Methods of Cooking

I know most of you are aware of the different methods of cooking but just for info let me highlight some of the common forms of cooking.

Boiling - This is the oldest form of cooking and is cooking the meat/vegetable in water or stock. To make a good flavoured stock start with cold water and then boil and simmer till the flavours from the meat/vegetable have blended well and your stock is ready.

Only sufficient water should cover the article cooked. Over cooking should be avoided as it will lead to loss of protein.

Steaming - This is cooking in moist by placing the article in a container or on a covered plate over a pan of water or in a steamer with little pressure.
While steaming puddings the dish must be covered with a foil to prevent water from getting in the pudding.

Stewing - In stewing the food is always cut up and served along with the liquid. In this process the food is simmered gently in little water or stock. In this slow process of cooking the protein is retained and the food becomes easily digestible.

Frying - There are 2 types of frying – Shallow and deep frying. Shallow frying in frying in a saucepan using very little oil. Deep frying is cooking in deep oil. It is important that the oil selected should be raised to high temperature to avoid burning. The normal frying temperature is between 175 degrees and 195 degree C.

Microwave Cooking - The advantage of microwave cooking is its speed and in this form food is cooked using high frequency power. Food cooked should be placed in a glass, or proper plastic microwave container before being put in the oven. Metal containers should not be used.

These are the common forms but there are also other methods like Roasting/Pot Roasting, Braising, Baking, Grilling, Poaching etc. Any queries on these please let me know and will explain the same to you.