Is it safe to reuse cooking oil

There is a lot written in the media about not to save the oil or ghee that has been used for frying for re-use. As it is, frying once changes the composition of the fat/oil so it seems that twice used fat must be horrible. There is an even greater health risk when you cook with pre-cooked oil/ghee.

Actually, reusing cooking oil has been done for ages. There isn’t really is any problem, if done properly. The greatest hazard is allowing the oil or ghee to become spoiled to the point that it produces undesirable flavours and odours. When oil becomes spoiled, it appears dark and thick. Besides ruining what would have been a perfectly good meal, spoilt oils also contain free radicals that are potentially carcinogenic.

To understand how to best re-use oil, it is important to know about smoke points – the temperatures at which oil begins to decompose. If you heat oil to a temperature that is too high, it produces smoke fumes. Acreolin, a substance that makes your eyes burn, is given off as well. To re-use oil safely, use these tips: strain it through a few layers of muslin cloth to catch any food particles. Be careful with hot oil, though, because you can easily get burned. Shake off excess batter from food before frying it. Turn off the heat after you are done cooking. Also exposing oil to prolonged heat accelerates rancidity. Do not ever mix different types of oil. Store all oils, fresh or used in a cool, dark place. Avoid iron kadais for frying oil that is to be reused. The metal also accelerates rancidity.

The optimal temperature to fry foods at is 190°C At higher temperatures, the food will burn on the outside and at lower temperatures, the food absorbs too much oil and tastes greasy. Different oils have different smoking points. Oils with higher smoking points are better for frying. For example, safflower, sunflower, soyabean. The more popular ones like groundnut oil have a lower smoking point. And olive oil has the lowest. This explains the reason why olive oil is never used for deep frying.

But olive oil, thanks to its goodness, adds more to Indian food! How about some daily recipes that can be cooked with olive oil….

Subzi aur tamatar ka pulao

Paneer keema

Batata nu shaak

Happy Cooking!

Sanjeev Kapoor.

Wonderchef event in Pune

Driving down to Pune today and it will be lovely drive as the rains have washed all the greenery clean to a sparkle!

The Wonderchef event begins at 9.30 am at S.M.Joshi Auditorium, Near Patrakar Bhavan, Ganjve Chowk , Navi Peth, Pune – 411 030. It’s all about healthy cooking using top of the line cookware and bakeware. You can look forward to chocolate cake, dosa, pan pizza and chicken dishes.

Healthy cooking is a real passion with me. I have not only answered numerous queries about how everyday cooking can be made simpler and healthier, but I have also enjoyed compiling recipe books on this topic. There are more on the anvil now and as time goes by, you will have access to newer techniques of simpler cooking.

That is my mantra, really. To make the process of cooking as simple as possible so that when one reads the recipe it motivates the reader to try it out….with confidence and with the feeling that “I can do it”. Every step brings one to success or failure. And success is only another definition of failing but forward every time. If you do not get a good result from the recipe the first time around, try again…and again…till you are satisfied.

I will give you the simplest of the recipes today and the weekend is the best time to try them out.

Steamed Dosa

Mixed Vegetables in Coconut Kadhi

Chocolate Yogurt

Till I write again

Sanjeev Kapoor

Yesterday was probably a day that I will remember for a long long time. The formal launch of The Yellow Chilli in Ahmedabad. It is likely that I underestimated the love for food that Amdavadis nurture! I was overwhelmed by the media’s enthusiasm in covering the Press Conference yesterday afternoon. I was impressed by the way my team had things working like clock work all through the day. I am sure there were many a tense moment behind the scenes, the creases smoothened out by Rajeev Matta (COO), Saurabh Saxena and Jahid Inamdar. Thanks all and kudos to you. I am sure there were around seventy media persons who addressed their queries and answering them took more than a couple of hours! A short rest period and then it was time for the evening party which was graced by eminent personalities of Ahmedabad. I had a chance to have extensive conversations with Mr Vimal Ambani, IG, DGP and Commissioner Police, Mr Chonas of Havmor, representatives from Zydus, and columnist Esther David.
The food? Well, we had the tables really spread out! Most of the menu items were presented and the sweet tooth of Ahmedabad was truly and magnificently pampered with Chocolate cake, Mango cake, Gulab-e- Gulkand, Fruit jelly, Badam Halwa.

As visions of such great desserts come before you, let me share some more desserts here.

Mango souffle, Chocolate Mousse, Very low fat brownies.

Off now for the live demonstrations at The Kitchen Show (I am in Bengaluru!)…

Sanjeev Kapoor.