Cooking tips improve the flavor of your favorite foods in addition to saving money and time. However, it appears that a widely used kitchen tip, which is typical in many homes, is something you shouldn’t do! It is recommended that soaking extra oil from fried dishes with tissue paper results in soggy pakodas or other fried goods.
Dr Kiran R Dhake, wellness physician and sonologist from Mumbai said, “Subsequently, the fried food items may become soggy over time as moisture accumulates beneath it and may lose the taste”.
Dr Dhake further justified,
Health risk: Kitchen tissue papers or paper handkerchiefs are not meant to hold food. “There is a high probability of migration of the chemical substances from tissue paper to food items. Such food is unsafe for consumption and may pose a health risk,” mentioned Dr Dhake.
Food consistency and change in texture: According to Dr. Dhake, food items stored for extended periods of time with tissue paper may lose their crispiness and lose their smoothness and flavor.
Environmental distortion: Improper disposal of tissue paper material after use causes solid waste, water contamination, and blockages in the waste transport system, among other environmental issues.
Fire hazard: “If deep-fired food is placed on such type of tissue paper for a long time, it increases the risk of fire hazard. If tissue papers are subjected to fire, it may emit toxic fumes leading to air pollution,” mentioned Dr Dhake
How to overcome this?
Using paper towels or oil-absorbing mats: Before moving fried food items to a plate or serving dish, it is advised to let the excess oil drain on the wire rack, absorbent paper towels, or specially made oil-absorbing mats. “This helps maintain crispiness while allowing excess oil to drain,” added Dr Dhake.
Replace regular containers with the air-tight ones: “If they are lined oil-absorbing towels, it helps to maintain not only their freshness, and texture but also prevent food contamination and entry of foreign substance from external sources. It is advised to avoid stacking fried foods on top of each other to prevent them from becoming soggy,” added Dr Dhake.
Paper bags: Paper bags are extremely resilient and breathable; they keep out bugs and other outside influences while retaining flavor and preventing dampness by letting air circulate.
Let it air dry naturally: “This helps remove excess oil and prevent dampness of the food item. Please be informed that excessive air drying may lead to loss of crispiness and become difficult to bite,” stated Dr Dhake.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only.
