Boiling
Heating food in water is one of the simplest cooking methods
Cooking food in simmering liquid – whether water, salt water or stock – is one of the most classic preparation methods.
Boiling food in water exposes the food to very high temperatures. Some products even require a long period of cooking in hot water in order to be enjoyed at all such as pasta, potatoes, or hard boiled eggs. Boiling vegetables runs the risk of losing some of the water-soluble vitamins. The more water you use and the longer you cook the vegetables for, the more valuable nutrients you lose. It is therefore important to remove the vegetables as soon as they are cooked. A sure indication of this is an aromatic smell coming from the pot. The cooking water can make a tasty addition to sauces or soups
Rice, egg, dhal, meat, roots and tubers are cooked by boiling.
It refers to the simmering of food in a pan with a tight fitting lid using small quantities of liquid to cover only half the food. This is a slow method of cooking. The liquid is brought to boiling point and the heat is reduced to maintain simmering temperatures (820C -900C). The food above the liquid is cooked by the steam generated within the pan. Apple, meat along with roots, vegetables and legumes are usually stewed.
Stewing requires no appliances or special techniques, just make sure to use a pot or a pan with a well-fitting lid. Vegetables are particularly well suited to stewing because this method retains the nutritional content. Stewing should be done on a medium temperature – if it is too high, the liquid will vaporize too quickly and the content will burn.
Steaming is a healthy way to cook vegetables, meats and fish. Steaming is an indirect cooking method that uses hot steam generated from water to cook food. No need to add fat or sodium and the vitamins are not destroyed
grilling is cooking over fire! It’s a dry heat method of cooking over hot coals and flames to impart flavor into meat and vegetables. It’s also synonymous with ‘barbecue’ in some regions
GRILLING METHOD
- Direct – the most popular grilling method! As the name implies, food is placed directly on a grill grate over hot coals and flames. This method is great for items that require short grilling times, so there is no worrying about burning before being cooked through (ex. burgers, steak, kabobs, foil packets).
- Indirect – similar to slow cooking, but on the grill! Indirect grilling has walk-away convenience and requires little hands-on attention, but gives you maximum flavor with its lower temps and longer cook times. Commonly the grill is prepared with the coals on one side of the grill to develop heat zones on the grill.
- Smoking – For those who appreciate the art of smoking meat, this method uses flavored wood chips, pellets or lump charcoal to develop flavor and as a heat source. It’s referred to as ‘barbecue’, ‘bar-b-q’, or just simple ‘BBQ’. But by any name, this timeless technique delivers richly-flavored, tender results and is suited for large cuts of meat such as brisket, roasts and rib