The Art, Science and Engineering of Cooking

- Ekanjaratraf-Harshalpuskarna

- Cooking is not only a traditional art, but also chemical engineering and physics, whose successful (or unsuccessful) experiments take place in the laboratory called Kitchen!

- Today on the occasion of National Cooking Day, know how fissos turn 'raw materials' into a perfect dish.

- Art, Science and Engineering all working together, at the same place and at the same time cannot be said to be such an achievement.

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, when the disguised Arjuna laid down his weapons, Sri Krishna taught his beloved Partha about dharma-karma, three words are mentioned: sattvik, rajasik and tamasik.

The essence of the three is Anishuddha (mild), Aahyakamksha (fierce) and Pramadi (dry) respectively. According to Srikrishna, man mainly has one of the three basic natures. It is true that one's nature, thoughts, speech and behavior are like that, but Shri Krishna also classified food into three categories namely sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. A clearer explanation of this classification is found in Hatha Yoga, according to which rice, barley, wheat, fruits and vegetables, milk, ghee, almonds etc. are sattvic food. Excessively pungent, oily, highly salty and acrid dishes are considered rajasic, while meat and fish, alcohol and stale food harmful to the body are called tamasic. As is the nature of its diet—or it can also be said that it is the nature of food. Finally, belch like food!

If you check references like Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga or even Rigveda (187th hymn), you will realize that we Indians have known for thousands of years about different types of food, their special taste and their effects on body and mind. On the basis of this knowledge, the art called Pakshastra flourished. It was passed on as a tradition from generation to generation. Improvements were made over time, as a result of which today we get to enjoy thousands of types of dishes and desserts.

Cooking in India has always been viewed as an art—and that view is not wrong. Because mixing vegetables, pulses, grains, oil-ghee, spices etc. raw materials i.e. raw materials in the right way, in the right amount and at the right time is an art. Ultimately it is the art that creates the feeling of 'passing' or 'bypassing' the dish. However, the act of cooking is not just an art. Rather, it has two more aspects: science and engineering. In this view the home kitchen is really a laboratory, where every day in one form or another 'Eureka!' happening. Many examples can be given to prove this point, but in view of space constraints, let us work with an example of Dal Tadaka. The 3D aspects of cooking are well understood.

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Before making dal tadka, its raw material has to be prepared. If onions and garlic are not considered taboo, they can be used for gravy. Work with these two substances and then realize that chemistry science has been unwittingly overcome. Thus—

To cut an onion, run a knife through it, breaking the basic structure of cells in each layer. Nature has endowed many organisms and plants with biological and/or chemical defense systems of self-defense to ward off a surprise attack by an alien predator. An organism or plant can protect itself against predators by using this system. Nature's 'Always be safe!' It is a blessing that nature has provided enzymes (ferments) and sulphurous amino acids in two separate compartments of each of its cells. As soon as the tip of the paddle turns on the cell, both the pits open, the amino acids meet with the enzymes, and the sulfurous gas produced by the chemical process begins to move upward. As soon as this gas mixes with boiled water on the outer surface of the eyeball, the gaseous form is converted into liquid sulfuric acid. the result? Hearing from the eyes started!

Our ancestors may not have known the science of enzymes (ferments) and chemical reactions of sulfur-containing amino acids. However, he has found a scientific method to avoid eye irritation when cutting onions: hold the onion upside down in a container full of water and perform a surgical operation on it! By doing this, the sulphurous gas gets mixed in the water quickly, so there is no question of it flying and reaching the eyes.

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The next step in making dal tadka is to work with garlic. Nature has given defense mechanism to garlic like onion. Hence, when tissue cells are damaged, they release a strong-smelling sulfur-containing protein. Raw garlic should never be consumed in food as the protein called allicin is quick to irritate and irritate the tongue. Garlic has to be chopped, mashed or cooked into a paste to make it edible. Can you believe that the final result of all three forms has a different taste?

Crushing the garlic with a spatula results in a slight release of allison as relatively few cells are damaged. When such garlic is roasted at 110-120 degrees Celsius, under the chemical process called Maillard reaction, its starch is converted into sugars and the taste is slightly sweet. Crushing garlic cloves forcefully releases allicin, which is why the taste is pungent. Crushed garlic in a mixer not only turns ore quickly due to the excessive amount of allicin in it, but also releases a highly bitter substance called acrylamide. However, as long as its thick paste is cooked on the stove, the effects of allicin and acrylamide are gradually eliminated and the original taste of garlic is added to the dish and it becomes spicy. This is why garlic paste is used liberally in the preparation of items like Paanubaji.

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Apart from onion-garlic, tomatoes, chillies, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, asafoetida etc. are considered as the raw material for the construction of dal tadka. A 'scientist' working in a kitchen laboratory now assumes the role of an engineer, just as an engineer working on a construction site prepares concrete by mixing precise quantities of sand, gravel, water and cement. The first step is to heat the oil to fry the spicy raw material in a pan placed on the stove. Here, apart from chemistry, physics also plays its invisible role in the form of heat.

Asafoetida, chillies, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, ajmo, cinnamon etc. have a specific flavor-sadum, which is attributed to the specific chemical bond of the molecules in them. These molecules are very well absorbed into the fat. The condition is that the fatty substance should be heated to a good degree. Cooking oil is a type of fat. In terms of physics, the oil should be heated to around 130 degrees Celsius during frying, because at that temperature the bonds of the flavor-sodium molecules in the spice break and the fat in the oil dissolves rapidly. An example is worth quoting to understand what speed is like.

Assume dried red chillies are soaked in water. Capsaicin, the substance that gives chili peppers their spiciness, then slowly dissolves in the water. The action is very slow, so it takes a lot of time. On the other hand, fry dried red chilies in oil as hot as 100-700 degrees Celsius, and in just twenty minutes, their capsaicin dissolves in the fat of the oil. Time saving, of course, plus the added bonus of having slightly more than twice the amount of capsaicin in hot oil than in water! This is the reason why Vaghar should always be done in oil instead of water. saw? Here too came chemical engineering.

Of course, it also brings with it the invisible asterisk of conditions applying. It means that no matter what the oil for the vaghar does not work. Refined oil should be used. Use ghee then the best! As mentioned earlier, fat (oil or ghee) should be heated to 130 degrees Celsius for Vaghar. The flavor of the masala gets absorbed nicely right away. Refined oils and ghee have a high smoke point, so heating them does not destroy the basic flavor molecules. On the other hand, raw oils such as olive oil have a very low smoke point, so use them in cooking as the oil's flavor-sodium is destroyed under heat of 130 degrees. It is for this reason that oils such as olive oil are eaten raw, drizzled on top of dishes such as Mexican salads. If you want to use it in vaghar, the temperature of the pan has to be kept very low—and if the temperature is low, the flavor of the spices in the oil will not bloom, and the taste of the dish will be so, so instead of 100%.

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How much has our dal sun reached now? Chopped onion-tomato, ginger-garlic paste and a mixture of various spices have been added to hot refined oil. A spiced oil gravy made the fikki dal a firm, fun one after adding Tuwer's boiled dal to it. But the final touch of taste, aroma and beauty is yet to be done: top coat or sun!

The job of the first toss was to prepare the base of flavor for the dal, while the topping on top adds a few more 'bricks' of flavor-sodam to that base. Earlier the oil was heated to 130 degrees Celsius, but for tanning the oil should be given a temperature of 150-160 degrees Celsius. Cilantro means the taste-causing molecules of powdered spices are destroyed in such heat, so whole spices (not coriander, but cumin. Not red chilli powder, but whole red chillies) are used for tadka. Garlic should be in the form of fine pieces rather than a paste, so that its starch can be easily converted into sugars. Another benefit is that the pieces fried at a higher temperature become slightly crispier! The finishing touch of takka with hot oil (or ghee) reaches new heights of flavor-sadness as it meets the dal.

The short summary of the whole discussion is that cooking is an art in terms of how much, when, how and for how long to combine what ingredients. Chemistry and physics play their role in melting the chemical bonds of raw materials with water, oil and temperature. Engineering is also about making various modifications on the raw material to transform it into a tasty dish. The housewives of India know how to do the 3D combination of these three with ease. It is said to be a great achievement. Who else can combine art, science and engineering together, in one place and at the same time? Think, Thakur!■