Chefs and cooking wizards may know how different kinds of utensils, with their varying shapes and sizes, play a vital role in preparing the perfect dish. As it is said, cooking is an art form, and just like any painter who needs different types of brushes to create a masterpiece, a chef requires different shapes and sizes of cooking pans to make the perfect dish. If you tend to cook in a deeper utensil, it may completely change the taste of the food as compared to cooking in a shallow pan. If you haven't heard this fact already, worry not, as we tell you everything about it. Here are some pointers about deep and shallow pot cooking that would want you to consider cooking in the right utensils.
Deep Pot or Shallow Pan Cooking: What Difference Does it Make?
According to the book, Diet & Nutrition, A Holistic Approach by Rudolph Ballentine, the metal of which a utensil is made is not only an important variable. The shape of a pot or pan is also a consideration and has a great deal to do with the way food cooks. Deeper pots tend to hold moisture inside and keep much of the cooking food submerged. Foods cooking in the center of a huge vessel undergo a more constant temperature and somewhat increased pressure, which further help keep the food moist. In a shallow utensil, since the food is exposed to air and evaporation, moisture is lost more easily than in deeper pots and food may cook drier.
As per Chef Gurpreet Singh form Punjab Grill, "it completely depends on what you are cooking and which process you use. For sauteing and pan grill, we always use shallow pans, whereas on the other hand, braising and stewing are done in deeper pots as juices are retained in the cooking pot to make the dish more flavourful."
Deep Pot CookingIn deep pot cooking, the high edges of the deep pot allow heat to spread across evenly rather than just from the bottom. Methods like braising, stewing, broasting, boiling and steaming are used in deep cooking. Chefs use deep pots majorly for liquids, such as making soups or boiling water for pasta or noodles. If sauteing is attempted in a deep pot, the high sides prevent moisture from escaping and the food tends to cook 'wet'. Large quantities of food are generally prepared in deep dishes or utensils, which results in different taste and flavour as compared to those produced when a small amount is made. In most Indian households you will see people using huge Dekchis, Bhagonas or huge clay pots to cook meat that needs a longer period of cooking at low temperature. Stews, chicken broth, biryanis among others make great dishes to cook in deep pots.
Shallow Pot Cooking In shallow pan cooking, the wide base and shallow sides of the pan allows the food to cook evenly and quickly. Pans are majorly used for frying and baking foods. Foods like pancakes, chapattis and omelet among others are well prepared in shallow pans. Shallow pans are also used for roasting small cuts of meat. Shallow cooking includes foods like Paneer Tikkas, Chicken Tawa Fry, Tawa Fish Fry, Aloo Tikki and so much more. If you believe more in less oil and shallow frying, then shallow cooking pans are the best for you. Also, vegetables that have some amount of water content naturally can be cooked in shallow pans as they do not need extra moisture.
In shallow pan cooking, the wide base and shallow sides of the pan allows the food to cook evenly and quicklyIt is imperative to understand that pots and pans are important tools in cooking, however, the difference lies in what is being cooked and the process used in cooking. So now that you know the consequences of cooking the wrong dish in a deep or shallow pot or pan, you may want to consider picking up just the right utensil to make the perfect dish.