CONSUMERS have many options when it comes to choosing fats and oils for cooking.
For those inclined towards health, olive oil and coconut oil get the most attention, placing themselves on top of the chart among health enthusiasts.
Palm oil, meanwhile, is often overlooked despite its health benefits.
Rich in natural compounds that are good for health, palm oil, according to chefs should be incorporated more instead of oils like canola, or corn.
Gerhard Albrecht, who has been a chef for 50 years, uses palm oil in cooking.
“Its high amount of calories will give us much-needed energy daily. It’s derived from the fruit of an oil palm tree that grows in plantations. Palm oil is a healthy replacement for traditional hydrogenated oils like canola and soya,” he says.
“Palm oil is not harmful if treated and handled properly during cooking. It all depends on how much ingredients you add to the oil when it is hot or how long you use the oil and to what stage.”
He says many food operators tend to reuse oil for deep-frying which is harmful to health.
Natural taste
Palm oil is good for deep-frying as it sustains the natural taste of food. Some oils like coconut or olive will overpower the original taste of the food with their own taste and scent.
Malaysian dishes, he says, which complement palm oil well are fried kway teow, rendang, fried rice, and roti canai.
“The recommended heat stage for deep-frying is 220 degrees. Don’t let the heat go up to 300 degrees as this will activate certain chemicals in the oil and won’t be good for the food.”
An avid user of palm oil himself, he has created recipes like German potato salad, breaded chicken and even hamburgers topped with a deep-fried bellina doughnut with the bun fried using palm oil.
Source: New Straits Times
