Role of Deep Fryer for Making Healthy Dishes Frying makes food so tasty that it’s hard to resist. The guilt most people have while eating fried food is that it’s too oily, which is not good for health and leads to weight gain. If you understand the scientific aspect of frying and how deep fryer is designed to use that science perfectly, you will never be concerned again and will be convinced that the dishes are actually healthy.
Science Behind Frying Placing any food in hot liquid fat (oil, butter or ghee) is frying, whether you use a spoon of it as in sauteing or a little more as in shallow-frying or dip the food completely in liquid fat as in deep frying. The method of heat transfer in all these three remains the same. When food added to hot liquid fat, which is usually at 350°- 375°F, the surface of food dehydrates, and the sugars and proteins present in it start to break down through a series of reactions to create a golden-brown colour and good flavour. Browning happens quickly as the hot liquid fat delivers heat to all the crevices on a food’s surface. When the surface of the food dehydrates, a crust gets formed on it that inhibits any further absorption of fat. Thus, whether you deep fry, shallow fry or saute food, the initial process is the same. How a Deep Fryer Helps? Now that you have an idea of frying, here’s how a deep fryer helps:
●
The right oil temperature is the key to perfect frying. If you fry at low temperature, the crust forms slowly and the food absorbs too much oil, thereby making it too greasy and unhealthy. If you put food in hot oil, the surface burns before the food
traps the heat to cook through. It requires expertise and attentiveness to maintain this right oil temperature conventional frying. Both over and under cooking affect the taste of your food. The deep fryer has automatic temperature control to keep the oil at the right temperature and thus the food you fry develops the crust without absorbing too much oil.
●
The water content present in the food generally repels the oil. When you are deep frying, the water present in the food items also boil and the steam thus formed cooks the food from the inside out. If the oil is at the right temperature and you don’t keep the food immersed in it for too long, the oil doesn’t enter the food. It’s only when the water steams out that the oil penetrates the food. The deep fryer is designed in such a manner that food gets fried quickly and at the right oil temperature, thereby making it healthy.
●
If you fry the foods with their natural skin on, it helps in keeping the inside tender, moist and steamed, a process similar to searing without letting any oil seep in.
Frying is the best way to get golden crisp food that is tender and moist on the inside. It is a tricky process in terms of getting the right oil temperature, but by using cooking appliances like a deep fryer, even a novice can get it done perfectly.