Glossary of Cooking Terms

Bake: To cook by dry heat in oven or on hot surface.

Batter: To stir or beat a mixture of dry ingredients and liquid so as to make it pourable.

Bind: To add liquid to a dry mixture to hold it together.

Beat: To introduce air into a mixture to make it fluffier.

Blanch: To put into boiling water, either to remove skin or to whiten.

Chop: To cut into tiny pieces with a sharp knife.

Croutons: Small toasted or fried pieces of bread

Core: To remove the inner portion.

Colander: A vessel having small holes in the bottom used as a stainer.

Dice: To cut into small cubes.

Dusting: Sprinkle with sugar, spices, flour etc., so as to give it a light coat.

Fat: Any cooking medium like ghee, butter and the hydrogenated oils.

Glace: To coat with a thin layer or sugar syrup

Glaze: A polished finish given to dishes by coating with syrup

Grate: To reduce to small pieces.

Gravy: Juices that are derived from vegetables during and after cooking.

Grind: To rub something until it becomes powder (eg. in the mixer)

Knead : To work up moist flour into dough or paste to make it elastic and well blended.

Paring: Removing the skin, rind etc of fruit and vegetables.

Puree: Mass of pulp of vegetables or fruit boiled and pass through a sieve.

Saute: To fry quickly in hot pan with little fat until food is evenly brown.

Steam: To cook in the steam of boiling water.

Stew: To cook or simmer slowly for a long time in a covered pan.

Strain: To separate liquids from solids by passing them through sieve etc.

Whip: To beat rapidly until frothy and thick.

Yeast: A substance containing fungus cells used in-raising
dough.

Blend: To combine all ingredients throughly until smooth & uniform.

Cream: To beat fat & sugar to incorporate air break down the sugar crystals to soften the fat.

Dot: To scatter small amount of butter, nuts, chocolate etc., over the surface of the food.

Icing: The process of covering with sugar coating or the coating itself.

Prove: To allow the dough to rise until it has increased its bulk to twice of the original size by putting in a warm place.

Skewer: A long pin, usually of metal, used for cooking a number of food pieces at the same time.