PREPARING

VEGETABLE
DISHES
MS. HAZEL O. GOPOLE
 Introduction

A vegetable
.
is an edible plant or
parts of a plant.

Vegetables may be classified as

root, green or fruit vegetable.
TOPIC 1: Types and Characteristics of
Vegetables
Vegetables may be classified in
many different ways. Determining
the types of vegetables helps you
not only in cooking vegetable dishes
but also in keeping these items in
high quality during storage. The
following are the common
classification of vegetables:
• Root Vegetables
As their name suggests, root
vegetables grow under the
ground or plant roots
commonly consumed as
vegetables. These include all
vegetables derived from roots,
bulbs and tubers of plants.
• Green Vegetables
These include the stems, flowers
and leaves of plants that humans
consume for food. Some plants
may have all parts eaten as a
vegetable while there are also
those with only one or some parts
safe or desirable for food service.
• Vegetable Fruits

● These are fruits used in food

service as vegetables.
 TOPIC 2: Qualities of Vegetables

Cooking affects the following factors or qualities

of vegetables:

● Texture
● Color
● Flavor
● Nutrients
 The changes in these four characteristics
determine the outcome of the dish that you
are cooking. The texture of vegetables can be
represented in various degrees depending on
the cooking technique used. The texture of
vegetables is affected by the fiber and starch
components.
 COLOR

It is important to preserve as much

natural color as possible when
cooking vegetables. Its visual
quality is as important as its flavor
or nutritional value. Pigments are
compounds that give vegetables
their color.
1. Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the
cooking water (Do not add too much as this may
toughen the vegetable). Covering the pot also helps
keep acid in.
2. Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer,
helps maintain color (and flavor and nutrients as
well).
3. Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table
turns white vegetables dull yellow or gray

White-pigmented vegetables
• Anthocyanins dissolve easily in water
which means:
1. Use a short cooking time. Overcooked
red vegetables lose a lot of color.
2. Use only as much water as is
necessary.

Red-pigmented vegetables
3. Cook beets whole and unpeeled, with root and
an inch of stem attached to protect color.
Skins easily slip off cooked beets.
4. When steaming, use solid pans instead of
perforated pans to retain the red juices.
5. Whenever possible, serve the cooking liquid as
a sauce with the vegetable

Red-pigmented vegetables
1. Carotenoids get affected by acids
and alkalies minimally.
2. Long cooking can dull the color
while short cooking not only
prevents dulling of the color but also
preserves vitamins and flavors.

Yellow and orange-pigmented vegetables

1. Cooking uncovered to allow plant acids to
escape.
2. Cooking for the shortest time possible.
Properly cooked green vegetables are
tender-crisp, not mushy.
3. Cooking in small batches rather than
holding for long periods in the steam table.

Green-pigmented vegetables
 FLAVOR

This is the quality of fruits and

vegetables described as the
combination of aroma and taste.
Food and nutrition scientists say
that there are two ways vegetables
can be classified according to
flavour:
Many flavors are lost during cooking. This occurs when
flavors are dissolved into cooking liquid and by evaporation.
The longer a vegetable is cooked the more flavor it loses.
There are ways in which cooking results into flavor loss.
Cooking produces certain chemical changes, which is why
vegetables taste different when cooked compared to when
vegetables are raw. As long as the vegetables are not
overcooked, this change is desirable. It produces the flavors
one looks for in vegetable dishes.
1. Cook for as short a time as possible.
2. Use boiling salted water. Starting
vegetables in boiling water shortens
the time. The addition of salt helps
reduces flavor loss.

Flavor loss can be controlled in several ways:

3. Use just enough water to cover to minimize
leaching. Note that this rule contradicts rule 1 in that
adding vegetables to a small quantity of water lowers
the temperature more, so cooking time is extended.
4. Steam vegetables whenever appropriate. Steam
cooking reduces leaching out of flavor and shortens
cooking time.

Flavor loss can be controlled in several ways:

1. Try to serve young, fresh vegetables that have
been stored for a short time only.

2. For older vegetables, add a small amount of

sugar to the cooking water to replace loss of
sweetness.
 

To serve sweet-tasting vegetables

 Activity 1: Veggie Good!

Identify the type of the following

vegetables. Write ROOT for root vegetables,
GREEN for green vegetables and FRUIT for
fruit vegetables.
 
1. CARROT
2. CELERY
3. TURNIP
4. ASPARAGUS
5. AVOCADO
6. ARTICHOKE
7. POTATO
8. SQUASH
9. BRUSSEL SPROUT
10. SWEET POTATO
1. ROOT
2. GREEN
3. ROOT
4. GREEN
5. AVOCADO
6. GREEN
7. ROOT
8. FRUIT
9. GREEN
10.ROOT