COOKING
METHODS
By 1
Oturen Moses
DCN2205
Mbale college of health sciences
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson the learner should be able to:
1. Point out the cooking objectives
2. Understand the benefit/importance of cooking food
3. Name different cooking methods and techniques
4. Demonstrate practical skills of dietetic cookery
5. Evaluate cultural competence in cooking
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 2
INTRODUCTION
Uganda is a country full of diverse cultures,
religious and beliefs
The food consumed and method of cooking
varies from region to region and culture to
culture
It depends on climate, geographical areas
and cultural practices
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 3
COOKING OBJECTIVES
Cooking sterilizes food
Cooking softens the food
Introduce the variety
Increase food consumption
Increase availability of nutrients
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 4
BENEFITS OF COOKING
Increase palatability and digestibility
Cooking increases palatability as it imparts flavor and aroma
It also helps in blending of flavors and spices, which increase
its appeal and appearance.
Cooking helps in the digestibility of food by converting raw food
into simpler substances
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 5
BENEFITS OF COOKING
• Cooking destroy microorganism as the food is
subjected to heat. This makes the food safe for
consumption.
• Improve appearance
Destroy • Cooking makes the food more appetizing by improving
the appearance.
microorganis • Changes consistency
• Cooked food is softer and easily digestible. It makes
m chewing easier. Especially for children and elderly
• Ensure balanced diet
• Helps to combine various food groups which help the
person to get a balanced diet.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 6
METHODS OF COOKING
Dry heat
Moist heat
Combination
method
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 7
COOKING METHODS
Moist heat Dry heat Combination
• Boiling • Roasting • Braising
• Stewing • Grilling • Micro wave cooking
• Steaming • Toasting • Solar cooking
• Pressure cooking • Baking
• Poaching • Frying
• Blanching • Sauting
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 8
MOIST HEAT
Boiling method
Rice, deal, roots and
Cooking food in This method helps
tubers and
water at a the food become
vegetables like
temperature a 100 tender and easily
beans cooked by
cc is called boiling digestible.
this method.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 9
BOILING METHOD
• Simple method
• Loss of water
and uniform
cooking is soluble
achieved vitamins
Advanta • Vegetables
ge • Easily digestible Disadvantages
• Not require any when boiled
lose their
special skill and color
utensil
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 10
MOIST HEAT
Stewing
The food that
A slow
is to be
method of Potatoes,
stewed is Its cooked in
cooking in legumes and
covered with low heat for
pan with a meat are
just enough longer period
tight fitting cooked by
water to of time
lid is called this method
restain the
stewing
flavor.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 11
STEWING
Advantages Disadvantages
• Gives a distinct
test and flavor to
the food Slow method
Needs Increased
constant consumptio
• Vitamins are of cooking attention n of fuel
retained as it is
cooked in less
amount of water
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 12
MOIST HEAT
• It’s a healthy method of
cooking , as food is
cooked in steam
generated by boiling
water
• The food to be steamed
steaming is placed in special
utensil and it does not
come in direct contact
with heat or water
• Idlis, idiyappam (rice
noodles) and vegetables
are cooked by steaming
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 13
STEAMING
Advantage
s
Food is soft, light and
Disadvantag
fluffy and hence easy to
digest es
Healthy method of
• All foods cant be
cooking as no oil is used
cooked by this
No loss of nutrients
method
• Special utensils
Its ideal for children and
elderly
are required
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 14
MOIST HEAT
Pressure cooking
It is a method
where steam In most developed Rice, daal,roots
In this method,
underpreasure is countries like and tubers usually
the temperature
used to cook the India this method cooked by this
of boiling water is
food thoroughly in is extensively method
raised above 100c
shorted span of used
time
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 15
PRESSURE COOKING
Advantages Disadvantage
• Fuel and time are
saved Safety
• Faster method of methods, use
Special utensils and care of
cooking are required. pressure
• No loss of nutrients cooker should
• No loss of flavor be known.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 16
MOIST HEAT
Poaching
• Cooking in low heat and minimum amount
of liquid is called poaching
• Healthy method of cooking where
temperature is maintained below 100c
• Eggs, fish and poultry are cooked by this
method
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 17
POACHING
Advantage • Food can easily
s be burnt if
constant
• No oil is added Disadvantag
attention is not
given
and hence it is
es
• Less appealing
healthy in taste as the
food is bland
• Easily
digestible
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 18
MOIST HEAT
Blanching
• It is a method used for pealing skin of vegetables and
fruits
• Vegetables like tomatoes are placed in boiling water
for 2-3 minutes till the skin crakes
• Its then removed from the water and the skin is
easily peeled
• Used for preparing tomato puree for side dished or
soups
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 19
BLANCHING
Advantages
• Helps to
Disadvantag
increase es
• Nutrient loss if
digestibility the is discarded
• Texture of the
vegetables is
maintained
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 20
DRY HEAT
Roasting
• The food is roasted in an open pan
without adding any oil
• Ground nuts and spices are generally
roasted for bring out the flavor in
them and to grind it into a powder
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 21
ROASTING
Advantages
Disadvantag
• Increase the flavor,
es
• Food can be
and spices when
roasted and easily scorched if
powdered and give not roasted
aroma to food evenly
• Quick and healthy • Need constant
method attention
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 22
GRILLING
Grilling
It is a healthy
method of Barbequing,
In this method, Meat, chicken, which is popular
cooking and good the food to be
alternative vegetables and cooking method
cooked is placed corn are cooked in the west
method without on or between
adding much oil by this method. during summer,
red hot surfaces is form of grilling
or butter
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 23
GRILLING
Advantages Disadvantag
es
• Healthy method
• Little use of oil
• Enhance flavor Requires
• Improve texture constant
and taste attention
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 24
TOASTING
It can also be done
on an open nonstick
In this, food is kept pan where it is
between two heated toasted first on one
elements to roast side and then on
evenly on both side other side
Example is bread
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 25
TOASTING
• Quick Disadvantag
method es
Advantag
• Enhance • Requires
es flavor constant
• Enhance
attention
texture
• Food can be
easily burnt.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 26
DRY HEAT
Baking
• Food is cooked in an oven by applying dry
heat
• The temperature can be varied from 120-
450c
• The food usually cooked by this method
are cakes biscuits meat and bread
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 27
DRY HEAT
Advantages Disadvantag
• Food is light and
es
• Special
fluffy
• Little use of oil not equipment
very greasy required.
• Unique flavor, • Special skills are
texture and aroma necessary to use
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses
this method. 04/10/2025 28
SAUTÉING
This is cooking technique that involves cooking food quickly in small
amounts of fat over high heat
This method is primarily used for vegetables and small pieces of meat,
allowing them cook evenly while developing flavor through browning
The word sautés” is a French word meaning to jump which reflects the way
food is tossed in the pan, preheating it adequately , avoiding over crowding
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 29
SAUTÉING
Advantag
es
Disadvanta
Simple
method of ge
cooking • Requires
constant
Little use
of oil
attention
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 30
DRY HEAT COOKING
frying
• There are two methods
• Shallow frying :-food is to be cooked is fried in
larger amounts of oil compared to sautéing but
less than deep frying
• Ex. – cutlets , parathas etc.
• Deep frying :- food to be cooked is immersed in hot
oil.
• Ex. Samosa,pakodas,chips, etc.
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 31
FRYING
Advantages Disadvantages
• Quick method • Too much oil is
absorbed
• Enhance flavor
• Unhealthy
• Enhance texture • Repeated use of
• Enhance the same oil poses
appearance a health hazards
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 32
COMBINATION COOKING
braising
Example.
This is combination pulao are cooked by
method of roasting this methods where Upma is also a dish
and stewing in a pan spices are added to where both roasting
covered coverd with a the rice and allowed and boiling are done
tight fitting lid. boil and simmer in low
heat
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 33
COMBINATION COOKING
Microwave cooking
In this method ,
Microwave are food is cooked in Only these
electromagnetic Food should be
microwave oven kept in containers materials are
waves with a that uses microwave safe as
wavelength in the usually made of
electromagnetic special plastic, they do not
range of 0.001- wave to cooker absorb the EM
0.3m glass or ceramic
heat food quickly. waves
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 34
MICROWAVE COOKING
Advantages Disadvantag
• Quick method es
• Special utensils
• Short cooking
are required
time • Food does not
• Wastage is get cooked
minimized evenly
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 35
COMBINATION COOKING
Solar cooking
• Its very simple technique that makes use of sunlight or solar
energy
• Solar cooker is consist of well insulated box, which is painted
black on inside and outside covered with one or more
transparent covers
• The purpose of transparent covers is to trap heat inside the
solar cooker
• These covers allow the radiation from sun to come inside box,
but do not allow the heat to come out of the box
• Because of this temperature up to 140 degrees Celsius can be
obtained which is adequate for cooking
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 36
SOLAR COOKING
• Simple technique Disadvantages
• Cost effective
• Original flavors of • Solar cooker is
food is retained required
Advantag • No danger of burning
es • Saves fuel • Slow cooking
• No require constant
attention
• Not used in absence
• More items can be of sun light, in rainy
cooked at one time season, late evening
and night
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 37
THANK YOU
Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian & Medical Educator Oturen Moses 04/10/2025 38
