Kitchen Safety for Kids – 2

Cooking vessels are tools of various shapes and materials used to prepare, cook, and serve different kinds of food. Selecting the right utensil depends on the specific cooking method being used, such as boiling or roasting, and the ingredients being prepared.

Choosing the right vessel

Kitchen vessels come in many different shapes and sizes to handle different cooking tasks. Some vessels are big, some are small, some are long, and others are round. A cook must look at what is being cooked and pick the utensil that suits that specific dish. For example, cooking family meals like rice requires choosing the proper pot to boil the food safely rather than using a plate meant for eating.

Methods of cooking

• Boiling is the process of heating water thoroughly and then carefully adding food like rice into it until it cooks.
• Roasting is a cooking method used for food items such as chickpeas, bread, and groundnuts.
• A round tawa is the exact utensil needed to roast these foods properly.
• Everyday meals also use specialized kitchen vessels, such as idli cookers and pressure cookers that rely on steam whistles to track cooking time.

Utensils for serving

Once the food has been prepared, a cook needs separate utensils to present and serve the meal. Serving different types of food items requires the use of trays, plates, bowls, glasses, and large platters. Plates are also the main utensil needed by people when it is time to sit down and eat the food.

Materials used for vessels

Most modern kitchen vessels and serving dishes are made from strong metals, especially stainless steel and aluminium. In earlier times, traditional cooking was done using clay pots, which are also known as earthen pots. Preparing food in these traditional earthen pots gives the dishes a very unique and wonderful taste that people enjoy.