UNDERSTANDING
VEGETABLES-NOTES
Vegetables have long been abused and
neglected, relegated to the minor roles of unimportant side dishes, to be taken
or left, or at times, not even noticed on the table. Today, however, the lowly
vegetables are beginning to be appreciated, not only for their nutritional
importance, but for the variety, flavor, eye appeal and even elegance and
sophistication they bring to the menu. Modern chefs owe it to themselves and
their customers to treat vegetables with understanding, imagination and respect
that they deserve. Because they are so perishable, vegetables require extra
care from receiving to service. Freshness
is their most appealing quality and one must be careful to it. The goal of good
vegetable cookery is to preserve and enhance their fresh flavor, texture and
color, to prepare and serve vegetables that are not just accepted but sought
after.
As a chef you will have the choice of a
multitude of vegetables and methods of cooking them. Cooking affects vegetables
in four ways:
1. Texture
2. Flavor
3. Color
4. Nutrients
How much these four characteristics
change determines if your final product is attractive and delicious to the
customer or if it will end up in the garbage bin? You can control these changes
if you know what causes them, and how they happen.
CONTROLING TEXTURE CHANGE
Changing the texture is one of the main
purposes of cooking vegetables.
FIBER:
The fiber structure of vegetables
(including cellulose and pectin) gives them shape and firmness. Cooking softens
some of these components. The amount of fiber varies
- In
different vegetables. Spinach (palak) and tomatoes have less fiber than French
beans and drumsticks.
- In
different examples of the same vegetables. Older carrots have more fibers than
the younger ones.
- In the
same vegetable. The florets of cauliflower have fewer fibers than the tough
stalk.
Fiber is made firmer by:
1. Acids. Lemon juice, vinegar and tomato,
when added to vegetables during cooking extend the cooking time.
2. Sugars. Sugar strengthens the cell
structure. You will understand this principle better in Fruit cookery.
Fiber is softened by:
1. Heat. In general, longer cooking means
softer vegetables.
2. Alkalis. Do not add alkalis such as baking soda while cooking vegetables
(especially the green ones, to retain their color). Not only does it destroy
vitamins, but also it makes the vegetables unpleasantly mushy.
STARCH:
Starch is another vegetable component
that affects texture.
1. Dry starchy food like dried beans, rice
and macaroni must be cooked in sufficient water so that the starch granules can
absorb moisture and soften. Dried beans are usually soaked in water before
cooking to replace lost moisture.
2. Moist starchy vegetables like potatoes
and sweet potatoes have enough moisture of their own, but they still must be
cooked until the starch granules soften.
DONENESS:
A vegetable is said to be done when it
has reached the desired degree of tenderness. This stage varies from vegetable
to vegetable. Some such as eggplant (urinal) and pumpkin (doodah/lauki) are
considered properly cooked when they are quite soft. Most vegetables, however,
are best cooked very briefly, until they are al dente (firm to the bite). At this stage of tenderness, they not
only have the most pleasing texture, but they retain the maximum taste, color
flavor and nutrients.
GUIDELINES FOR ACHIEVING PROPER DONENESS
IN VEGETABLES
1. Do not overcook.
2. Cook as close to the service time as
possible. Keeping them in a hot counter or bain-marie continues to cook them.
3. If vegetables must be cooked in advance,
slightly undercook them, cool rapidly in cold water, drain, and refrigerate,
then reheat at the service time.
4. For uniform doneness, cut into uniform
sizes before cooking.
5. Don’t mix batches of cooked vegetables.
They are likely to be cooked to slightly different doneness.
6. Vegetables with both tough and tender
parts need special treatment.
CONTROLLING COLOR CHANGES
Cooking produces flavor loss:
Many flavors are lost during cooking, by
dissolving in the cooking liquid and by evaporation. The longer a vegetable is
cooked the more flavors it loses. Flavor loss can be controlled in many ways:
a. Cook for as short a time as possible.
b. Use boiling salted water. Starting
vegetables in boiling water shortens the cooking time. The addition of salt
helps reduce flavor loss. The exception here are the starchy vegetables and
root vegetables which need to be started in cold water so that the starch
granules have time to soften.
c. Use only enough water to cover the
vegetables to minimize leaching.
d. Steam vegetables when appropriate.
e. Add a small amount of oil to the cooking
water. This will absorb some of the lost flavor and will cling to the
vegetables when drained.
With certain strong flavored vegetables,
it is desirable to lose some of their flavors to make them more appealing in
taste. These include onion, garlic, cabbage and turnips.
Cooking produces flavor change:
Cooked vegetables do not taste the same
as raw vegetables, because cooking produces certain chemical changes. As long
as the vegetable is not overcooked, these changes are desirable. It produces
the flavors one looks for in cooked vegetables.
Cooking and sweetness:
Young vegetables have a high sugar
content. Green peas and corn for example. As they mature or sit in storage, the
sugar gradually turns into starch.
1. Try to serve young fresh vegetables that
have been stored for as short a time a possible.
2. For older vegetables, add a small amount
of sugar to replace lost sweetness.
CONTROLLING COLOR CHANGES
It is important to preserve as much of
natural color as possible, when cooking vegetables. Customers may accept or
reject a vegetable only on the basis of its color! Visual quality is as
important as its flavor or nutritive value.
Pigments are compounds that give vegetables their
color. Different pigments react in different ways to heat and to other elements
that may be present during cooking.
WHITE VEGETABLES
White pigments are called FLAVONES,
are the primary coloring compounds in potatoes, onions, cauliflower and white
cabbage, and the white part of vegetables such as cucumber and eggplant
(brinjal). White pigments are enhanced in acids and turn yellow in alkaline
water. So add a drop or two of lemon juice while cooking cauliflower and
cabbage to brighten the whiteness. Cooking for a short time in a steamer helps
maintain color (and flavor and nutrients as well). Overcooking or holding for
service for too long a time turns white vegetables dull yellow or grey.
RED VEGETABLES
Red pigments, called ANTHOCYANINS are
found only in a few vegetables such as red cabbage, beetroot and the skin of
eggplant. This pigment also colors blueberries. Red pigments react very
strongly with acid and alkali mediums. Acid turns them brighter red and alkali
turns then blue or blue-green (not a very appetizing color). Beetroot and red
cabbage must therefore be cooked with a little vinegar to maintain the color.
Red pigments dissolve easily in water. This means:
- use short
cooking times
- use only
as much of water as is necessary
- cook
beetroots whole and unpeeled to protect the color
GREEN VEGETABLES
Green coloring, or CHLOROPHYLL is
present in all green plants. Green vegetables are very common in the kitchen,
so it is important to understand the special handling required by this
vegetable. Acids are enemies of green vegetables. Both acids and long cooking
turn green vegetables into a drab olive green color. Protect the brightness of
green vegetables by
- Cooking
uncovered to allow plant acid to escape.
- Cooking
for as short a time as possible.
- Cooking
in small batches
Do not use baking soda while cooking
green vegetables. Soda may retain the color for a short time but will destroy
the vitamins and makes the texture unpleasantly mushy. Use large amounts of
water here as this helps to dissolve the plant acids, but may lead to loss of
nutrients.
YELLOW & ORANGE VEGETABLES
Yellow and orange pigments are called CAROTENOIDS
and are found in carrots, tomatoes and red peppers (capsicums). These pigments
are very stable. They are little affected by acids, alkalis and overcooking.
Short cooking will help prevent dulling of the color and will preserve
nutrients and flavor.
CONTROLLING NUTRIENT LOSSES
Vegetables are an important part of our
diets because they supply a wide variety of essential nutrients. They are our
major sources of vitamins A & C and are rich in many other vitamins and
minerals. Unfortunately, many of these nutrients are easily lost. The following
factors are responsible for nutrient loss:
1. High temperature.
2. Long cooking.
3. Leaching (dissolving out).
4. Alkalis like baking soda and hard water.
5. Plant enzymes (active at warm
temperatures but destroyed by high heat).
6. Oxygen.
Some nutrient loss is inevitable. It is
impossible to avoid all the above conditions at the same time. Pressure-cooking
shortens the cooking time but the high heat destroys the nutrients. Braising
uses low heat, but the cooking time is slow. Cutting the vegetables into
smaller pieces decreases cooking time but encourages leaching by creating more
surface area exposed.
Tests have shown that no more nutrient
loss occurs when cooking in a lot of water. The best cooking methods,
nutritionally, are usually those that produce the most attractive, flavorful
products. They are more likely to be eaten. Discarded vegetables benefit no
one, no matter how nutritious they are. Factors that destroy nutrients are
often those that destroy color, flavor and texture.
GENERAL RULES OF VEGETABLE COOKERY
1. Do not over cook the vegetables.
2. Cook as close to the service time as
possible and in small quantities.
3. Undercook vegetables that need to be
cooked ahead of time.
4. Never use alkali (baking soda) with
green vegetables.
5. Cut vegetables evenly for uniform
cooking.
6. When boiling, start preferably with
boiling salted water.
7. Cook green and strong flavored
vegetables uncovered.
8. Do not cook different colored vegetables
together.
9. To preserve color, cook red and white
vegetables in an acid medium. Cook green vegetables and carotenoids in a
neutral medium.
10. Do not mix batches of cooked vegetables.
STORAGE
Fresh Vegetables:
1. Dry vegetables like potatoes and onions
are stored at cool temperatures (50-65°F/ 10-18°C) in a dry dark place.
2. Other vegetables must be refrigerated.
To prevent drying, they should be covered or wrapped, or the humidity in the
cooler should be high. Provide for some air circulation to prevent mold.
3. Peeled and cut vegetables need special
attention and protection from oxidation. Cover or wrap and use quickly to
prevent spoilage. Potatoes and eggplant and other vegetables that brown easily
should be treated with an acid or antioxidant. As an alternative, they may be
blanched to destroy the enzymes that cause browning.
4. Store all fresh vegetables for as short
a time as possible. They lose quality rapidly. Peas and corn lose their
sweetness and freshness even after just a few hours in storage.
Frozen Vegetables:
1. Store at 0°F (-18°C) or colder
2. Do not refreeze thawed vegetables.
Quality will be greatly reduced.
YIELD
OF SOME COMMON VEGETABLES
Most vegetables will require some sort
of pre-preparation before they are ready for cooking. These include peeling, de
seeding etc. Below is a rough guide to the yields to be expected.
VEGETABLE YIELD
Asparagus 55%
Beans (dried) 88%
Beans (French/runner/cluster) 88%
Beetroot 75%
Broccoli 75%
Brussels sprouts 80%
Cabbage (green/white/red) 80%
Carrots 80%
Cauliflower 55%
Celery 75%
Cucumber 90%
Eggplant (Brinjal) 90%
Garlic 70%
Leeks 50%
Lettuce 75%
Mushrooms 98%
Okra (lady fingers) 82%
Onions (dry) 88%
Onions (green/spring) 70%
Parsley 85%
Peas 40%
Peppers (capsicum: red/green) 82%
Potatoes 80%
Potatoes (Sweet) 80%
Radish (mooli) 90%
Spinach (and other greens) 50-75%
Tomatoes 95%
COLOR PIGMENT
CHART
Pigment Color Effect of Effect
of Overcooking Examples
Acid Alkali
_________________________________________________________________
FLAVONE
ANTHOCY-
ANIN
CAROTENOID
CHLOROPHYLL
Assignment: Visit the local market and
list the seasonal vegetables available.
Find out their local and English names
and the price/unit as well.
CHAPTER XII: Understanding vegetables (contd.) POTATO
For some strange reason, the potato is
considered to be a humble vegetable. In fact, almost like adding insult to
injury, there is also a comic connotation added to it. Take for example the
synonym `spud’. It immediately conjures up an image of a fat old idiot. Or the
term `couch potato’. Again the word is comically derogatory! And this. Whenever
the price of potato goes up, there is almost comic disbelief about it. `Can you
believe it, the potato too? They have raised the price of the potato as well!!’
Like as if the potato has no moral right to have its price increased!
But for all its comic insinuations, the
potato remains a popular and universal food. What is rather surprising, the
universal part that is, considering the fact that the tuber was unknown in
Europe until 1534. How the potato became so popular in Europe in an interesting
and unbelievable story.
The potato was originally grown in the
America’s, especially by the Incas. The adventurer Pizarro found the vegetable
in Peru, and like most things they found there, they carried it back to Spain
in 1534. Half a century laterEnglishman Walter Raleigh, made the same discovery
in what is now the state of Virginia in the USA and brought the potato to
England. He, by the way also introduced tobacco to the rest of Europe.
In case you are interested, the American
Indian word for the tuber is patata,
from which is derived the Spanish word batata.
So now you know where the Indian word comes from. The same word was corrupted
to potato in English.
By the end of the 16th
century, the potato was being grown in France, Germany, Russia and Italy. But
for long it was considered a food fit only for the poor and animals, especially
in France. But all that changed when Antoine Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813), a
military pharmacist and agro scientist `discovered’ the potato. His
contribution to popularizing the tuber is so great, that it is mistakenly believed
that he invented the potato! During a local war when he was taken prisoner,
Parmentier discovered the nutritional value of the vegetable, which was already
cultivated in France. The potato was used in the form of flour mixed with wheat
to make bread. But it was still considered indigestible and a food fore the
destitute; the French nobility never ate it!
encouraged Parmentier’s efforts. The
potato was on its way to stardom!
Louis XVI also wore the potato flower in
his buttonhole, as a result, other aristocracy followed suit. Several noblemen
planted potatoes on their estates. But, even this was not enough to win over
all the people of France. Hence the government devised a ruse to popularize the
tuber. The crops in Paris were guarded by the army during the daytime, making
it appear that the potato was a precious commodity. At night the crops were
left unguarded – as a deliberate invitation to thieves. The thieves came and
became unwitting propagandists of this new vegetable.
But any prejudice against the potato
vanished when during a banquet in honor of Benjamin Franklin in Paris;
Parmentier prepared a menu of just potatoes. This vastly raised the stock of
the vegetable! Parmentier encouraged the spread of potato throughout France, by
distributing booklets about its cultivation and use. He became so popular that
for a time, the potato was called parmentier
in his honor. He has also till this day several dishes named after him. Many
dishes having potato as the main ingredient is called parmentier e.g.: Potage
Parmentier
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