Can you cook in a pan without oil? How to fry pancakes and pancakes without oil in a regular frying pan.

This question puzzles a lot of people. At one time, I was also interested in this ... the driving force behind such a request was the desire to cook a variety of dishes for my "Home Diet". After all, it’s wonderful to eat all kinds of dishes that are familiar to a non-dietary diet and at the same time not absorb excess energy coming from fats used for frying.

To my great regret, I have to upset you - it is not possible to fry without oil, in a pan. The only exceptions are those foods that are themselves very fatty.

Yes, there are a couple of half-measures: grilling (which, in principle, is not frying at all) and frying with a minimum amount of fat (a rather troublesome task, not suitable for all products, requires special skill and a pan with a non-stick coating). But this is not all. The expected result will be very different from the received ...

The thing is that putting any product on the pan and frying it, we will definitely expect a ruddy, dryish crust and a soft and juicy “filling” inside the fried product. This is how, ideally, well-fried dishes are presented. So, without additional, thoroughly warmed-up fat (vegetable or animal origin), this cannot be done. To understand this, one must ask the question: "How does it work?".

EXPLANATION OF WHY FRYING IS BROWNED

Pieces of theory. Everyone knows that all foods contain water. Water in any fresh product is much more than 75%, and it is with the help of this water (contained in the composition of the product) that cooking takes place during frying. It is its presence in sufficient quantities that makes a fried dish (whether it be a piece of meat or potatoes cut into strips) soft, tasty and juicy. And the less liquid the cook manages to keep inside what he is cooking, the less edible the finished meal will seem to most who have tasted it.

The main task when frying any product is to keep the water inside it, and the hot fat in the pan is responsible for this!

How? And like this: at the moment when the surface of the product comes into contact with the bottom of the pan, the water that is in the composition of the product heats up (the temperature of the oil is much higher than the boiling point of water) and almost instantly begins to evaporate (naturally, first of all, from the hottest place - the surface in contact with frying pan) and fat immediately becomes in its place. Fat replaces water in the product! Therefore, a ruddy crust is formed. :) In this "golden" crust - there is no water, but only fat. And, as you know, it does not let water through and therefore the liquid inside the prepared product is preserved! And the hotter the oil in the pan at the time of laying out the products, the "better" the crust will be.

A ruddy crust is a kind of barrier that prevents the liquid from evaporating from the cooked dish. If this crust does not form, the water from the frying evaporates and the product becomes hard and overdried.

That is why it is impossible to fry normally without oil. Oil, in the case of full-fledged frying, serves not only as a layer between the pan and the product (which prevents food from sticking to the bottom), but is also the main component of the golden crust (which prevents moisture from evaporating from the product).

FRYING WITH MINIMUM FAT IN THE PAN

Well, as a person trying to cook with a minimum of crazy calories, I have to experiment and, of course, achieve some success in this matter. I share the information I have. :)

COOKING VEGETABLES. With vegetables, such a dependence can be traced, the harder the vegetables, the more reluctantly they give up water, and it is significantly easier to fry them with a minimum of oil. An example of frying potatoes with almost no oil is quite real. Here is the obvious result:

But with asparagus or mushrooms (yes, of course, these are not vegetables), such a trick will not work. These "soft" vegetables are too willing to give up water and it turns out that a small amount of oil is instantly absorbed into these vegetables and there is simply no oil left to create a crust on the other side. As a result, they are not fried, but stewed in their own juice. If you do not cover them with a lid, then they will dry out and eventually sinter or burn if you do not follow them.

COOKING MEAT. With meat, the situation is even sadder than with vegetables. Meat needs a lot of hot fat! And then whatever you say... If there is not enough oil in the pan, it is slightly warmed up, or too much meat is unloaded into it (even into hot fat), you will find the following result:

Do you understand what is happening in this photo? Well, I’ll explain further anyway: the meat let out juice, and this happened because a golden crust did not form on each of its pieces (over the entire surface) and nothing retains moisture in it.

In my case, this is not a problem, since this meat was subsequently reanimated (as planned) by a very long stew. But this photo very clearly demonstrates that without a solid amount of oil, frying beef will not work.

In fact, there is one way to fry meat with a minimum of oil, but it is so laborious that "the game is not worth the candle", as for me. To do this, you need to cut the meat into small portions, grease your hands with vegetable oil, wipe each piece with it and fry each separately in a pan (without oil) until golden brown. It is very troublesome and does not work the first time.

Here is the end of this story. :) I hope you learned something new and useful for yourself!

No kitchen is complete without such an item as a frying pan. Despite the fact that fried food is not very healthy, we still eat it. That is why they came up with a way to fry in a pan without oil. It will be discussed in this article. And for it to be healthy, you need to consider some tips.

Tableware Requirements

Professional chefs who work in large kitchens mostly deal with good manufacturing companies. That is why they advise buying only high-quality pans. The best firms for the production of dishes will now be listed: Zepter, Tefal, Rondell, Berghoff. And if we talk about dishes with non-stick coating, then it should be without any damage and scratches. Study pans carefully before you buy them. After all, any damage to the coating carries with it bad consequences in the future, and if it has at least some damage, then frying in a pan without oil will no longer work.

It is desirable to cook in such a pan those foods that are already rich in fat. It is because of this that an appetizing crust will turn out. And if you decide to fry foods with a low fat content on it, then you will succeed, but you will not get the expected effect and the desired appearance, this may also apply to taste.

The taste of a product cooked in a frying pan without oil may be slightly different from the usual. Oil envelops the product, so inside it remains juicy, if oil is not used, then all the juice flows out, and the product may be a little dry. This may appeal to lovers of dry meat.

How to fry in a pan without oil

If you bought a non-stick pan, some experts recommend oiling it a little before using it for the first time. A minimum of fat will not harm health, but it will give an incredible taste to the dish. In order to ensure the optimum level of frying, there are several methods:

• use a spray bottle to minimize the amount of oil in the pan;
• if you are going to fry meat or potatoes in pieces, then before putting it on the fire, you need to moisten it in oil;
• put a few drops into the pan and spread well with a brush.

This is a list of the only ways that can minimize the use of oil, and at the same time the dish will acquire an incredible taste and aroma.

Teflon coated pan

If you decide to cook the meat in a pan with it, then you need to cut it into small pieces, add spices and season with marinade. In this case, the marinade acts as an oil. The pan without oil heats up, after which the meat is laid out. At first, it is often stirred and fried under a closed lid. It is after this that juice is released from it. Thanks to the Teflon coating, the dish does not burn.

When cooking diet food, oil can be replaced with vegetable or chicken broth. Before starting cooking, heat the pan, spread the fish or meat, when all the liquid has evaporated, it is added again. You need to do such procedures until a brown fried color appears.

If you bought such a pan, then you need to consider the following feature: it does not tolerate too high temperatures. It is not advisable to heat it more than 180 degrees. If you ignore this, then it can release substances that will be very harmful to health. Mix food in it only with silicone or wooden spatulas, so as not to damage the surface.

It is allowed to cook on low or slow fire. Please note that if Teflon cookware is scratched, then it is absolutely impossible to cook on it. Otherwise, all harmful substances will enter your body.

Ceramic tableware

According to some experts, it is considered the best ceramic frying pan. It can be cooked both on the stovetop and in the oven. In a ceramic frying pan without oil, it is best to cook meat - beef or pork with layers of fat. During the cooking of meat, fat is released, it is on it that the dish continues further cooking. Diet food can also be cooked in this cookware. Foods that are being cooked should be stirred frequently and the lid should not be left open during the entire cooking process. There may not be a crisp or ruddy color, but all the vitamins will be preserved, and the taste will be excellent.

Advantages of ceramic dishes:

• withstands heating up to 450 degrees;
• food is heated evenly;
• the dish cools down slowly.

But there are a few things that must be done:

• this dish may not withstand a sharp temperature drop, that is, if you took it out of the oven, you cannot abruptly take it out into the cold, and vice versa;
• you can not cook on an induction hob, as they are designed for cookware with a magnetic metal bottom.

Ceramic dishes are completely harmless to the human body, as they include clay, sand and stone. It also prevents burning.

Grill pan

In this dish you can stew and fry, it is suitable for cooking fish and meat. Thanks to the special waves that are made at the bottom of the pan, the food is tasty and juicy. All the juice falls into the pits and gradually evaporates.

It is best to cook meat in it, because without oil you get tasty and juicy pieces, not hard, but juicy inside.

Ribbed strips give an appetizing look to the product, if you still decide to use oil, then you will need quite a bit of it, just smear it over the entire surface with a brush. When cooking, the product does not come into contact with the bottom, the oil almost does not get into it.

Frying pan with non-stick coating

Such a frying pan can be made of various materials: aluminum, cast iron or steel. But most often on sale you can see aluminum. Most people cook vegetables in it, and oil is absolutely not needed. Before cooking, you need to pour the broth, and then add the main products.

If frying in a pan without oil, you can put parchment paper first. It is cut to the size of the pan, after which food is placed, heated and fried. In this way, you can fry fish, meatballs or chicken breast.

Whatever type of dishes you choose, you need to choose high-quality utensils, then it will bring benefits and pleasure from cooking.

Recent years have been marked by a steady increase in the interest of most people in developed countries in the principles of healthy eating, which are based on a reasonable restriction of fat intake. In this regard, the technology of cooking products without oil is of particular relevance.

Food prepared with a minimum amount of fat not only unloads the digestive tract, promoting health and weight loss. With a skillful approach, it can significantly enrich the diet, introduce unusual dishes with completely new consumer qualities into it.

The technology of cooking in a pan without oil relies on the following culinary approaches:

• the use of dishes with a special coating;
• extinguishing food until cooked and the liquid has completely evaporated;
• combining juicy products with those that do not produce juice;
• the use of liquid marinades, marinades from hot sauces;
• using a parchment circle or foil.

There is a wide range of oil-free cooking utensils on the market today. These are frying pans with Teflon and ceramic coating, grill pans. You need to choose the right type of cookware of this type and keep the non-stick coating in perfect condition.

Heavy bottom support

For successful frying in its own juice, an ordinary frying pan with a thick bottom is also suitable. The presence of a lid is essential, and it must provide a snug fit. A special valve on its lid will allow you to regulate the evaporation of moisture. A large amount of liquid contains most fresh vegetables, so this technology is ideal for their preparation.

Do not snooze

You can start cooking meat products by adding broth, vegetable juices or plain water. As the liquid evaporates and the food is brought to readiness, stewing smoothly transforms into frying. It is important not to miss this moment so that the products do not burn.

You can bake mouth-watering crispy pancakes or thin juicy pancakes in an ordinary cast-iron frying pan greased with half a raw onion or potato. As they dry out, their sections need to be updated so that fresh vegetable juice gets on the frying surface. It must be rubbed before baking each pancake.

improvised means

A circle cut out of high-quality and thick parchment paper to fit the pan will also help to do without oil. It is quite possible to cook scrambled eggs, small chopped cutlets, chicken breast on it. For the same purpose, you can use baking paper and foil.

You can fry a large piece of chicken, chopped beef, fatty pork or fish in a pan without water and oil by carefully wrapping them in several layers of foil. Before this, the pan must be strongly heated and the meat must be kept on it for at least 10 minutes on each side. A suitable company for fish will be thin lemon slices. The meat prepared in this way is covered with a pleasant crispy crust without a single drop of fat.

In Russian national cuisine, there are many ways of cooking: food is boiled, stewed, baked, fried, stewed. Almost all of these methods do not require the addition of oil. Even frying food has long been possible without it: all thanks to non-stick cookware.

Why do many housewives still add vegetable or butter everywhere? “It enhances the taste of the dish, so fatty foods seem tastier to us”, - explains Daria Rusakova, Ph.D., researcher at the clinic of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Institute of Nutrition", scientific consultant of the clinic "Nutrition and Health".

As we know, fats play an important role in the formation of hormones, the absorption of vitamins. The cell membrane consists of them, and even without fats, oxygen exchange in the lungs would be impossible. Therefore, of course, you should not completely exclude oil from your diet. “It will be more useful to add it to a ready-made dish. Just like we usually do. When heated, oils lose their beneficial properties and even become carcinogenic., - recommends Daria Rusakova.

If you regularly eat fish, meat, poultry, dairy products and nuts, the body will get all the necessary fats from these foods. So do not be afraid of a deficiency of an important nutrient. The habit of cooking without adding oils will be useful not only for people with cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis and overweight, but also for those who can boast of good health. Here are some popular ways to cook without oil.

Simmer in a ceramic pot

These dishes are cheap, safe to use, and what dishes are obtained - you will lick your fingers! In pots, you can cook meat, vegetables, desserts, and soups. Meat, poultry and fish provide juice and natural fat that do not boil away - this eliminates the need to add oil. Not very juicy vegetables can be diluted with water. Ceramics do not tolerate temperature changes, so make sure that these dishes heat up and cool down gradually, otherwise cracks will appear.

Use silicone molds

Bake in foil or sleeve

The principle of cooking in foil and plastic sleeve is approximately the same: we wrap the food and bake. True, the plastic sleeve is more airtight, so meat, poultry or fish are cooked faster in it than in foil. But it also has the advantage of being able to withstand higher temperatures. The main thing is to make sure that the matte surface of the foil is outside and that it interacts with the hot air of the furnace. Oil is not needed, because meat products secrete natural juice that will soak the side dish. The dish will turn out juicy, provided that you pack it securely in foil or a sleeve.

Food fried in oil is not only very high in calories, but also dangerous to health, because it contains carcinogens - substances that can disrupt intracellular metabolism and provoke serious diseases. Therefore, the question arises as to

After all, what to do if steamed or boiled food is terribly tired, but you want, for example, fried meat? Try cooking without oil!

Foil and baking paper or silicone mat. You can even cook pastries or meat dishes without using oil on a baking sheet. Just line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Firstly, this way you will stain it less, therefore, it will be easier to wash the sheet later. Secondly, you can do without oil. Do not trust paper, take a silicone mat. The main thing to remember is that you need to put food of a thick consistency on it. The silicone mat is easy to clean and store. True, over time it can become covered with dark spots from baking. Fine meat or fish dishes without oil can be cooked in the oven using ordinary foil. It will not allow moisture to evaporate, keeping it inside, and will create the effect of a double boiler. Wrap, for example, a fish fillet in foil, sprinkling it in front of this lemon juice, and send it to the oven. Soon you will have wonderful, juicy and lean fish. In addition to dishes, there are other secrets to cooking without oil. For example, dense foods (meat, potatoes) are best cooked with vegetables: vegetables secrete juice, which is enough for frying. It is better to take vegetables with a lot of liquid in yourself: tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, sweet peppers. You can use water or broth to heat food. But only if you have dishes with thick walls. Cookware with a thin bottom will not protect food from burning. If you have a microwave, then you do not need any water or broth. Well, the last cooking option without oil is traditional cooking. Do not be afraid that boiled food will be tasteless. Any dish on the water can be complemented by properly selected additives, side dishes or sauces. For example, oatmeal on the water is great to complement nuts and raisins, and a sauce of tomato puree and spices is suitable for boiled chicken.