שמואל ב, פרק י״ג, פסוק ח׳

Tamar sets to work, fulfilling her father's command exactly by preparing the food directly before Amnon's eyes [מלבי״ם]. She begins by gathering the necessary ingredients, starting with what is described as dough. Since flour only becomes dough after it is worked, the primary approach among commentators is that the raw flour is simply called by its final form [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Another perspective suggests that the mixture had already been partially prepared earlier. In this view, Tamar takes this pre-kneaded dough and works it a second time specifically to craft these particular cakes [מלבי״ם].

Once the kneading is complete, Tamar moves on to a specific method of scalding. During this stage, the fine flour is first cooked in boiling water [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. Following this initial boiling process, the food is cooked a final time. The commentators agree that this last step involves frying the boiled cakes in a pan with oil [רש״י, רלב״ג, מצודת דוד]. This two-step method fits seamlessly into the broader biblical concept of cooking, which serves as a general term that can encompass various methods of food preparation, including roasting or pan-frying [רלב״ג].