2. Methods of Cooking
OBJECTIVES:
Explain why food is cooked.
List the different methods of cooking: moist methods
of cooking, dry methods of cooking and cooking in hot fat.
Describe their basic principles of each individual
method.
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each
cooking method.
List the common dishes cooked using each cooking
method.
3. Methods of Cooking
Why We Cook Food??
Cooking improves the flavour and appeal of food.
Cooking makes food safe for eating as it kills
micro-organisms which may be present in food.
4. Methods of Cooking
Why We Cook Food??
Cooking makes food easier to chew and more
digestible. It also enables better absorption of the
nutrients.
Cooking destroys some of the enzymes which
cause food to spoil. It thus prolongs the shelf life of
food and maintains its quality.
6. Methods of Cooking
Moist Heat
BOILING
involves cooking the food in a liquid at 100 degrees
the food has reached boiling point when it starts to
bubble vigorously.
Common Dishes:
Bubur chacha, lontong, wan ton soup and chicken curry
7. Methods of Cooking
Advantages
fast way to cook food
healthy method as it requires little or no oil
good for softening food, making it easy to chew and digest
Disadvantages
water-soluble vitamins will be drawn out of the food
8. Methods of Cooking
Moist Heat
STEAMING
relies on the water vapour or steam produced by boiling
water to cook food.
Common Dishes:
Steamed fish, glutinous rice, char siew bao, chee cheong
fun and dumplings.
9. Methods of Cooking
Advantages
soft and easy to chew and digest
requires little or no oil
retains most water soluble vitamins and minerals
Saves fuel and time with the use of the multi-tiered
steamer
Disadvantages
a longer cooking time is required for steaming as
compared to boiling
10. Methods of Cooking
Dry Heat
GRILLING
uses dry heat from a gas, electric grill, glowing charcoals
or an open fire to cook food
similar to barbecuing
Common Dishes:
Satay, otah, beef patties, chicken wings
11. Methods of Cooking
Advantages
a fast method of cooking
requires less oil or fat than frying
much of the oil or fat is drained away in the process of
grilling
Disadvantages
surface of the food can easily become dry and burnt if
there is not enough oil brushed, the temperature is not welled
controlled or the food is not turned frequently enough.
12. Methods of Cooking
Dry Heat
BAKING
cooks food by dry heat in an enclosed space
in a cake, heat is radiated from the metal lining of the oven
and circulated by convection currents
Common Dishes:
Cakes, kueh lapis, chicken pie, pizzas
13. Methods of Cooking
Advantages
large amounts of food can be cooked at the same time
cooking process does not require constant attention
baked food is soft and easy to digest
Disadvantages
takes a long time to cook food, sometimes up to a few
hours
14. Methods of Cooking
Hot Fat
Dry-frying: does not require the addition of oil. Cooks food
from the melted fat that runs from the food when it is heated
Shallow-frying: uses very little oil, no more than what is
enough to cover the base of the pan
Stir-frying: does not require a lot of oil and involves stirring
small pieces of food in a hot pan for a few minutes
Deep-frying: food is submerged in oil or hot fat which gives
the food a crisp texture.
