3 Ways to Steam Food For Asian Cooking

Here, we take a look at the benefits of steam cooking and also share three of the main methods.

What are the Benefits of Steaming Food?

Steam cooking is considered to be far healthier than any other cooking method. Steaming requires little to no oil, which can make food worse for you as it contains a lot of fat.

Along with it being healthier, you can also use steam cooking as a method of reheating. As a general rule, dishes that have been cooked in the oven, you should toast or reheat in the oven. Then, with pan-fried dishes, this can be reheated in the pan too. Everything else can be reheated by steam cooking!

When you steam, food can retain more of its original goodness such as minerals, vitamins and enzymes. When cooking using other methods, these health benefits often leave, especially in the boiling process. Steamed food is also easier to digest! Steaming softens the fibres in fruit and veg, making it easier for your body to absorb the nutritional goodness.

Finally, you can save money and time by steaming your food! You can cook a variety of food using the steaming method, all in one go, so it is a cost-effective method and can save time. In turn, this makes it a more environmentally friendly cooking method because less energy is required.

While you can purchase a steamer, these can set you back quite a bit of money, and you may have all of the necessary equipment already which will do the same job. Alternatively, if you don’t have all of the equipment required, the likelihood is that it would be cheaper to buy than a professional steamer.

Here are three ways to steam food:

Basic Steaming Method

To start, you will need either a pot or a wok. Then, you can use either a metal steam rack/stand, a heatproof bowl, or an empty can (empty beans or tomato can for example), and this will sit at the bottom of the pan or wok.

It is essential to include this step as it will prop up the dish so that steam can get around it. If you do opt for the can option, larger cans are favoured as they provide a more stable surface for the dish.

Once you have got yourself a sturdy set up, fill the pot or wok with around two inches of water, but you should use more water if you plan to steam a lot of food or steam for a longer period of time. Now that you have the setup with the water in, you can put your food on the dish and cover with a lid.

For an effective steam, you want to ensure that there is enough space around the dish for the steam to surround it. You can then bring up the heat to medium/high, and the water will begin to boil, resulting in your food steaming.

Bamboo Steamers

Bamboo steamers provide a very traditional method and are simple to use. All you need is a wok, bamboo steamer and water! For more information on how to use a bamboo steamer, read our previous blog!

Steaming With a Pot of Boiling Water & Sieve

Another effective way of steaming food is by using a pan of boiling water, placing a sieve on top and then placing the lid on. This method is very simple, and it is likely that you already have all of the necessary pieces of equipment.

Although, this method would only really be recommended for veg as other items may not cook properly or fall through the sieve. Much like the first method, use as much water as you deem necessary for the quantity of food and length of time you plan to steam for.

We hope that you have found this article insightful and has inspired you to start steaming your food! Here at Oriental Mart, we provide Asian food and cookware on our online store. So, if you would like to try steam cooking at home, take a look at our range of Japanese cookware. We have a variety of bamboo steamers too!