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Garlic is a unique vegetable that acts as an independent dish and a spicy additive at the same time. It has been known to mankind for thousands of years as food and medicine.
However, it became a part of culinary masterpieces not so long ago. You can choose a variety of technologies for preparing this product, but professional chefs advise roasting it in a microwave.
This method will not take you much time and allow you to get a juicy dish. So, how to choose and prepare the product correctly in this way?
Types of garlic
There are many varieties of garlic, but some of them are especially popular in cooking. Give preference to the following types:
- Marbled purple stripe. This product has the most attractive appearance and a strong garlic flavor. You can store it for up to 6 months.
- This garlic has a rich earthy and spicy taste. Use it raw for full disclosure of flavor qualities.
- Such a product has many cloves and an irregular shape. Heat treatment reveals its taste better.
- It is a fairly dry type of garlic with a large number of small cloves. The heavy cleaning process makes this product difficult to use in cooking.
How to choose garlic for roasting
Remember two quality indicators for choosing the right garlic: hardness and dryness. They will help to get the maximum benefit from this product. Chefs advise taking garlic of a small size: it has a more delicate taste and perfectly complements many dishes.
Pay attention to the garlic head. It should have large cloves and be elastic to the touch. Check the vegetable for maturity. In ripe garlic, you can easily count the cloves.
Naturally, if the vegetable has started to sprout, do not buy it. This product has already mostly lost all its beneficial properties.
Is microwave garlic healthy?
Is garlic roasted in the microwave safe? It is rich in a variety of beneficial sulfur-containing compounds. Some of them are responsible for the pungent smell of the vegetable.
Garlic also serves as an excellent source of manganese, selenium, vitamins B6 and C. This product helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, and also strengthen the immune system.
Regular consumption of garlic reduces the risk of cancer and other infectious diseases.
Do the healthy qualities of the product change after roasting in the microwave? If you mix garlic with olive oil before roasting, it retains 2-3 times more valuable substances. In the absence of butter, the product will lose only a small part of the beneficial compounds.
Can roasted garlic harm the body?
Before baking or roasting garlic in the microwave, you should study the contraindications. The vegetable contains a certain amount of sulfonyl poison, which has a negative effect: cause lethargy, drowsiness, degraded memory.
Although fried garlic has a much milder effect on the body than raw, it still significantly irritates the intestinal and stomach mucosa. The use of this extractive herbaceous plant has many contraindications:
- diseases of the stomach
- various intestinal disorders
- pancreatitis
- kidney disease
- epilepsy
- individual intolerance
- pregnancy and lactation
Also, taking garlic causes side effects. Eating it in unlimited quantities contributes to abdominal pain and intestinal upset. Before starting regular consumption in large quantities, consult a specialist.
Is raw garlic different from roasted garlic?
Raw and roasted garlic differ from each other only in taste properties. The caloric content practically does not change, the chemical composition also remains the same. Additional ingredients such as vegetable oil, and salt play a key role.
If you are worried about gaining extra pounds – there is no reason! Just don’t add excessive amounts of oil. It saturates a healthy vegetable with toxins from the combustion process.
Does garlic catch fire in the microwave?
Garlic really catches fire in the microwave. Literally, 15 minutes after the start of warming up, each clove of garlic begins to burn, and then also rapidly fades.
After that, the product turns black and begins to smoke a little. What are the main causes and how to avoid garlic burning?
- Choose garlic with large cloves. A large surface will resist the effects of high temperatures.
- Lubricate the product with oil. Wet сloves will not be able to catch fire.
- Remove the garlic roots. The earthy structure causes this part of the garlic to burn first.
Does roasting garlic destroy allicin?
Allicin is responsible for the manifestation of garlic’s medicinal properties. The antibiotic contained in the vegetable is very unstable. You can only keep it in an intact garlic head.
Despite all these losses, even in roasted and boiled form, garlic and onions retain potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, cobalt, and vitamins of group B. If you want to get the full amount of allicin, eat the vegetable chopped, crushed or stewed in water.
Ingredients for roasted garlic in the microwave
What ingredients do you need to prepare for roasting garlic in the microwave? The list is small: a little water, a head of garlic, olive oil, and spices to taste. This recipe will turn out to be very cheap and not time-consuming.
If necessary, you can combine garlic with potatoes, other vegetables, or meat. Then the amount of oil and water will change significantly. Why is everything so simple?
Garlic itself is a savory product, you only need to reveal its taste with the basic ingredients.
How to prep garlic for roasting
The method of preparing garlic for roasting depends on the chosen cooking technology.
If you are going to roast a whole head of garlic in the microwave, you just need to clean the product. There are several ways:
Using two bowls. Take a head of garlic, press it down a little so that the cloves separate from each other. Then put it in a bowl and cover the top with a second bowl. Shake well a few times. Thus, the husk should fly off and you will have peeled cloves.
Using only a knife. Just take a clove of garlic, put it on a board, and press the flat side of the blade. When you press down the clove, the husk will come off very easily.
Using a whole clove. Lightly press down the clove with a knife, but do not remove the husk from it. So all the juices will remain inside the vegetable. The husk also contains essential oils that will help the dish become more fragrant and saturated.
How to roast garlic in the microwave
This meal will be a great addition to potatoes or stewed vegetables. To roast garlic in the microwave, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- garlic – 4 heads
- water – 2 tablespoons
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Cut the top off the garlic head.
- Place the vegetable in a deep saucer, drip water on the bottom, and sprinkle olive oil on top.
- Cover the saucer with a plastic lid and cook in the microwave on medium power for about 9 minutes.
How to roast individual garlic cloves
If you need to save time, you can cook individual garlic heads in a microwave oven without peeling and slicing the pulp.
The technology of preparation is as follows:
- Rinse the desired number of heads, wash them, cut the top with a sharp knife.
- Place the product in a glass container, add a teaspoon of water, sprinkle with vegetable oil.
- Cover the dishes with a plastic lid and roast on medium power for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overdo the garlic during roasting, otherwise, it will be bitter.
How to roast peeled garlic cloves
If you have a few peeled garlic cloves left, just roast them in the microwave. You can add such a product to meat or potatoes. Marinate the garlic in a mixture of olive oil and spices in advance. This will help the purified product not to burn instantly in the microwave oven.
So, what is the difference between the technology of preparing peeled vegetables? The husk does not allow garlic to acquire a golden caramelized crust.
However, this method is not suitable for subsequent addition to mashed potatoes. The garlic fried without a peel turns out dense and dry enough.
How to soften the garlic in a microwave
You can cook soft garlic in the microwave without much difficulty. This product will be an excellent addition to mashed potatoes, salad dressing, or garlic bread.
Baking magically transforms garlic: instead of crunching, it will melt in your mouth. Instead of sharpness, you will get sweetness and a rich aroma of caramelization. To prepare such a dish, do not lubricate the garlic with oil.
Just place it on a baking dish, add some spices, and roast for 5-8 minutes. If you want to get an even more delicate product, increase the preparation time.
How long to microwave garlic
The time of roasting garlic in the microwave significantly differs from baking garlic in the oven. It all depends on the microwave power and the desired result. Roast the vegetable for 5 minutes at 850 watts to get a crispy crust.
Next, open the microwave and let the steam come out. Take out a plate of garlic and keep the door open for 1-2 minutes so that the moisture evaporates. If you want to get something softer, increase the roasting time by 3-5 minutes.
How to store roasted garlic
Store the roasted garlic in paper bags in a cool, dark place. Refuse using the refrigerator to prevent the vegetable from sprouting.
Professional chefs have highlighted some tips for storing the product that will help you:
- Keep the garlic heads away from light, heat, and moisture.
- Store the product in a cool, dry place with good ventilation.
- Use a ceramic vessel with holes on the side and a lid.
- Do not cover the fried garlic with plastic wrap or a plastic lid.
What to do with the roasted garlic
There are many methods to use microwaved garlic. The most common way is to add the product to a salad dressing or spread it on toast bread. Also, fried garlic is an integral part of Oriental cuisine.
Cooks add the product to pilaf, schnitzel, and grilled vegetables. You can make garlic croutons, and get an excellent alternative to black bread. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new recipes and surprise your loved ones with something beneficial and new.
Which spices to choose?
Garlic itself is not only a vegetable but also a spicy seasoning. However, if you want to roast garlic in the microwave and get a golden crust, prepare a marinade. For it, you can choose the following spices: black pepper, Adyghe salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
It is also possible to prepare a special garlic mixture. It includes 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper and parsley root. Do not forget to mix all the seasonings and herbs with olive oil, otherwise, all the additives will simply get burned.
General tips from chefs
Professional chefs have highlighted some tips that will help you roast garlic without any problems:
- Roast whole garlic cloves for no longer than one minute.
- Do not peel garlic from the husk if you want to get a crispy product.
- Do not pour out the remaining oil from roasting. Add it as a dressing to a salad.
- Choose large garlic heads to avoid dryness and burning.
Verdict
Garlic is a unique dish with lots of beneficial properties. You can do many things with it – roast, bake or use the vegetable raw. Just one head garlic will radically change the taste of the whole dish.
Give up a steamy kitchen in the choice of cooking technology. Just discover the quick roasting in the microwave.
This method will help you get a crispy caramel crust of the product.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with adding garlic to any dishes. If you have such a vegetable in your refrigerator, start surprising your loved ones with such an unusual and healthy meal!