. Boiling is a method by which food is cooked in adequate quantity of water

. for example we boil potatoes,eggs,rice and vegetables

. usually green leafy vegetables such as cabbage fenu greek and spinach are cooked without adding extra water

. vegetables such as green peas and green beans are boiled or cooked with a little water

. cereals such as rice and pulses are boiled in large amounts of water (1.5 to 3 times)

do you know why? yes you are right cereals and pulses need more water to cook as they are dry and they also need more time to cook

. vegetables take less water to cook as they have higher water content

some points which must be kept in mind while boiling food are as follow

. wash the food thoroughly before boiling;

. first boil the water and then put the food;

. the water should cover the food completely;

. boil food in a pan which has a well fitted lid. this way the steam from boiling water will not go out from the pan and the water will not dry up. food gets cooked (boiled) faster and fuel is also conserved in the process

. do not boil food longer than needed. once it is soft and tender take it off the fire. if food is cooked for a very long time it loses its colour shape and taste. over cooking also destroyes the nutritive value of food.

. potatoes and other root vegetables should be boiled with their skin on to repair their nutritive value.