Baking Soda is called as Sodium Bicarbonate or Bicarbonate of soda. It is nothing but NaHCO3. Baking soda is a
white powder made with crystalline grains, it works as a leavening agent and the main purpose to use baking soda is that it can easily break down to proteins and neutralize acids in the food items.
Thus, it aids in leavening and tenderizing. Baking soda of various brands is easily available in the market. Before buying baking soda, it is important to check manufacturing and use by dates. Also check out the freshness, as this soda must be lump free and without any evidence of moisture in it.
USES:
- Baking soda is an essential ingredient for making different type of pakora’s, that are served as a great snacks.
- It is a natural tenderizer, hence used in soaked beans before cooking in the pressure cooker, a pinch of soda saves a lot of time of cooking the hard beans and pulses.
- Baking soda helps to make the cooking process more easy and more quick.
- Baking soda is highly used to tenderize the tough types of meats and generally used to marinate them.
- Baking soda is used for baking purposes also, variety of bakery items contains baking soda, as it has a lighter crumb and signs of aeration.
- Several Gujarati dishes such as dhokla, phaphda, muthia, etc contains baking soda.
STORAGE:
- Baking soda must be stored in air tight container at cool, dry and dark place.
- Never use a wet spoon to take out baking soda from the container, it has a good shelf life if stored and used well.
BENEFITS:
- Baking soda can be added in the tomato sauce while cooking, it helps in reducing the acidity.
- Baking soda is an acid neutralizer, hence used in first aid applications.
- Baking soda helps in soothing the anxieties and discomforts arising due to sunburns and injuries.
- A pinch of baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cups of water is a great treatment to remove dandruff from hairs.
