10 Reasons Why Steam Cooking Is Good For You

Steam Cooking Or Steaming Saves Time, Energy and Money

We all know that eating healthy is part of healthy living. But many of us forget that cooking wisely is also part of the equation. So don't let all that dieting, slimming exercise, jogging and gym workout go to waste by eating unhealthy and oily food that we so very often cook at home or 'take away" from the fast food outlets.

Easy Way To Cook Nutritious Food

Steam Cooking or Steaming Is Beneficial and Fun

What Is Steam Cooking?

In steam cooking or steaming, the steam or hot water vapor does the cooking - the boiling water never comes in contact with the food. Heat from the steam is considered to be gentle and uniform as it slowly diffuses through the food and let the food cook in its own juice thus minimizing loss of nutrients and retaining its texture, color and flavor.

Steam cooking is one of the easiest and all-purpose method for cooking meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, and pasta.

A Single Tier Steamer

Versatility of Steaming - Various Methods of Steaming

Steaming is one of simplest cooking method where you can steam almost all kinds of food. You can also steam food that are prepared in so many ways.

You can steam frozen food that is just taken out from the fridge. You can steam food that is freshly prepared without any additional ingredients or you can steam food with one of the many methods mentioned below.

One of the favorite methods in steam cooking is to wrap and seal the food in foil or greaseproof paper. Alternatively, you can put your food into a bowl or dish and cover the top with foil or cling wrap. This method is used for marinated food recipes and allow the food to adsorb all the flavors in the marinade and cook evenly inside the wrapping or wrapped dish.

Food Cooked In Bamboo Leaves

A variation to this is the use of natural wrappings such as bamboo leaves, banana leaves, lotus leaves and corn husks which impart its own unique flavor to the steamed food. You can also use delicious edible leaves such as cabbage or lettuce to wrap meat, fish or cut-up pieces of various vegetables.

Chinese Dim Sums

"Heart's Delight" and Ravioli

Many of the classic Chinese dim sum and ravioli recipes are wrapped in dough of some sort. The common ones are the basic yeast dough for steamed buns, egg noodle dough, rice noodle dough, wheat starch dough and glutinous rice dough.

You can also use large fruits such as papaya or coconut, and gourds (melons, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, luffa) as containers or bowls to hold the food to be steam cooked. Just removed some of the fruit's inner sections and use the outer sections as a shell or container to cook your food. Your steamed food is now infused with some of the fruit's delicate flavor and you can eat the steamed fruit too. Nothing is wasted.

Instead of plain water to produce steam, you can add aromatic herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables to infuse some of these fragrance to the food you are steaming. You can use lemon grass, screwpine or pandan leaves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, citrus or lemon leaves/rinds, etc. You can also substitute the water with stock and use it later to prepare your soup or add it to the marinade.

Almost All Kinds Of Food Are Suitable For Steam Cooking

10 Reasons Why Steam Cooking Is Good For You

Chinese Wok Steamer

Steam Cooking Cooks Almost All Types of Food

You can cook almost all kinds of food with steam cooking. Steaming vegetables is easy and fast, and they retain their color, flavor and texture. With proper preparation, thin slices of meat and seafood can be steam cooked in a couple of minutes.

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Steam cooking is the best method for the health-conscious because you do need not use oil or fat to cook your food. You can prepare delicious, light and healthy meals in minutes. And the best part is that cleaning up is a breeze as there is no oil, no smoke and no mess.

Steaming Simplicity: A Chinese Wok and Chopsticks

The Chinese wok is a versatile kitchen utensil not only used to cook vegetables and meat but can be used as a steamer as well. You just add water and a pair of chopsticks as a rack and the dome-shaped lid. If the food you are going to steam is dense and heavy and you are worried that the chopsticks would roll away, you can use two pairs of chopsticks and tie them into a frame similar to a tic-tact-toe frame for better balance.

If you don't have a wok, you can use any cooking pot that has a good fitting lid. Just add an inch or two of water into the pot and place an up-side down heat-proof bowl into the water. The exposed section of the bowl should be about 2 or 3 cm (about an inch) above the water surface. You want steam to cook the food, not boiling water splashing into your food.

Steaming Platforms or Rigs

Ancient Chinese Bronze Yan Steamer

Back To The Basics

Steam cooking is not something new but has been around for centuries.It is one of the most popular cooking method in the East especially China, India and some parts of North Africa.

The Chinese chopsticks originated in ancient China during the Shang Dynasty which ruled the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC. The first chopsticks were probably used for cooking, stirring the fire, serving or seizing bits of food, and not as eating utensils. A pair of chopsticks and a covered pot is all you need to make a simple steamer.

It is also believed that the Chinese were the first to use bamboo steamers and bronze cooking utensils including this beautiful Shang Dynasty Bronze steamer for cooking food.

The Classic Dim Sum - Steamed Food Delicacy

Steam Cooking Is Fun

Why not start on a fresh note today and go back to the basics and rediscover the benefits of steam cooking.

You do not need any elaborate and expensive utensils such as micro-wave ovens, pressure cookers or electric steamers because steam cooking can be done with just a covered pot placed over a heat source and the benefits you get is good for you and for your health.

Stacking In Steam Cooking

Steam Cooking Saves Precious Energy, Time and Effort.

One of the biggest benefits of steam cooking or steaming is that you can simultaneously cook various food items on different perforated tiers using the same steam thus saving precious energy, time and effort. This is known as stacking.

Keep The Steam From Escaping While You Cook

More Tips On Steam Cooking!

Important Things To Do

1. Do ensure you keep all the steam in the steamer. It is the steam that carry the heat to the entire surface of the food being cooked to ensure even cooking. Make sure your steamer has a tight-fitting lid and there are no gaps between the steaming trays. If there is an opening, cover it up with a moist kitchen cloth to keep steam from escaping.
2. Do keep an eye on the cooking time. Steam cooking is all about time. Recommended cooking times are just guides. Different food requires different cooking time- the denser and larger the food, the more time it takes to complete the cooking. Lighter and smaller pieces of food cooks fast and can be easily over-cooked.
3. Do try steaming different food and be familiar with the various periods needed to cook each type of food. Steam cooking can be lots of fun.
4. Do be careful when handling hot steaming utensils and always watch out for the steam. Hot steam can cause painful and serious steam burns.

Keep Your Hands Safe

Things To Avoid In Steam Cooking!

1. Do not let the boiling water touch the food you are cooking. The steaming tray should be 5 or 10 cm from the water surface. There should be lots of space for the steam to circulate freely.
2. Do not let the water or stock boil dry. Boiling water is required to produce steam and steam can escape from a steamer. It is a good practice to check the water level every 15 to 20 minutes and top up with water or stock as required.
3. Do not leave food in the steamer after cooking. Even with the heat turned off, the food will continue to cook in its own heat. Over-cooked food looks dull and soggy.
4. Do not use your fingers to lift hot steaming trays or dishes. Use proper kitchen tools that are designed for that purpose. Avoid getting steam burns.

Hot Bowl or Dish Holders

Nutrition Data

• Calobonga Calorie Counter
  Calorie Counter by Calobonga is the best online Calorie Counter.

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Steamed Crabs With Beer

Steamed Crabs With Your Favorite Beer

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs crabs (about 1 kg)
• 1 piece of onion (sliced)
• 1 can of your favorite beer
• 1 egg york
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 slices of ginger
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• a dash of pepper powder
• 1 stalk coriander (minced)
• a few drops of sesame oil
• 1 stalk spring onions (shredded) for garnish

Method:

1. Clean the crabs and cut into halves or quarters.
2. Heat up cooking oil and fry the onion until fragrant.
3. In a steamer saucepan, add the fried onion, crabs, beer and the rest of the ingredients. Steam for 10 minutes.
4. Top with shredded spring onion and serve.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ready To Serve: 40 minutes

A Useful Chart On Steaming Times

Steam Cooking Vegetables

• Vegetable Steaming Times (Chart) | Guide to Cooking Vegetables
  If you are new to steaming as a cooking method for vegetables, use this chart of approximate steaming times for vegetables as a guide. Covers dozens of vegetables such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, beans, beets, cauliflower, etc.

Steamed Fish With All Its Flavor And Texture Intact

Steamed Fish

You can just use light soy sauce to steam cook your fish and then garnish it with spring onion and celery.

Here is a more elaborate and delicious recipe for steamed fish.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-size fish (cleaned and washed)
• 1 thin slice fresh ginger (cut into strips)
• 2 black mushrooms (soaked in warm water to soften & shredded)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• dash of sesame seed oil
• dash of oyster sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 stalk spring onion (sliced)

Method:

1. Place fish on steaming tray and season with salt and pepper,
2. Mix sesame seed oil, oyster sauce and light soy sauce together,
3. Heat a pan with a little vegetable oil and stir-fry the mushrooms,
4. Pour in mixed sauces and stir,
5. Dish out and pour over fish,
6. Sprinkle sliced ginger over fish,
7. Put tray in a steamer, cover and steam for about 10 minutes. (Water should be boiling when you put in the tray)
8. When fish is cooked, remove from steamer and garnish with sliced spring onions and serve while hot.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ready To Serve: 40 minutes

Steamed Fish - A Simple And Delicious Dish

Steam Cooking

Steamed Cake or Kuih

Steamed Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs,
• 50 gm brown sugar,
• 75 ml milk,
• 100 gm self-raising flour,
• 1 teaspoon of corn oil or vegetable oil, and
• honey or golden syrup for topping.

Method:

1. Beat eggs in bowl and stir in sugar and milk,
2. Add flour and mix well,
3. Add oil into the batter,
4. Pour batter into a greased container and steam for 30 minutes,
5. Remove hot cake from container, cut into squares or triangles, and
6. Serve hot or cold with golden syrup or honey.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ready To Serve: 45 minutes

Steamed Chinese Kuih

More Steamed Cakes

Steamed Cake or Kuih

• Kuih - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Kuih are bits size snacks or desserts commonly found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Kuih are normally steamed and are very different in texture from the the western-style baked cakes or pastry.

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Steamed Mixed Eggs

Steamed Mixed Eggs

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites (beaten lightly),
• 3 salted duck eggs (hardboiled and sliced),
• 3 preserved eggs (boiled and sliced), and
• 1/4 cup chicken stock.

Before and After Steam Cooking

Method:

1. Mix all the eggs together and add stock,
2. Pour into greased tray and steam for 20 minutes,
3. Serve hot or cold.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ready To Serve: 35 minutes

Pidan, Century Egg or Preserved Egg

Note:

Preserved egg is also called century egg or pidan. Very high in cholesterol and salt. Enjoy only once in a blue moon. It's delicious and one of my favorites. Goes very well with rice porridge.

Delicious Sweet Cakes

A Variation of Steam Cooking

• Stacking In Steam Cooking Cooks A Complete Meal Fast And Easy
  Stacked Steam Cooking Saves Money, Space and Time. When you stacked several steaming trays on top of each other as you do steam cooking, the steam is passed from the bottom tray to the top and circulated within the steamer. This is referred to as sta

Steam Cooking and You

Accidents Can Happen - Be Prepared

• How Do I Treat a Steam Burn? (with pictures)
  The way you treat a steam burn depends on how severe it is. If the burn isn't serious, run cool water over the area, but don't...

Steam Cooking Is Good For You

Comments

Francis Chung (author) from Malaysia on September 13, 2014:

Steamed cakes are called Kuih in the local language. They are bits size snacks or desserts commonly found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. They are normally steamed instead of baked like the western styled cakes or pastry. I have added a link to wikipedia for your reference.

Brie Hoffman from Manhattan on June 22, 2014:

Loved the article, I wish the measurements were in lbs and cups and teaspoons as well though.

Michael on March 20, 2012:

Im 11 and im doing a project for school but i cant get eney info.

so im trying to say is i need more info but i think your website is preaty cool.

love.

michael

Eric de Jesus on November 02, 2010:

Although I love steamed food, I never heard of steaming cakes. It's a hard thing for my mind to think of maybe because I'm used to cakes being seen at pastry shops already. Thank you for sharing information on how to do some steam cooking. My mom needs some healthy food right now and I personally think steamed foods are healthy for her rather than the normal cooked ones. :)