Your mouth waters at the thought of chicken tikkas grilled to perfection. Don’t they taste delicious!. What's even better is that they are healthy too. That's because grilling is one form of cooking that is healthy, tasty and easy too. Basically, grills are of three types: gas, electric and charcoal and none of these require any additional fat or oil to grill food. But marinating the raw food is essential for good grilling. The basic ingredients used to marinate are yoghurt, vinegar, citrus juices and spiced liquids. The rnarinated food should be carefully wrapped in spinach or cabbage leaves or cucumber slices to prevent the food from becoming dry and tough. For accompaniment, make sauces and chutneys with tomato, mint, onions, garlic coriander and many other herbs. This adds to the texture, flavour, colour and taste of the food besides being healthy.
The grill has to be prepared with care and the temperature handled carefully. The rack, hot plate or thick-bottomed pan is to be seasoned well before food is to be grilled on them. A wire brush should be used to brush off any old charred particles. Once the grill is heated, a light film of oil should be spread on the rods, as this will make it easier to turn the food. Too much oil might cause the grill rods to burst into flames.
Selection and preparation of food
1.Ideal food for grilling: Naturally tender foods which would cook quickly on direct heat grill best. Vegetables such as capsicum, mushrooms, white pumpkin, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes and fruits such as mangoes, bananas and pineapple, are ideal for grilling. The fruit could be used as dessert when accompanied with yogurt and low-fat ice-cream. Fish, prawns and lobsters can be grilled into mouth-watering delicacies with the right rnarinade.
2.Marinating delicate food: Delicate food should be marinated for a brief while in yoghurt, vinegar or citrus juices. Basting with some additional marinade while grilling will bind the food and strengthen the texture of the proteins in a short cooking span.
Preparing the Grill
1.Temperature: The grill rods or hot plate need to be hot enough to sear the food immediately. Special hardwood stems or herb shrubs and grapevine wood may be used to impart a special flavour to the food. These should be stored in cold water while the grill is heating up. When the grill is hot, they can be thrown on top of the charcoal to add a pleasant flavour to the food.
2. Duration: Place the food on the grill and let it cook long enough to release itself from the grill. If the food is turned too quickly, it will break or stick to the grill.
3. Turning the food: Turn the food only when the underside is cooked. Turning the food over and over causes the natural juices of the food to dry up. Only if the food is coated with a sauce, it should be turned repeatedly as the sauce has to dry up.
4. Serving : Once the food is grilled to perfection, serve immediately with a low-fat chutney or sauce. Happy eating!