Know your oil you are cooking with, don’t spoil you cooking with the wrong oil.

Know your oil you are cooking with, don’t spoil you cooking with the wrong oil.

It is important to know about the oils you are cooking with.

In our cooking, one of the most used ingredients in the kitchen is oil. The cooking oils are liquid fat and derived from plants, seeds, and various nuts. Nowadays, we are spoiled by many different oils that when shopping for oil, the store shelf is crowded with many different kinds. It is really hard to know which oil to buy, so knowing the differences makes the process of buying easier.

One day while grocery shopping, I had a little more time on hand. I started looking at the bottles and reading the ingredient details more carefully. I came across a label stating that “This oil is good for frying” and I thought “Why it is specified? Is the oil I am using okay for frying?” My curiosity made me start to research more about it. When I started cooking, I was not much aware of different oils are used for different cooking and have done a mistake with the smoke points of oils.

There are so many oils some commonly used oils used in cooking are Avocado oil, Almond oil, Rice bran oil, Beef tallow, Vegetable oil, Palm oil, Canola oil, Light olive oil, Peanut oil, Sunflower, Sesame oil, Grapeseed oil, Macadamia oil, Pistachio oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Coconut oil, Walnut oil, Flaxseed/linseed oil, Butter, Clarified Butter/Ghee, Chicken fat, Corn oil, etc. It is hard to figure out which one to buy. Many times, people use the wrong kind of oil. It is very important to know about the oil you are cooking with as at different temperatures the chemical makeup of oil changes and it can be harmful to the body. Never reuse or reheat any cooking oil and buy small bottles and store in cool and dark places.

Knowing about the oils helps you to make right and healthy choices. Oils contain Saturated, Polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fat, we know what nutrient content are of the oils, we can make right and healthy choices.

Things to know when selecting oils

  1. What is the smoking point of oils?

It is very important to understand the smoke point of the oils. The smoke point is heating of oil to a high temperature that starts burning and produces smoke which will give food burnt taste and also it is dangerous for our consumption.

  1. Which oils to use and when? 

It is important to know what to are cooking and method. If you are frying high smoke point will be used if using for dressings & vinaigrettes the flavor taste and low smoke point will be fine.

  1. What is the nutritional composition of oils?

Knowing the content of the oil we can make the decision which one will be good for our health. We should replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Out of all oils, my top choices are

  1. Avocado Oil – 520ºF/271ºC
  2. Grapeseed oil 420°F/215 ºC
  3. Olive Oil- 320°F/160 ºC
  4. Sunflower- 450°F/232
  5. Clarified Butter/Ghee 480ºF/249ºC
  6. Canola – 400ºF/204ºC
  7. Peanut- 450°F/232 ºC
  8. Sesame seed oil-350ºF/176ºC
  9. Coconut- 350ºF/176ºC
  10. Mustard Oil (Good when not used adulterated and should not be used regularly. It should not be used for frying even though the smoke point is high)

As it is very important to use a different oil in different ways. One oil cannot be used for all types of cooking. So, if you are using for salads (dressings & vinaigrettes), stir-frying, deep-frying, or sautéing. Once we know the smoke point it’s easy for us to understand which one, we can use and where.

 

Using nontoxic cookware in your kitchen

Using nontoxic cookware in your kitchen

When you cook, do you ever think of pots and pans you are using to cook in? Have you ever thought about the safety of them? If you have not, it is ok not many people think of that. 

When we use safe pots and pans it will benefit us, our family and friends. There are many choices out there, so which one to choose?  There are many which leach heavy metals and chemicals into food when cooked in them, the exposures might contribute to health issues. So when we talk about healthy eating, it is also important to know what we cook in. The safe pots and pans are those that leach the least amount of chemicals and heavy metals in our food. It is equally important to know how we are storing our food and how we are reheating? As we know plastic is very popular for storing food nowadays,  heating leftovers in plastic containers, what it does to our body?

LET’S LOOK INTO BEST AND WORST COOKWARE TO USE 

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel cookware is durable, easy to use, clean,  recyclable and is safe. They are available in different alloys, 18/8 or 18/10 which you will find stamped on the bottom.

10/18 being the safest and mostly found. If you can get 18/0 is the best. This indicates 0 percent of the metal is nickel, which provides the shine, and 18 percent is chromium, which makes the metal non-corrosive. Sometimes you will find, stainless steel pans may have a layer of stainless over a copper or aluminum core. The core provides good heat transfer, and the stainless steel provides a safe cooking surface.

Stainless steel may leach small amounts of nickel in some circumstances, which could be of concern to those with nickel allergies. That is why if you can find 18/0 is the best grade of steel cookware.

CLAY COOKING POTS

Clay cooking pots are my favorite but hard to maintain. They come in seasoned and unfinished and must be soaked in water for 30–45 minutes before each use to avoid cracking. 

When we are cooking in the clay pot it is healthy as no oil needed, it loses little to no moisture, as water absorbed within the walls of the pot. The food is tender, flavorful dish prevents burning so long as the pot is not allowed to dry completely. No toxic leaches in food.

The issue with clay pot is that it needs to be seasoned, suddenly changed of temperature can crack it and they are fragile.

CAST IRON

Cast iron cookware is sturdy and long-lasting. One drawback is that it can be heavy to lift during cleaning and cooking. Especially if you have arthritis it’s heavy to lift, also, if you are using acidic tomato and lemons in cooking make sure it should not be cooked in new or non-seasoned cast iron until the cookware is highly seasoned. It will change its color and food will have a metallic taste.

These utensils Heat very evenly the food. Cleaning is with simple Coarse Kosher Salt then rinse it, and dry it with a towel and put vegetable oil or grapeseed oils take a paper towel or dry towel and rub it all over. Personally I give a quick wash immediately after cooking done and dry it, add oil with a towel after drying completely. Cast iron must be seasoned to form its natural non-stick properties and to prevent rust some of them come pre-seasoned and ready to use. Iron does leach into the food which is considered beneficial. Some of them are coated with enamel or ceramic, which gives it an easy-care, durable cooking surface with no leaching.

TITANIUM

Titanium is a non-toxic, biocompatible metal used for many medical purposes, such as instruments, dental implant devices, and joint replacements. Titanium is lightweight and extremely strong. Titanium cookware uses an aluminum base for even heat transfer and distribution. The non-porous, non-stick titanium outer surface does not allow any aluminum to leach through. Cleanup is easy; simply rinse and wipe dry. Food will not stick to titanium. Oil or water is not necessary to cook food in titanium pans, so food retains more flavor and nutrients.

DO NOT USE FOLLOWING COOKWARE

ALUMINUM COOKWARE 

Important Information on Toxicological Profile

Aluminum is a cheap metal, Aluminum Cookware are really bad to cook, it poisoned the food slowly carries substantial risk of toxicity. After understanding the health risk, many changes have been made aluminum pots and pans with the advent of anodized aluminum (in which a thicker aluminum oxide layer is created on the surface of the pan). Yet, they still recommend avoidance of aluminum cookware due to the potential toxicity of aluminum itself.

NON-STICK COOKWARE

This is found in every household nowadays these are with non-stick coatings. The non-stick coating industry started out with Teflon in 1946 but has since grown to include many other coatings including Silverstone, Tefal, Anolon, Circulon, Caphalon, and others. Do not use them when the top layer damaged, as the toxic chemical will leach in the food.

COPPER COOKWARE

Copper has many good qualities but when cooking directly on a copper surface due to the potential (however slight) risk of copper toxicity. Even though it is also metal on the ATSDR priority toxin list just like aluminum, copper is an essential mineral that is currently deficient in many U.S. diets. It is an essential nutrient status makes. Adults need approximately 900 micrograms of copper per day, according to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the National Academy of Sciences. While you’re very unlikely to get that amount of copper migration from your cookware into your food (even under highly acidic conditions that increase leaching), they prefer to avoid all possible risks.  Using copper for drinking water is fine, but do not leave water for a longer time.

Is Cooking Healthy Food at Home Difficult?

Is Cooking Healthy Food at Home Difficult?

It is not at all difficult to cook good food at home and eat healthy.

  • To start with making your kitchen a fun place to spend time and cook what you like.
  • Don’t wait until you are hungry. Cook when you have some time before you are hungry.
  • Put some nice music, have fun.

Just to tell you, I never cooked most of my life, started really cooking after I got married. The good thing was my husband knew cooking, so it was helpful, and I learned it quickly. At present, I cook different cuisines but prepare Indian meals daily, if not all three meals per day at least once for sure. I just love as I have so many different choices and every meal is different.

What is the benefit of eating a home-cooked meal?

There are many benefits to it. Eating homemade food. Saves money, it’s clean, you tend to eat healthy, eat together, and you know what you are putting in it. You can cook simple meals which are healthy and what you like to eat. One should not get intimidated cooking; it’s just knowing your spices and putting in the right amount which is different with a different person. As I like fewer spices you might like spicy, so once you make 2-3 times you know the amount you like. Eating healthy is your choice.
Minimum Spices you need in your kitchen to cook healthy food: 

There are many spices but for simple few are needed. Cumin, Mustard Seeds, Coriander, Turmeric, Red chili powder, Garam masala, Mango powder.

Cooking with Love:

I believe when the food is prepared with love and affection tastes better. I feel like it’s an art of blending color, flavor, Aroma.

Is it healthy? 

If you are vegetarian, vegan, eat gluten-free, Indian cuisine gives many choices. It is great delicious, nutritious, mainly plant-based, tangy, sweet, healthy and aromatic. It is greatly influenced by the region. It can be simple or can be complicated. But It is very balanced with proper amounts of carb, fat, fiber and proteins. Each meal of the day is different and delicious. Some food deep-fried which not so healthy but once in while nice to enjoy it. 

Turmeric Amazing Indian Spice!

Turmeric Amazing Indian Spice!

THE GOLDEN SPICE:

Turmeric is the “GOLD” spice in Indian cooking. It’s an amazing spice used in India for thousands of years. Growing up, I have seen my granny, my mom using Turmeric. When I got hurt or had cold and cough or just being used in daily cooking. 

USES:

Turmeric gives curry its yellow color. It has been utilized in India as a spice and medicinal herb. We Indians use it very liberally in our cooking as it is one of the common ingredients in our cooking.   It does possess many medicinal properties. The root of turmeric is used in making medicine as it contains a yellowish-colored chemical called curcumin, which is often used to color foods and cosmetics.

When I was in south India, where girls and women used it on the skin for bright and shiny look also as medicinal purposes to acquire rid of acne and scars from face. At home growing up, my mom gave Haldi (Turmeric) milk in the night for good rest.

MEDICAL USE:

Curcumin and other chemicals in turmeric might decrease swelling (inflammation). It bears so many health benefits; it helps in aiding curcumin may aid longevity. Because of this, turmeric might be beneficial for treating conditions that involve inflammation. It supports detoxification of the liver, assists digestion. It helps to purify blood and curcumin which supports healthy inflammatory response. It also elevates the health of the lungs, circulation and nervous system. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, it Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain Diseases. Lowering risk of heart disease, it also helps to prevent cancer, Arthritis, Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease, helps in Depression and Delay Aging and Fight Age-Related Chronic Diseases. It also is used as antiseptic. (Good read, If you want to know more)