yummy!!!: COOKING TERMS

Glossary For Cooking Terms

These are the cooking terms that you might see in recipes...I am sharing some of the things i have learned about cooking terms that sometimes can be confusing for beginners. Hence i have come up with this post which briefly explains some very commonly used cooking terms.
All the images are downloaded from the net...Keep checking as i will be adding terms as they come to my attention......

Baking-

Cooking food by dry heat in an oven. Baking is used to bake cakes, biscuits,breads, pastries, pie tarts, you can even roast a chicken in a oven..

Barbecure-

To roast either whole or cut pieces on any meat on direct heat on a spit or rack. Fish or any vegetable can also be barbecued.

Basting -

Pouring spoonful or brushing it with melted fat , sauce or fruit juice over the surface of food being baked or roasting.

Batter -

Mixing of flour, gram flour,cornflour,with water, milk or any other liquid into a thin consistency. eg- Pancake batter, idli batter etc...

Beating -

An up & down motion with a fork or rotary beater to mix the food thoroughly & to introduce air. e.g- Beat the eggs till well blended or beat the cake mixture till light & fluffy..

Binding :

Adding egg, cream or melted fat to a dry mixture to hold it together.

Bite size :

Small pieces of food that can be eaten in one bite...

Blanching :

Removing the outer skin by plunging in hot water then in cold water. eg- Blanching of almonds or tomatoes. Blanching is also a good techinque for vegetables used for salads , so that they are softened just enough so that you can eat them raw like palak , carrot, broccoli etc...

Blending :

Mixing of two or more ingredients either by hand with a spoon or with an electric mixer or a blender in to a smooth paste..

Boiling :

Cooking in hot liquid @ a temperature of 100 degrees C when liquid is bubbling.

Boning :

Removing bones from the meat, poultry or fish.

Bread :

To coat the food with crumbs (usually with soft or dry bread crumbs) sometimes seasoned on meat, fish, or vegetables.

Browning :

Cooking the outer surface of meat to seal in the juices & to give the meat a brown color.

Brushing :

Applying an even coating of milk, egg or butter on the surface of food to get a shiny top.

Caramelize :

To cook sugar till it turns golden color.

Chilling : Cooling food without freezing in the refrigerator.

Chop :

To cut food into small pieces with a knife or blender.

Coat :

To sprinkle food with or dip it into flour etc.. Until completely covered .

Colander :

Perforated metal or plastic basket used for draining liquid from food after washing or cooking.

Combine :

To mix ingredients eg- Combine the flour with butter & salt.

Creaming :

Mixing two or more ingredients with a wooden spoon or mixer to make them soft & creamy. eg- Beat the butter & sugar till creamy.

Cube :

To cut food into small squares.

Crush :

Crushing food using a mortar & pestle or a rolling pin .

Dice :

To cut vegetables into small pieces.

Dot :

To place small blobs of fat over, within or round the food being prepared in order to evenly distribute particles that are to be melted, absorbed or added to enhance the flavor.

Dough :

A mixture of flour, water or milk which is firm enough to knead & form into shapes. eg- Pizza dough, chapati dough.

Drain :

To remove liquid from solid food : After cooking the meat drain off the excess fat or draining the water from the boiled pasta.

Dress :

(a) To arrange or garnish food. (b) To pluck & truss a chicken or

Poultry.

Dressing :

A sauce used for pouring on salad that usually has a vinegar & oil base with a addition of herbs & spices before serving..

Dusting :

Sprinkling lightly with salt, pepper,flour,sugar or spices. e.g- A cake may be dusted with powdered sugar or spices as a final decoration. Dust can also refer to the process of dusting a pan with flour in the preparation for baking.

Fillet :

Long thin boneless piece of meat or fish. Flesh of fish which has been cut or sliced away from the bone by cutting lengthwise along one side of the fish parallel to the bask bone.

Flake :

Separate food gently with a fork (like flaking fish or meat from the bones)

Folding in :

Mixing one ingredient into another normally with a spatula.

Frying :

Cooking food in a little fat in an open pan is called shallow frying. Deep frying is cooking by immersion in a deep pan of hot fat.

Garnish :

Decorating a dish with something edible that adds color & flavor.

Grate :

To rub against a grater to get this shreds.

Gravy :

The liquid that is left after cooking food...

Grilling :

Cooking directly on a open flame generally on high heat.

julienne :

Vegetables cut into thin match like strips.

Kadai :

A heavy pan for deep frying ..Now a days steel aluminium or non-stick are available.

Knead :

To work dough with hands, pressing, stretching & folding until it is smooth.To knead bread & chapati.

Marinate :

To coat or soak food with certain spices or sauces for a period of time. This helps infuse flavors or to tenderize the meat or chicken. The mixing of spices or sauces is called marinate.

Melt :

To heat & liquefy.

Mince :

To chop food very finely eg - for keema.

Pinch of :

A pinch is an amount that can taken between the thumb & forefinger .

eg : A pinch of salt....

Panch Phoran :

A mixture of nigella, mustard, cumin,methi & fennel used in Bengali cooking

Pandan Leaves :

Pandan leaves is an herb known as fragrant plant because of it's unique sweet aroma. It's leaves are used for cooking up many thai & many south Indian dishes. Mostly is added to biriyani while cooking the rice.

Par- boiled rice :

Parboiled is also called converted rice that has been partially boiled in the husk. In India par-boiled rice is very popular in the southern states.It's preferred for making idlis as well as kanji for babies & elders. This rice is better in terms of nutrition than raw rice.

Pare :

To peel the outer covering .

Pinch : A amount you can hold between your thumb & forefinger.

Poach :

To cook egg by placing it shelled in boiling water or to cook food in a simmering liquid.

Puree :

To press food through a fine sieve or blend in a blender to make a smooth paste.

Pot Roast : Cooking large pieces of meat , fish or poultry slowly in a covered dish.

Pressure Cooker :

Is to drive out all the air, & thus have a very high temperature in which the food cooks,so that it is much faster. It is important to read the instructions of your pressure cooker before use.

Prove : To let a dough rise till double in volume, dough made with yeast.

Rest : To rest a dough for a certain period of time..A term mostly used for doughs

or batters.

Rinds of Lemons or

oranges :

It is only the outer colored portion of the skin of the fruit that is used . Generally used to add sets to a dish.

Roast :

To cook by dry heat in an oven or on an open flame.

Rub in :

Flour & fat are mixed together by rubbing with the finger tips to resemble fine bread crumbs.

Saute :

To fry food rapidly in hot fat & tossing & turning often.

Sear :

To brown the surface of food quickly over high heat.

Scald : Means (a) cooking in a liquid, just below boiling point. This temperature is indicated when tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan. (b) Dipping food in boiling water...

Season :

To add whole spices into hot fat so the fat is soaked with the flavor of the spices. An important step in Indian cooking.

Seasonings :

Herbs & condiments used to improve the taste & appearance of food.

Sift :

To pass through a sieve .

Simmering :

To cook gently over low heat .

Skewer :

Long metal or wooden thick pins used to pierce meat or fish for keeping them in place during roasting.

Skillet :

A heavy shallow frying pan with slightly raised sides.

Steaming :

Cooking in a double boiler or in a basin standing in ( but not covered by ) boiling water.

Steeping :

To allow dry ingredients such as coffee, tea or spices to soak in a liquid until the liquid takes on the flavor of the dry ingredient. Also soaking in liquid to remove an ingredient e.g, salt from dried fish.

Stirring :