Cooking habits, our beliefs about how to prepare certain dishes, and even the speed of completion affect the taste of our dishes, their nutritional value, and our health.

In this report, the American website Bright Side reviewed the most common cooking mistakes:

1- Use the same knife to cut all foods

People who use one knife for everything think that this trick will help them speed up meal preparation, but they are wrong. This may lead to the transmission of bacteria. Do not cut raw meat with the same knife you use to cut meat after cooking.

2- Stirring the rice

In order to check or taste the doneness of the rice, some people stir it, but the only thing they achieve is to increase its moisture.

The reason behind this is simple: stirring the rice causes the starch to be released and the rice grains to break up. So avoid stirring the rice while it is cooking. In addition, you should use the appropriate amount of water (a cup of water for every half cup of rice) depending on the type of rice, and wait for the cooking time without stirring it.

3- Cut the steaks once they are ready

Instead, it is recommended to leave the meat for a few minutes after removing it from the oven or grill because the heat inside the meat helps the cooking process continue and ensures the juices develop.

4- Using the wrong type of oil

Not all cooking oils are the same; Some are ideal for frying and roasting, while others change in flavor at high temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil has a dark color and strong flavour, and is ideal for preparing sauces and roasting at low temperatures, but is not suitable for use at temperatures above 375°F (191°C).

Vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, are best suited for frying, roasting and baking. Corn oil is lighter and suitable for baking, roasting and deep frying. Canola oil, extracted from the rapeseed plant, can be used for baking, grilling and stir-frying at high temperatures.

5- Do not taste the food during preparation

There is nothing wrong with tasting food while cooking as long as there are ideal health conditions, that is, do not taste the food while it is still raw and not cooked. It is important to check if the sauce is good, or if the meat, pasta, or whatever you are preparing is done; This may allow you to avoid mistakes and give you time to fix your recipe.

6- Add oil to the pasta water

Adding oil to pasta water can make it heavier, and make the sauce less sticky to it, because the fat does not mix with water, and it also increases the calories in it.

7- Chopping onions incorrectly

Cutting an onion into slices breaks its cells, causing it to secrete gases that burn the eyes and cause tears. Instead, it is recommended to cut the onion with a sharp knife, following the direction of the onion fibers, that is, the lines that extend from the root to the stem, which results in less gas production. Therefore, it produces less tears and irritation.