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Fermentation is an age-old process in Indian kitchens, and it is used to help break down sugars and acids in foods. As for the preparation of food items like curd, bread, and South Indian dishes like idlis and dosas, fermentation is a non-negotiable step.
While you can ferment the ingredients at room temperature, using Usha’s steam oven is a more efficient way. No matter what weather conditions or the time of the day you’re cooking, you can get a foolproof environment that’s suitable for fermentation. If you’re a beginner and are just exploring the applications of a steam oven, here are some tips to ferment like a pro with Usha’s steam oven.
Temperature Setting
If you live in a colder climate, you must have noticed an uneven fermentation. Since the process requires a warm and humid environment, peak winter temperatures can make it difficult to ferment naturally. But who said a steam oven can only be used to air fry, bake, steam, or roast? You can set the temperature of Usha’s steam oven between 30-40°C and ferment a range of foods like dahi, batters, pickles, and more.
Steam For Better Results
Since traditional fermentation depends on humidity and temperature, the steam-based cooking of every steam oven makes it the perfect kitchen appliance to attain a stable environment. You can select the Steam mode, place your batter or dough in Usha’s steam oven, and let it ferment. The moisture content inside the oven will help you get a fluffier dough or batter much faster.
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Preheat The Oven
Just like every cooking technique, preheating the oven is a non-negotiable. Before you add your ingredients to be fermented in Usha’s steam oven, preheat it to allow the oven to reach the set temperature. This helps to get a head start and a consistent temperature for the ingredients to ferment.
The Right Container
The container in which you’re fermenting using a steam oven also has a role to play in the process. Since metal-based containers like aluminium or copper can react at high temperatures, always use glass or ceramic containers for fermentation. For example, if you’re fermenting curd, go for a glass container. As for idli or dosa batters, you can choose ceramic or even stainless steel containers.
Monitor and Adjust
Fermentation is a slow process, so you can easily monitor its progress. So, to master fermentation using Usha’s steam oven, always keep an eye on the results of the set levels of humidity and temperature. For example, you can check the consistency and tanginess of dahi and adjust the temperature as required. Similarly, for a batter or dough, you can monitor the texture and rise and adjust the settings accordingly.
Keep Experimenting
The applications of Usha’s steam oven are only limited to your imagination. While you can always use the modern appliance for fermenting staples like idli batter, dough for the bread, or curd, keep experimenting with different ingredients. You can give a kickstart to the fermentation of pickles, ferment the healthy kombuchas, and even experiment with plant-based yoghurts.
