ICSE Class 9 Cookery Syllabus 2026-27

Note: The Class IX examination is conducted by the school. The Class X ICSE Board Examination covers the entire Class IX and Class X syllabus combined. CISCE has not prescribed a fixed bifurcation of the syllabus between the two classes.

Aims

•        To acquire the knowledge of the terms, facts, concepts, and principles required for cooking.

•        To develop an understanding of the basic methods of cooking.

•        To acquire skills related to selecting and preparing nutritive foods for the family.

•        To acquire skills related to planning and providing balanced meals for the members of the family.

•        To acquire skills related to preparing menus and cooking food for the family.

Part 1: Theory (100 Marks | 2 Hours)

The Class IX theory paper covers four units. All units are compulsory. Students must verify the exact examination format with their school, as the paper structure follows the CISCE guidelines for Class IX internal examinations.

Unit 1: The Nutritive Value of Foods

1(i) Introduction to Food, Nutrition, and Health

•        Definition of food, nutrition, and health and the relationship between them

•        Role of food in providing adequate nutrition and in maintaining good health

•        Importance of healthy food habits and awareness of the necessity for proper nutrition

•        How food choices affect overall health and well-being

1(ii) Food and Nutrients; Basic Food Groups as Suggested by ICMR

•        Listing and classifying the nutrients provided by food

•        Basic food groups as recommended by ICMR: cereals and millets, pulses, milk and milk products, meat/fish/poultry/eggs, fruits and vegetables, fats and oils, sugar

•        Awareness about nutrients and their food sources as a foundation for meal preparation

•        How knowledge of nutrients helps preserve their value during cooking

1(iii) Study of Nutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, and Minerals

Detailed study of the following nutrients:

•        Carbohydrates: chemical structure, classification (simple and complex), functions (energy supply), food sources

•        Proteins: chemical structure, classification (complete and incomplete proteins), functions (growth, repair, enzymes, hormones), food sources

•        Fats and Lipids: chemical structure, classification (saturated and unsaturated), functions (energy reserve, fat-soluble vitamin absorption), food sources

•        Vitamins: classification, functions, and food sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), and Niacin (B3)

•        Minerals: functions and food sources of Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, and Iodine

Deficiency disorders to be studied:

•        Protein-Calorie Malnutrition (PCM) and Kwashiorkor: causes, symptoms, and prevention

•        Night blindness: Vitamin A deficiency; causes, symptoms, and prevention

•        Rickets (children) and Osteomalacia (adults): Vitamin D deficiency; causes, symptoms, and prevention

•        Scurvy: Vitamin C deficiency; causes, symptoms, and prevention

•        Pellagra: Niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency; causes, symptoms, and prevention

Knowledge of deficiency disorders supports the inculcation of right food habits, proper food management, and avoiding food fads and eating disorders. Analysis of food habits helps in addressing problems of undernutrition, underweight, and overweight.

Unit 2: Basic Methods of Cookery and Principles Involved

2(i) Need for Cooking and Principles of Cookery

•        Need for cooking food: improved digestibility, palatability, safety (destruction of pathogens), improved flavour and appearance

•        Principles of cookery: how the choice of cooking method affects the nutritive value, texture, colour, and flavour of food

•        Basic terminology used in cooking: blanching, braising, sauteing, poaching, marinating, basting, folding, kneading, sifting, and other culinary terms

2(ii) Basic Methods of Cookery

Detailed study of the following methods, including a brief description, advantages and disadvantages, precautions to be observed, and suitability for various food items:

•        Boiling: moist heat method; effects on nutrients; suitable foods; precautions

•        Steaming: moist heat; preserves nutrients better than boiling; suitable foods; types (direct and indirect)

•        Cooking under pressure (pressure cooking): shortened cooking time; effect on nutrients; suitable foods; safety precautions

•        Stewing: slow moist heat in a covered container; suitable for tough cuts of meat, pulses, and root vegetables

•        Baking: dry heat in an oven; suitable for bread, cakes, biscuits, and vegetables

•        Frying: cooking in oil or fat; types (deep frying, shallow frying, stir frying); effect on nutritive value and calorie content; precautions

•        Grilling: direct dry heat; suitable for tender meats, fish, vegetables; effect on fat and nutrients

The topic also covers the need for safety in food handling procedures and the importance of using the correct method for each type of food to preserve nutritive values.

Unit 3: Methods of Preparing and Cooking Food to Preserve Nutritive Properties and Improve Flavour

3(i) Guidelines for Cooking Food

•        Do's and don'ts during the process of handling and cooking food

•        Guidelines to preserve the nutritive values of food during preparation and cooking

•        Guidelines to make nutrients available to the person consuming the food (bioavailability)

•        Guidelines to improve the flavour of food while maintaining nutritional quality

•        Relationship between the way food is cooked and its nutritional value at the point of consumption

3(ii) Methods of Enhancing Food Values

•        Sprouting and germinating: increases Vitamin C and B vitamins; improves digestibility of pulses and legumes; reduces anti-nutritional factors

•        Malting: germination followed by drying; improves carbohydrate digestibility; used in commercial food production

•        Fortification: adding nutrients to food that are naturally absent or present in low quantities (e.g., iodised salt, Vitamin D-fortified milk)

•        Combination of foods: combining foods to enhance the nutritive value (e.g., cereal and pulse combinations to improve protein quality)

•        Fermentation: improves digestibility, increases B vitamins, enhances flavour (e.g., idli, dosa, curd, yoghurt)

•        Parboiling: partial boiling of rice before milling; helps retain B vitamins in the bran layer

3(iii) Use of Spices, Leavening Agents, Tenderising Agents, Thickening Agents; Garnishing and Herbs

•        Spices: role in modifying flavour, texture, and acceptability of food; common Indian spices and their uses

•        Leavening agents: biological (yeast), chemical (baking powder, baking soda), mechanical (beating, folding); how they work; their role in baking

•        Tenderising agents: physical (beating, scoring), chemical (acids, marinades), enzymatic (papain from papaya); how they break down protein fibres in meat

•        Thickening agents: starch, arrowroot, cornflour, eggs, cream; how they work to modify food consistency

•        Garnishing: importance of garnishing in improving food appearance and acceptability; common garnishes

•        Herbs: common culinary herbs (coriander, mint, basil, parsley) and their use in flavouring food

Unit 4: Physical Changes in Food During Cooking

4(i) Food Components and Major Constituents

•        Overview of the major food components: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and inorganic mineral components

•        Properties of each major food component relevant to cooking: solubility, viscosity, gelatinisation, denaturation, emulsification

•        Understanding these properties helps in choosing the correct cooking method for each type of food

4(ii) Effect of Cooking (Heat) on Food Items; Role of Acids and Enzymes

Detailed study of the physical and chemical changes that occur when the following foods are subjected to heat:

•        Cereal foods (rice and wheat): gelatinisation of starch; effect on texture and digestibility; changes in colour and flavour

•        Meat: denaturation and coagulation of proteins; toughening and tenderising effects; changes in colour (myoglobin) and flavour

•        Egg: denaturation and coagulation of albumen and yolk proteins; emulsifying properties; changes at different temperatures

•        Milk: denaturation of whey proteins; skin formation; changes in colour and flavour with prolonged heating

•        Pulses (legumes): softening of cell walls; denaturation of proteins; destruction of anti-nutritional factors (e.g., trypsin inhibitors)

•        Sugar: dissolution, caramelisation (caramel stages), inversion; effect on texture and flavour in confectionery

•        Fruits and vegetables: softening of pectin and cell walls; changes in colour (chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids); loss of Vitamin C with prolonged heating

•        Role of acids: acids help preserve the colour of vegetables (e.g., addition of lemon juice); affect texture by softening or toughening pectin; slow enzyme activity

•        Role of enzymes: enzymes (amylases, proteases, lipases) cause changes in flavour, texture, and nutritive value; enzymatic browning in cut fruits and vegetables; methods to prevent enzymatic browning

Understanding these changes helps students adopt healthy cooking practices and take appropriate care to preserve consistency, texture, colour (pigments), flavour, and nutritive values.

Part 2: Internal Assessment (100 Marks)

The internal assessment is conducted by the school throughout the academic year. Candidates are required to do practical work in one or more aspects of cookery. The teacher is free to assess the practical work either on the basis of continuous assessment or on the basis of periodical tests.

Minimum Number of Assignments

Suggested Practical Assignments

•        The merits, use, and care of various types of kitchen equipment and utensils

•        Cooking processes: boiling, frying, steaming, baking, grilling, and stewing

•        Planning and preparation of meals for different types of people on different occasions

•        Mixing and baking bread, cakes, patties, etc.

•        Practice in the preparation of salads, pickles, juices, puddings, sweets, biscuits, etc.

•        Mixing and making chapatis, nans, etc.

•        Practice in preparation of squash, jam, etc.

•        Nutritive and healthy cooking

Final Test

In addition to the practical work, candidates will be tested in the planning and preparation of a meal by the External Examiner.

Evaluation and Award of Marks

Assignments and project work are evaluated independently by the Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) and by an External Examiner nominated by the Head of School. The External Examiner may be a teacher from the school faculty who is not teaching the subject to the section or class being assessed (for example, a Home Science teacher of Class VIII may be deputed as External Examiner for Class X projects).

The total marks obtained out of 100 are to be sent to CISCE by the Head of the school. The Head of the school is responsible for the online entry of marks on CISCE's CAREERS portal by the due date.

Internal Assessment in Cookery: Guidelines for Marking with Grades

Preparation Tips for Students

For the Theory Paper

•        Unit 1 (Nutritive Value of Foods) is foundational and carries significant weight. Master the chemical structure, classification, functions, food sources, and deficiency disorders for all listed nutrients.

•        Create a comparison table of deficiency disorders: nutrient deficient, name of disease, symptoms, and foods that prevent it. This is a frequently tested format.

•        For Unit 2 (Methods of Cookery), know each method's advantages, disadvantages, and precautions thoroughly. Questions often ask for comparisons between methods.

•        For Unit 3 (Enhancing Food Values), understand the science behind each method: what happens at the cellular level during sprouting, fermentation, and parboiling.

•        For Unit 4 (Physical Changes), learn the specific changes for each food item (rice, meat, egg, milk, pulses, sugar, fruits, vegetables) and the role of acids and enzymes.

•        Solve previous years' ICSE Cookery question papers to understand the question format and marks distribution.

For the Internal Assessment

•        Complete all five prescribed practical assignments on time. Consistent quality throughout the year builds a strong internal assessment score.

•        For each practical, aim for Grade I or II: systematically plan your work, manage time well, display good manipulative skills, produce high-quality food, and present it attractively.

•        Practise the final test format: planning and preparing a complete meal within a set time, including all courses and appropriate presentation.

•        Focus on hygiene at all times: clean workstation, personal hygiene, correct food handling, and proper disposal of waste.

•        Practise a variety of cooking methods: boiling, steaming, frying, baking, grilling, and stewing to ensure confidence across all suggested assignment types.

Official Source and Further Reference

This document is based on the official CISCE syllabus for Cookery (Subject Code 69), pages 205 to 210 of the CISCE Regulations and Syllabuses document. The complete and authoritative syllabus is published by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on their official website.