Have you been gorging on too much fried food lately? Do you often end up eating samosa, bonda or chips during your office breaks or tea-time? Then, it's time that you stop doing that or find better alternatives. No doubt, all these snacks are classics and immensely loved by people. But these food items can also take a toll on one's overall health. We have found a few hacks to make fried items healthier. However, we still suggest you to avoid consuming fried items on a regular basis, especially for those who are on a weight loss diet. Wondering how can one make fried food healthier? Read below.
Also Read: 5 Healthy Snack Options
Here're 5 Ways To Make Fried Food Healthier:
1. Replace Refined Oil With Olive Oil Or Ghee
Refined edible oils or vegetable oils are man-made oils in which many harmful petrochemicals are used in the refining process. Mustard oil, ghee, or olive oil are perfect to use for frying because these oils are more stable at high temperatures than any refined oil or maize oil.
2. Keep Your Oil Fresh And Clean
Always use fresh and clean oil while frying food. Old oil has debris that will make your food taste burnt. Using old oil means that the oil has likely lost its nutrients as well.
3. Use Healthy Flour For Coating
We generally use all-purpose flour or refined flour along with bread crumbs to make our food crispier. To improve the quality of fried foods, replace refined flour and instead use sooji, oats or gluten-free flours such as rice or cornmeal flour. They will provide you similar taste and texture but with a higher nutritional value.
4. Add Baking Soda
Now this may seem weird to you, but it actually works. Food with baking soda releases bubbles which may help reduce the oil absorption in your food.
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5. Keep Checking The Temperature
Lastly, make sure the oil temperature is right. The ideal temperature to fry the food should be anywhere between 325 degreeF- 400 degreeF. A kitchen thermometer is the smartest way to keep track of oil temperature. Plus, if your oil is not hot enough to fry the food, the food will absorb more oil, making it very unhealthy and oily.
PS: Always soak excessive oil from fried foods by using tissue paper or kitchen paper towels.
Try these hacks and let us know how they worked for you in the comments below.