5 Hacks You Never Knew To Make Fried Food Healthier
Fried food is the best comfort food for many people. Whether it is fried chicken, fried cheese sticks, or French fries everyone has at least one fried food that is on their list of the guilty pleasure.
The fact is, frying food, makes it taste delicious, but it has a strong potential of decreasing the nutritional value of the food if it’s not cooked correctly.
If you are seeking to eat more healthily, without giving up fried food, then make sure you follow these hacks.
Make Use Of Olive Oil
The best kind of oil that you can use for making fried food is olive oil. There are many health benefits of olive oil, so it’s a good option as compared to its other competitors. Olive oil is steadier at high temperatures as compared to sunflower oil, soybean oil, and corn oil, meaning that it can be used longer than other frying oils because it maintains its nutrition and quality. The best olive oils that you should use are virgin or extra virgin olive oil.
Remember To Keep Your Oil Clean
You must keep the frying oil nice and clean. If you let the oil get old and collect remains, the oil will start to burn and your food will also taste burnt.
Making use of old oil means that there is no nutrition left in it, so don’t be a miser and change your oil as soon as you start seeing the remains of other cooked food in it. If you want to preserve the old oil and make more use of it then it’s best that you remove the remains from the oil and use it again, but it’s a good idea to change the oil after every three to four days.
Make Your Batter Better
Having a perfect batter for your food is quite important for having a better-tasting meal, but the question is how the batter will determine whether your fried food is going to be a greasy mess or a healthy treat.
Many people make use of all-purpose flour for their batter. All-purpose flour is a good option as it contains gluten that helps it stick to the food well, however, it can absorb a lot of oil.
So instead of using all-purpose flour, try using gluten-free ingredients, such as rice flour or cornmeal in your batter.
Make Use Of Baking Soda Or Carbonated Liquid
Another famous way for improving the quality of fried battered foods is to make use of baking soda or carbonated liquid in the batter. How it helps your food in cooking is that it releases gas bubbles while cooking so the food doesn’t absorb a lot of oil.
Maintain The Oil Temperature
One thing where many people make mistakes while preparing a healthy fried dish is they don’t maintain the temperature of the oil. The perfect temperature for fry food oil is somewhere between 350°F – 400°F.
If the frying oil is not hot enough, your food won’t cook as fast as it should, it will take more time and hence it will absorb more oil. If you keep cooking it too hot, it will cause the oil to burn and create smoke, which will make your food taste horrible and it is also a huge safety risk.
Some other basic tips to keep in mind is that make use of the best air fryer rather than making use of a wok or pan. This will decrease the safety risks, plus it will be easier for you to maintain the temperature and condition of the oil. Remember you don’t need to forget to eat fried foods to eat healthily, all you need to know is how to make it right!
Source by Anum Sharf
