CHAPTER 5: AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF COOKING

INTRODUCTION
Cooking is the act of preparing food for eating by the application of heat. It encompasses
a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to alter the flavor or digestibility
of food. It is the process of selecting, measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered
procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Factors affecting the final outcome include
the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual doing the
actual cooking.
Cooking is an art. It is linked with the dietary habits and cultural pattern of people. The
intention of cooking is to see that the food cooked undergoes a physical and a chemical change
at the end result is edible and acceptable.
Applying heat to a food usually, though not always, chemically transforms it, thus
changing its flavor, texture, consistency, appearance, and nutritional properties.

COOKING - Cooking is the application of heat to food for the purpose of making it more
digestible, safer to eat, more palatable and to change its appearance. To cook food, heat must
be introduced. In the cooking process the heat breaks down the cellulose in the plant, softens
some of the connective tissues in the meat, changes and blends flavours within the food and
destroys bacteria, makes food more acceptable to human beings and their digestive system.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF COOKING FOOD

1) Cooking increases palatability. Cooking pleases the eye and is receptive to the palate and
helps to stimulate the digestive juices, thereby creating an appetite.
2) Cooking helps to provide a balanced meal. The different ingredients combined together in
one dish make it easier to provide a balanced meal.
3) Cooking sterilizes the food partially. Cooked food can be stored for a longer time and it
prevents food poisoning and diseases when stored properly. Some of the disease producing
germs is killed by cooking. They are killed because of high temperature during the cooking
process. A temperature of 60°C applied over 30 or more minutes, kills most of the pathogenic
germs.
4) Cooking retains, as far as possible, the nutritive and flavouring ingredients. The flavour
depends upon the amount and kind of extractive present, and the acids developed. Nutritive
value is enhanced if the fat proportion in the meat is more. While cooking, the nutrition could be
preserved by using the cooking liquor.
5) Cooking gives a variety to the menu, as one food item could be cooked in various ways
and given different textures, e.g. mutton in a soup, roast joint, croquettes, stews, keema, sookha
meat, boti kababs, etc. Different methods of cooking when used make the menu interesting and
enhance variety. It is, therefore, easier to plan a balanced diet.
6) Cooking preserves food for a longer time. The high temperature destroys bacteria and
limits spoilage. It is economical as the cooked leftovers could be utilized and new dishes could
be prepared.

ADVANTAGES OF COOKING
The following are the advantages of cooking:-
 Cooking makes the food easy to chew.
 Cooking softens the connective tissues in the meat and makes animal foods more
digestible. Cooking makes the complex foods split into simpler substances.
 Cooking helps to kill harmful bacteria. It makes the food safe to eat.
 Cooking preserves the food.
 Cooking increases palatability. It improves taste and enhances the flavour.
 A wide variety of dishes can be made by different methods of cooking viz. boiling,
frying, roasting, microwaving, baking, smoking, etc.
 Cooking makes the dish more colorful. It develops new flavors in food.
 Cooking makes the food to appreciable texture.
 Cooking makes food more appetizing
 Cooking provides balanced meal.
 Cooking adds more nutritive value to food.

EFFECTS OF HEAT ON FOODS

Foods are composed of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water, plus small amounts of other
compounds such as minerals (including salt), vitamins, pigments (coloring agents),and flavor
elements. It is important to understand how these components react when heated or mixed with
other foods. You will then be better equipped to correct cooking faults when they occur and to
anticipate the effects of changing cooking methods, cooking temperatures, or ingredient
proportions.
The following discussion is concerned with the physical and chemical reactions that affect the
components of food.

CARBOHYDRATES
1. Starches and sugars are carbohydrates. Both compounds are present in foods in many
forms. They are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts. Meats and fish also contain
a small amount of carbohydrate.

2. For the cook, the two most important changes in carbohydrates caused by heat are
caramelization and gelatinization.
• Caramelization is the browning of sugars. The browning of sautéed vegetables and
the golden color of bread crust are forms of caramelization.
• Gelatinization occurs when starches absorb water and swell. This is a major principle
in the thickening of sauces and in the production of breads and pastries.
NOTE : Acids inhibit gelatinization. A sauce thickened with flour or starch will be thinner
if it contains acid.

PROTEINS
1. Protein is a major component of meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and milk products. It is
present in smaller amounts in nuts, beans, and grains.
2. Coagulation. The curdling, stiffening, or clumping of protein strands usually due to the
application of heat or acid.
3. As the temperature increases, the proteins shrink, become firmer, and lose more moisture.
Exposure of proteins to excessive heat toughens them and makes them dry. Most proteins
complete coagulation or are cooked at 160˚F to 185˚F (71˚C to 85˚C).
4. Maillard Reaction: Many protein foods, such as meats, contain small quantities of
carbohydrates. When proteins are heated to about 310˚F (154˚C),the amino acids in the protein
chains react with carbohydrate molecules and undergo a complex chemical reaction. The result
is that they turn brown and develop richer flavors. This reaction is called the Maillard reaction.
5. Connective tissues are special proteins that are present in meats. Meats with a great deal of
connective tissue are tough, but some connective tissues are dissolved when cooked slowly
with moisture. Cooking tough meats properly, therefore, makes them more tender.
NOTE: Acids, such as lemon juice, vinegar, and tomato products, do two things to
proteins: • They speed coagulation.
• They help dissolve some connective tissues.

FATS
1. Fats are present in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk products, nuts, whole grains, and, to a
lesser extent, vegetables and fruits. Fats are also important as cooking mediums, as for frying.
2. Fats can be either solid or liquid at room temperature. Liquid fats are called oils. When solid
fats are heated, they melt, or change from solid to liquid. The melting point of solid fats varies.
3. When fats are heated, they begin to break down. When hot enough, they deteriorate rapidly
and begin to smoke. The temperature at which this happens is called the smoke point, and it
varies by type of fat. A stable fat—one with a high smoke point—is an important consideration in
deep-fat frying.
4. Many flavor compounds dissolve in fat, so fats are important carriers of flavor. When fats melt
and are lost from food, some flavors, as well as some vitamins, are lost with them.

MINERALS, VITAMINS, PIGMENTS, AND FLAVOR COMPONENTS

1. Minerals and vitamins are important to the nutritional quality of the food. Pigments and flavor
components are important to a food’s appearance and taste and may determine whether the
food is appetizing enough to eat. So it is important to pre- serve all these elements.
2. Some of these components are soluble in water, and others are soluble in fats. All of these
components may be leached out, or dissolved away, from foods during cooking.
3. Vitamins and pigments may also be destroyed by heat, by long cooking, and by other
elements present during cooking.
4. It is important, then, to select cooking methods that preserve, as much as possible, a food’s
nutrients, taste, and appearance.

FOOD TEXTURES, CONSISTENCIES AND TECHNIQUES

As explained above, raw foods get exposed to some form of heat and then are called ‘cooked’
for consumption. The term TEXTURE is used to describe the characteristics of a finished
(ready-to-eat) food product. The final product will have a certain texture depending on
• the order in which ingredients are added
• the way of mixing
• the method of cooking

A correct texture has to be brought about in the food. The chef should not only know the correct
texture, but should be able to produce the same in the food. The various textures which are
listed down, are difficult to explain in words, they should be felt and understood better. There
are very thin differences between some of these, which one should learn better during practical.

1. Firm and close – biscuits and plain short pastries can explain this texture. Raising agents
are used while preparing these, but they do not make the product very light or brittle. In fact they
are hard as a result of many tiny air bubbles created by raising agents. But the biscuits are not
too hard either, because of the fat included.

2. Short and crumbly – nankhatai and tarts are good examples of this texture. Fat included is
more than that in biscuits, so it breaks more easily into smaller particles.

3. Spongy – Swiss rolls, sponge cakes, idli and dhokla are spongy. A soft, elastic texture due to
incorporation of more air results in this texture.

4. Light – Madeira cake has plenty large holes in it, making it ‘light’. It is firm, but not hard and
tough. It is neither as short as a tart nor as spongy as a Swiss roll.

5. Flaky – chiroti, lacchha paratha, chicken or veg puffs and khara biscuits are flaky. Thin, crisp
layers are formed by spreading fat in between two layers of dough which get separated during
baking / frying and remain separated due to air pockets. The flakes by themselves should not be
tough / hard. Ideally the layers break easily and melt in the mouth.

6. Coarse – large and uneven holes are a result of too much of the raising agent/too little liquid.
This is not a good texture to have in food; in fact, it is something to be avoided. Such cakes and
other products are sunken at the centre.

7. Tough – too much liquid, over mixing, incorrect mixing, too little fat and long cooking time
could result in toughness in food. Mostly, like the coarse texture, this also is to be avoided.

8. Hard – another texture which should be avoided as far as possible. In fact, it is considered to
be a fault in the product. Too much pressure while mixing, excessive liquid in the product and
incorrect quantity of fat result in this texture. Air that is incorporated gets removed out of the
mixture, making the final product hard.

Various consistencies:
Like different textures found in solid foods (which are mentioned above), different ‘consistencies’
are found in liquid foods. Some substances flow readily, others resist flow and some require
force or weight application to start flow. The concept of consistency is closely related to
viscosity.
Factors affecting consistency of liquid are –
• concentration (of thickening agent)
• temperature
• degree of dispersion
• mechanical treatment
• time (how long is it after preparing)

Generally speaking, the following consistencies could be found in liquid foods –

A. Pouring – like water and milk. These do not show any resistance and flow easily / readily.
Stocks and some thin soups like consommé are examples of ‘cooked’ liquids having pouring
consistency.

B. Coating – when a starchy thickening agent is mixed with a liquid, and the mixture is heated,
the starch gelatinizes. In case of a protein as a thickening agent, it coagulates when exposed to
heat. In both these cases, the liquid starts to thicken. If a spoon is dipped in this mixture, it starts
coating the spoon. A thin film of the mixture could be seen in the beginning. Later on it goes on
becoming visibly thicker. Depending upon one / more factors listed before, the thickening will
take place up to a certain point. While making basic custard, this will be understood better.
Here, liquid is milk and thickening is egg yolk. Similar coating consistency could be observed in
kadhi where liquid is buttermilk and thickening is gram flour (besan). The liquid is
proportionately more than the flour or thickening agent.

C. Dropping – when a liquid is added to dry flour, it forms lumps as only some flour (granules)
gets combined with liquid. Later, when added more liquid, it converts into dough and with some
more liquid, it turns into ‘batter’. Here, the amount of solid (flour) is more than the liquid. For
example, a cake mixture of fat, sugar, egg and flour is moistened with water or milk. Only that
much liquid is required which will make the mixture fall out in a big moist smooth lump. The
liquid should be dispersed well to get a smooth mixture. When you make cake batter in the
bakery class, you will understand it better. Also, next time when you are waiting for your (batata)
vada-pav, don’t forget to observe the vender making and using the batter.

Techniques used in pre-preparation:

Raw materials used in food production are mostly natural products. They are available in
various shapes and weights. For example, no two potatoes or onions will be same in size,
shape and weight. No two red pumpkins will be of the same size, shape and weight. Preparing a
finished product calls for basic uniformity in size, shape and weight. This is the base for
uniformity in cooking and also the appearance of the food. Breaking down the raw materials into
required form is called ‘prepreparation’. Following are a few prepreparation techniques –

• Washing – superficial dirt is removed during washing. Vegetables, fish, meat and sometimes
even eggs are washed with cold water before any other process. These days this is done at the
very entrance of the store to prevent any dirt and mud entering in the store / kitchen / workplace.
Water soluble vitamins and minerals are lost if they are soaked for a long period of time or
washed after cutting.

• Peeling and scraping – spoilt, soiled and inedible portions are removed. Skins of potatoes,
carrots, radish or fruits can be removed by peeling. Smaller ingredients like ginger, galangal are
scraped. Peel off as little of the fleshy part as possible. If vegetables like carrots are washed
well, their peels could be used for making stocks.

• Paring – remove surface layers by using a circular motion as in paring an apple.

• Cutting – reducing to smaller parts with a knife or a pair of scissors. When a chopping knife or
a food chopper is used, it is termed as chopping.

Cutting into even size cubes --- --- --- dicing.

Cutting into very fine pieces --- --- --- mincing.
Cutting (especially green leafy vegetables & cabbage) into fine, long pieces --- shredding.
Cutting into slightly thicker, flat pieces --- slicing.

• Grating – reducing to fine particles by rubbing over a rough, sharp surface.

• Grinding – reducing to fine fragments by crushing in a mill, a grinding stone or an ostirizer.

• Mashing – breaking up soft foods like cooked potatoes. {SMASHes are in boxing, NOT is food
production}

• Sieving – passing through a mesh to remove impurities or to break down into even parts or to
enclose air.

• Milling – used for cereals, to remove husk.

• Steeping – extracting colouring or / and flavouring by allowing ingredients to stand in water at

a simmering temperature.

• Centrifuging – Separate two parts of a substance by application of whirling force like

separation of cream from milk.

• Emulsification – Blending or mixing to non-mixable (insoluble) liquids by application of force.

• Evaporation / Reduction – removal of moisture by heating.

• Homogenization – subdivision of large drops into smaller ones by forcing them through a
small opening under great pressure.

Techniques used in preparation:

When raw materials are ready to be cooked, they are sent to the preparation area or hot section
of the kitchen where it gets exposed to heat. Following are some of the techniques in
preparation. List may be enriched as and when you start actual cooking.
• Stirring – this mixes two or more ingredients as they get cooked. Wooden / stainless steel flat
spoons, round spoons, perforated spoons etc. of various sizes could be used. Liquids as well as
solid and semi-solid ingredients need stirring. Generally it helps in even dispersion of heat
leading to even cooking.

• Masking – to prevent food from getting burnt in case of baking / roasting, it needs to be
masked with some other food material. It can also be done to get a desired colour and
appearance.

• Coating or dipping in batter – as mentioned earlier, batter is a mixture of flour and liquid
(mostly equal quantities). Certain foods are dipped in batter and deep fried. The most apt
example would be potato vadas. The batter should coat the stuffing fully and not expose any
stuffing. This needs skill, because food should be dropped in hot oil immediately after dipping in
batter. So, in a split of a second, the process has to be completed. Thus, the consistency of the
batter plays a very important role.

• Basting – this is a technique which goes hand in hand with roasting. This means to apply fat /
butter on the food while being roasted. It helps by protecting the surface from going dry and also
by giving a pleasant brown colour to the roasted food.

• Tadka / baghar – these terms and technique are used in Indian cuisine. Oil is heated to the
required temperature and certain spice ingredients are added to it (which should crackle,) then
the food (like cooked dal or chopped vegetables) are combined with this. It develops additional
taste and flavour to the dish. A peculiar flavour which is the characteristic of the dish can be
added through the ingredients in the tempering.
Sometimes, continental dishes, especially rich soups and sauces are also ‘tempered’; but the
technique is applied for a different purpose and using different ingredients. A mixture of egg yolk
and cream (liaison) is added to a dish to enrich it, to give it a glaze and to make it smooth. A
little of the hot soup / sauce is first mixed with the liaison, and then it is slowly stirred into the
larger quantity of soup / sauce.

• Seasoning – seasonings bring about the natural taste and flavours of the ingredients. No dish
can be complete without seasonings.

• Flavouring – these are those ingredients which impart additional flavours in the dishes.
Nutmeg powder in creamed potatoes, cardamom powder in Indian sweets like kheers, vanilla
essence in vanilla buns are some of the examples. Flavourings could be added in various forms
– powders, drops or whole spices (which are removed before serving the dish to guest).