better form. In this process some new nutrients like Vitamin C and B complex are also
created.
During fermentation the micro-organisms use up some of the nutrients present in the
and change them into better quality nutrients.
Advantages

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 Fermentation improves the digestibility of food items. The micro-organisms which
cause fermentation break the proteins and carbohydrates into smaller parts, which
are easier to digest.
 Fermented foods become spongy and soft and thus become, specially, useful for
young children and elderly people.

Germination
• Soaked grains overnight in a sufficient quantity of water becomes big in size and
soft to touch. The water is drained thoroughly. The soaked grains are tie in a wet
cloth and keep for another 12 to24 hours, Small white shoots have start growing
from these grains. This process is called germination or sprouting.
• Grains like wheat can also be sprouted. These grains can then be dried in shade
and roasted lightly on a heavy bottom pan. They can be grounded and used in
preparing supplementary food items for young children and elderly people.
• Pulses like, peas and black grams are also sprouted first and then steamed and
eaten after adding salt, chilli powder and lemon juice.
• The time and water which each grain or pulse or legume needs for soaking and
sprouting is different. Normally 8-16 hours are needed for soaking and 12-24
hours for sprouting depending upon the season. The cloth in which the soaked
grains is tied should be kept moist all the time.
Advantages of germination
 It increases digestibility of foods because some carbohydrates and proteins are
broken down into smaller and easily digestible forms.
 It increases the nutritive value of food with no additional cost. You have already
learnt how this happens.
Preparation of juices, salads, sauces, and soups

I. Salad preparation/making
➢ A salad usually has under liner, a body, dressing and garnishes
➢ Quality factors in salads are; freshness, crispness of green, eye appeal,
neatness and proper ratio of ingredients
➢ To prevent dehydration, do not leave salad greens at room temperature for
lengthy periods. Store them at refrigerators as soon as they arrive.

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 ➢ Salads; greens which shows signs of rot, excessive wilt or damage should be
trimmed when received. Such deterioration spreads when greens are stored in
the refrigerator.
➢ Keep all raw materials, finished salads, dressing and salad plates under
refrigerator until served.
➢ Add dressing just before service, if done earlier it may wilt vegetables.
➢ If greens are wilted, crispness can sometimes (but not always) be restored by
steeping them in ice cold water for brief periods of 10 to 15 minutes.
➢ Salad greens must be well washed and well dried to enable adherence of salad
dressing.
➢ When using fresh pears, apples or bananas, steep them in an acid solution
after cutting (acid solution; lemon juice and water, orange juice, pineapple juice
etc.) examples of salad dressing are; moyannaise-50% oil, vinegar and egg) and
French dressing (2 parts of oil to I part of vinegar) can add herbs.
Factors that might break emulsions includes;
i. Temperatures of 15.60-21.10c (60-700F) is favorable. Freezing and heat
breaks emulsion.
ii. Mechanical; product containing 15% vinegar break down emulsion
iii. Chemical factor; excess salt can break an emulsions(add salt to liquid
ingredients e.g. vinegar to dissolve first)

II. Soups (potages)

➢ soup being the first meal, should be well prepared
➢ Can be made by sauce chef or special cook.
Soup Classification
Are either thin or thick soups
A. Thin soups
Usually clear, largely rich stock
a. Broths:
➢ Thin soup made from cooking meat, poultry or sea foods, in water.
➢ Usually strained but not clarified with eggs white (albumin) of eggs white and
meat. Coagulate: rise to top of liquid carrying other ingredients except scotch
mutton broth- thick soup with meat, vegetables and barley

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 b. Consommé’s
➢ Thin soup made from stock chopped beef and clarified with egg white
➢ They are strained after clarification
c) Bouillons: consumers with extra rich and beef flavor’s
B. Thick soup
i. Unstrained vegetables soups: when finished, contains usually from ¼ - ½ of their
volume
ii. Puree soup; soups whose thickness usually derived from mashed or strained
dried vegetables
iii. Cream soup; basic ingredients are pureed vegetables and thickened with four or
roux and contain milk or cream
iv. Bisques; cream of shellfish soup e.g. bisque of shrimp or bisque of oyster
v. Thick fish soup: soups which are close to stew than soups.
6.2.1 Guide for making and serving soups
1. Any soup (whether thick or thin) should convey a pronounced btt pleasant flavor of
its principle ingredient.
2. There should be a balance of the soups principle flavor and its minor flavoring
ingredients.
3. Colors of the vegetables sized should be as natural as possible and as close as their
raw appearance rather than looking overcooked.
4. Puree and cream soups should show no signs of lumps or layer (conspicuous layer)
of fat soups should not coat a spoon with fat or leave an impression of greasiness. If
soups are to be served with garnish, the vegetables should be of the same size for
uniform cooking and eye appeal.
5. Soup should be served neatly.
6. Soup on fire should be brought to boiling for a brief period to remove scum on the
surface, during the rest of the cooking period; they should be simmered not boiled.
7. In many soup recipes, seasoning, vegetables are served before the stock is added;
this is done to reduce the sharp raw flavor of such ingredients
8. Ingredient used in soup should be of high quality otherwise soup will not reach its
peak of flavor development

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9. When thick soup or purees are exposed to air for long period, it acquires a thick
skin on top. To avoid this, un-melted butter is placed on top so that as it melts, it
forms a protective film on top. Just before the soup is served, butter is stirred
10. Sometimes starchy soup need thinning as the stored expands during the meal;
these soup are thinned with milk, cream or stock depending on types of soup.
11. When thick vegetables soup is to be served, the soup ladle is used to tap the
bottom of the soup pot once or twice and they immediately ladle the soup while in
motion.
III. Sauces;
➢ Is a liquid preparation, usually thickened cooked apart from the food with
which it is later served with. Basic ones includes;
a) Béchamel or cream sauce principle ingredient are fat, flour and milk cream
i. Veloute; fat, flour and white stock
ii. Esapagnote or brown sauces; fat, flour and brown stock
iii. Tomato sauce’ fat, flour, tomato products and white stocks
iv. Hollandaise; egg yolks and butter. Other sauces includes; unstrained
tomato sauces, sweet desert sauce, seafood cocktails sauces, barbecue
sauces and cold sauces
IV. Juices
The procedure for juice preparation involve the following step
a) Wash produce thoroughly.
b) Line your juicer’s pulp basket.
c) Cut or tear produce to fit through the juicer.
d) Feed produce through the juicer.
e) Rejoice your pulp.
f) Drink up and juice on.
g) Clean your juicer
Juices obtained from fruit by mechanical processes are popular. The virtue of these
drinks again is water, and also vitamin C is provided.
Some fruit juices are sweetened, and the energy value of such drinks is higher. In the
interests of the healthful diet choose the unsweetened varieties

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