You simply pour the required amount of water into the steamer and let the food sit in the basket above while the water boils. These steamers are designed to make steaming very easy. Firstly, you can use a steamer, either a traditional bamboo one or one made from plastic or stainless steel. There are a few different pieces of equipment you can use to steam food in your kitchen. In fact, steaming has been the primary cooking method in China throughout its history, and today, you can find many different steamed fish recipes served with different condiments, such as soy sauce. You can also cook lentils in a rice cooker following a 1 to 2 lentils to water ratio.Īnd while cooking fish in a pan is easy, steaming seafood is also a great way to prepare a healthy and delicious meal as it brings out the natural flavors. All you have to do is to put the required amount of rice and water in a rice cooker - which is also a type of steam cooker - and let it steam up. For example, cooking rice in a steamer is much easier than cooking it on the stovetop. This is especially suitable for cooking vegetables that are high in water-soluble antioxidants, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green leafy vegetables, peas, Brussel sprouts, whole grains, and legumes - yes, you can even steam whole grains and legumes!īut what about other foods? Well, steaming is a hassle-free cooking method for many dishes. And since steaming cooks the food pretty fast, the veggies won’t wilt and soften. Almost all vegetables do well in a steam basket. You can steam everything, from fish to eggs to pumpkin. You can use different oils as condiments after your food is cooked to enjoy the taste and texture of the oil while being nourished in the healthiest way possible. With steaming, you don’t add oil or fat to the food during the cooking process. And while raw, extra virgin oils, like extra virgin olive oil, are good for you, they typically have lower smoke points, meaning they can easily break down when you put them through high heat and turn into unhealthy components. Oils and fats are important for our health, but too much animal-sourced fat is known to cause cholesterol. It Doesn’t Add Any Trans and Saturated Fat With steaming, we have a gentle thermal conductor, i.e., vapor, allowing the steam to move all around the surface of the food for even cooking without disturbing the fragile nutritional elements.

As they leak into the water, you lose both their flavor and nutritional value. Even though some of those molecules aren’t as fragile as vitamin C, a significant amount of them can’t endure frying oil.Īnd while boiling doesn’t reach temperatures as high as hot oil, boiling your food in water results in water-soluble components dissolving in the water along with the flavor and aroma molecules. This is what happens when you fry your veggies or meat, even lightly, as the oil can reach very high temperatures. So, if you apply harsh cooking techniques, you risk losing these nutrients. Some of these molecules, such as vitamin C, are very fragile and start to break down when they come into contact with light and heat. If you were to put raw vegetables in a dry, hot pan, you’d see that the parts that touch the pan will burn before the rest of the veggies are nicely cooked.īut why are cooking techniques important? When consuming different foods, we get health benefits from their enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Water works as a thermal conductor for boiled dishes, and oil does the same for stir-fries and such. We often use different kinds of oil or water when cooking because we need a heat conductor between the hot pan and the vegetables. Let’s go over the benefits of steaming one by one and see if it’s worth all the hype. But why is that so? Is it another healthy lifestyle trend that’s popular for being famous, or is there more to it than what meets the eye?

Okay, you probably know steamed food is typically healthier than food cooked with traditional cooking techniques. If you do it right, they can quickly turn into your next comfort dish! Benefits of Steaming And no, steamed dishes don’t have to be bland and boring. If that’s the case, we’ve got you covered! We’ll tell you everything you need to know to steam food more confidently. You may have heard that steaming your veggies instead of pan cooking them is much healthier, so you’re trying to make steaming a part of your cooking routine.

Steaming meat in rice cooker