Innovative Methods of Cooking

Innovative Methods

i) Microwave Cooking

Electromagnetic waves from a power source called magnetron are absorbed by the food and food becomes hot at once. Microwave cooking enhances the flavour of food because it cooks quickly with little or no water and thus preserves the natural colour of vegetables and fruits.

Merits:

·        Quick method – 10 times faster than the conventional method. So loss of nutrients can be minimized.

·        Only the food gets heated and the oven does not get heated.

·        Foods get heated uniformly.

·        Leftovers can be reheated without chang-ing the flavor and texture of the product.

·        Microwave cooking enhances the fla-vor of the food because it cooks quick-ly with little or no water.

Demerits:

·        Baked products do not get a brown surface.

·        Microwave cooking cannot be used for simmering, deep frying or stewing.

·        Flavour of all ingredients do not blend well as the cooking time is too short.

ii) Solar Cooking

Solar cooker works on solar energy. Solar cooker consists of well insulated box, the inside of which is painted dull black and is covered by one or more transparent covers, the purpose of which is to trap the heat inside the solar cooker. 

The temper-ature maintained is around 140°C. Cost of the cooker and the maintenance cost is low. It takes longer time and special ves-sels need to be used.

Merits:

·        Simple techniques – requires no spe-cial skill.

·        Cost effective as natural sunlight is the form of energy

·        Original flavour of food is retained

·        There is no danger of scorching or burning

·        Loss of nutrients is minimum as only little amount of water is used in cooking

Demerits:

·        Special equipment is needed

·        Slow cooking process

·        Cannot be used in the absence of sun-light-rainy season, late evening and night