Steaming food is perhaps the most gentle method of heat treatment. The product is evenly heated with moist steam, and the food retains as much nutrients and natural taste as possible. How to steam rice, meat, fish and vegetables correctly? We'll tell you

What's the point

Pour a small amount of water into any suitable size pan. As a rule, no more than a quarter of the volume, but not less than 250 ml. Then the dishes are placed on the fire, the water is brought to a boil. And then a banal metal colander or the same sieve is placed on the pan, where the product prepared for heat treatment lies - washed, peeled, chopped, seasoned or even wrapped in cling film. Cover the pan with a colander with a lid - that's all. Sort of. In reality, everything is not so simple. Steamed food always takes longer to cook than liquid. A long cooking time gives the cook the illusion that the product cannot be overcooked in this way. As much as possible. So let's talk about everything in order.

Cultural Revolution

Like most kitchen appliances and food processing methods, steaming was invented by the Chinese. And of course they don’t use any metal colanders. Anyone who has seen a movie about Chinese life, where they not only fight, but also eat, has probably noticed the characteristic straw baskets that are placed one on top of the other. This is a Chinese steamer. These baskets are woven from bamboo straw. The bottom one is placed in a wok pan with boiling water, and the rest are placed one on top of the other. The convex bottom of the pan allows you to install steamers of different sizes, and thanks to the beveled edges, it's easy to add a little more water if necessary. This way you can cook several different dishes, or just one.

The steamer should be positioned so that the boiling water is 2-3 cm below its bottom, and the product being prepared is no closer than 2-3 cm from its walls. If the product is juicy, it should be cooked in a deep plate so that the taste and aroma are not lost. If it is not going to leak juices, you can put it directly into the double boiler. Cook in more than two tiers bamboo steamer not worth it. In the third, upper tier, the steam is not hot enough for cooking; it is only suitable for heating food. By the way, heating food in a double boiler is convenient and correct, because in this case the food never dries out.

In China, it is not customary to steam vegetables, with the exception of eggplants (by the way, in vain). But freshly caught fish is generally cooked exclusively by steaming. And also a variety of Chinese dumplings.

Steaming occurs over low heat. You can put a few coins at the bottom of a container of water; as long as there is enough water, they will ring; the ensuing silence will tell you that it’s time to add boiling water.

The main inconvenience of using bamboo steamers is the need to ensure that the edges of the lower basket in contact with the hot wok are not burnt. Caring for this Chinese invention is simple: after use, you should immediately wash it with hot water and wipe dry. And since bamboo steamers are usually very beautiful, sometimes dishes are served directly in them.

From a practicality point of view, it is much more interesting to use the Central Asian modification of the steamer, known to the entire population of the former Soviet Union as Mantyshnitsa. It is usually made of aluminum and cannot burn. In addition to manti, you can cook anything in it. A product that needs to be heated more strongly - meat, fish - is placed in the lower tier, and a dish that needs less heating - for example, vegetables - in the upper tier.

In search of perfection

In addition to conventional steaming, which occurs at normal atmospheric pressure, there is also steaming at elevated pressure. This is how food is prepared in industrial boilers and in domestic boilers. pressure cookers. Although boiling water can never reach a temperature higher than 100°C, when the lid of the pressure cooker is closed, the pressure increases and the steam temperature reaches 121°C. Thus, products are cooked on average 3 times faster than in the usual way, in boiling water. The liquid does not evaporate from the pressure cooker, so it is enough to pour only half a glass of boiling water into it.

To steam food in a pressure cooker, they are placed on a special rack included with any “speed pot” so that they are processed with steam and not boiled in water. It is important that the product takes up no more than two-thirds of the volume of the pressure cooker. One more thing: before use, hold the pressure cooker lid up to a light source and look into the steam hole; it must be closed. And, of course, you need to make sure that the hole does not become clogged during the cooking process. This ends the safety precautions.

If you are cooking delicate vegetables in a pressure cooker, after finishing the process, place it in cold water - this way it will cool faster and the vegetables will not be overcooked.

But steaming at atmospheric pressure has also undergone improvements. Cooking in a modern electric steamer is much more convenient than using a saucepan and colander. This device is simpler than an iron. At the base is a container in which water is brought to a boil using a heating element. One or more steam baskets are installed on top, the top of which is closed with a lid. Condensation and juice draining from food are collected in a special tray. By the way, you can use these juices to prepare a sauce for a dish. Moreover, the sauce will turn out to be very elegant - non-greasy, without burnt pieces. The possibility of steaming is provided in some models of microwave ovens, thermal processors and air fryers. They are more complicated than just steamers. The liquid necessary for the formation of steam is usually poured into a special capsule; it heats up and steam fills the oven chamber. Sensors located in the chamber monitor the temperature of the steam, its saturation, as well as the formation of condensation. As soon as the cooking conditions deviate from the ideal, either the ventilation is turned on or another portion of steam is supplied.

You can influence the taste of a steamed product by changing the composition of the steam-forming liquid. You can use mixtures of water with wine, beer, various decoctions, and also add herbs to the water. And when cooking meat, add a small amount of wine vinegar to the water.

Only pros and a little against

The main argument in favor of using this ancient technology has always been its sheer usefulness. No carcinogens, excess fats, carbohydrates, and at the same time - high digestibility of the prepared product, maximum preservation of all nutrients and minerals. The main argument against it is the very inexpressive taste. But nothing prevents you from combining several cooking methods in one dish. For example, serve steamed fish with quickly fried vegetables or even a puff pastry with vegetables. And for steamed meat - some kind of delicate sauce. By the way, you can also steam it - many classic sauces are prepared this way, completely unable to tolerate direct contact with fire. Another argument in favor of steam.

Absolutely stunning results can be achieved by combining two techniques - vacuum and steam cooking. The product is properly seasoned (“properly” in this case means that all seasonings and spices are added at once, including sauces and evaporated wine), placed in a sealed bag, vacuum-sealed and placed in a double boiler. Cooking occurs only due to the internal juices of the product and absolutely dry heat, practically the product cooks itself.

Today it is fashionable to strive to overcome extra pounds and premature aging, while maintaining health and a vigorous appearance.

One way to win this fight is to eat steamed food.

Much has already been said about the benefits of such nutrition, but questions still remain. Some people think that steaming is too troublesome, while others think that such food is tasteless.

It's no secret that steamed food is the most dietary.

So how tasty, fast, practical and healthy is it to cook food this way?

Benefits of steamed food

Products almost do not lose vitamins and microelements, their natural color and shape after steam treatment. Food turns out beautiful, aromatic and tasty when skillfully prepared. Know how to cook correctly - doesn’t this apply to any dish cooked on a steamer, in a frying pan or in the microwave?

Why is steamed food a completely dietary dish and contains a minimum of fat? Because for dishes prepared by steam cooking, additional use of oil is not required. These dishes retain a maximum of water-soluble minerals and vitamins (C, A).

The calorie content is much lower, precisely due to the absence of high-calorie oil, which also forms carcinogens harmful to the body during frying.

Steam food is an excellent option for those who want to lose weight without exhausting physical exercise. By eating this type of food every day, you do not feel hungry, but at the same time you lose weight.

Taste of steamed food

This is probably the most important question that interests most - the question of the taste of steamed food.

Steamed food is juicier than traditionally cooked food. It also preserves the aroma of fresh food and the original taste. You get used to this kind of food quickly.

Fast steam cooking

Thanks to modern kitchen appliances, namely a microwave or steamer, very little time is spent preparing healthy and tasty food.

In a double boiler or microwave, you can cook several foods at the same time without worrying about the food getting burned. This greatly saves cooking time, and the flavors of different dishes do not mix during cooking.

There is the simplest way to steam food - a pan of water with a sieve or a special grill on top for cooking steamed food, tightly closed with a lid on top. This is convenient for small amounts of food.

Modern equipment such as a double boiler are now available, allowing you to quickly and inexpensively cook wonderful dishes.

All the necessary products are laid out in a bowl, filled with water and the desired time is set.

The practicality of steaming food

The cooking process does not require constant supervision. There is no need to constantly stir or turn anything - the food cooks evenly and nothing can burn in the steamer.

No oil is used for cooking.

And unlike oil used for frying, steam does not settle on kitchen utensils or form greasy stains on furniture.

Features of steam cooking

For steam cooking, you should not cut the food too finely; you may end up with a sticky, homogeneous mass. Also, to ensure a shorter cooking time and ensure even steam exposure, food should not be placed too tightly in the pan.

There is a certain group of foods that cannot be cooked in a double boiler - these are overripe or slightly spoiled fruits and vegetables. They can be used in traditional cooking. And for steam cooking, products must be whole and dense when raw. This is one of the conditions that ensures the preparation of dishes with colorful, beautiful ingredients, and not the resulting shapeless vegetables and fruits.

Choosing a steamer

A good electric steamer costs around $60-80.

Ordinary steamer pans are also very convenient, and more practical, and they preserve vitamins no worse than in an electric steamer.

What can you cook in a double boiler?

You can cook a lot - cutlets, vegetables, fish, potatoes. The vegetable cooking tray produces a very healthy vegetable broth.

Who is steam food recommended for?

We can say that it is shown to everyone - this is an ideal option for proper nutrition, especially at a time when even the latest fashion trends call for giving up diets, but at the same time looking fit and slim. Here, the best alternative for weight loss is steam cooking. If you add a minimum of physical exercise to such a diet, your body will be fit and slim, which will allow you to have your own style, look attractive and be in fashion at any age.

Steam food is especially indicated for people suffering from stomach and intestinal problems. This is the best diet, steam food, for stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, diseases of the cardiovascular system, in which it is necessary to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood by eliminating fatty and spicy foods.

For babies and elderly people, steamed food is necessary as it is very easy to digest than food prepared in other ways.

It turns out that steaming food is useful for both sick and healthy people, for whom it will help maintain their health and increase immunity.

Recipe for making French meat salad in a double boiler

Ingredients:
- 250 grams of beef
- 200 grams of potatoes
- 250 grams of tomatoes
- 1 egg
- ground pepper
- greenery
- salt
For refueling:
- egg, yolk
- 2 grams of dry mustard
- dill
- 2 tbsp. 3% vinegar
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- ground pepper
- salt
Refueling: rub the egg yolk through a sieve, mix with dry mustard, pepper and dill. Mix the vegetable oil and vinegar thoroughly and pour into the prepared mixture.
Salad preparation time is from 60 to 120 minutes.
Jacket potatoes and meat are cooked on different tiers of a double boiler for 40 minutes. Then cut the boiled meat, peeled potatoes and tomatoes into thin slices.
Lay out the salad in layers: a layer of tomatoes, sprinkled with pepper and salt, a layer of meat, potatoes on top, also sprinkled with pepper and salt. Pour dressing over the salad, garnish with herbs and eggs.

Bon appetit and stay healthy.

Lilia Yurkanis
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Nowadays, leading a healthy lifestyle is not only useful, but also fashionable. The issue of proper nutrition is increasingly worrying people, and more and more varied recipes for healthy dishes are appearing in bookstores and on websites. Steaming food is considered one of the best means in the fight for good health and a beautiful figure. But when you start studying the issue in more detail, it turns out that there are two opposing opinions. Some say that food from a steamer is very healthy, others insist that this is not so.

Let's figure out whether it's worth spending money on new equipment or whether it's better to continue cooking using proven methods, without using steam.

Advantages and disadvantages

Very often you have to cook almost every day, not only for yourself, but also for family members. Therefore, any person strives to simplify this task. Food should be prepared easily, quickly and retain not only a pleasant taste, but also useful vitamins and microelements, so necessary to maintain the beauty and tone of the body. In a modern double boiler you can easily prepare almost any dish. Moreover, you can add several dishes at once, and all of them will be dietary.

The main advantage of steam cooking is no need to add vegetable or sunflower oil. This method of cooking will be useful for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, children, the elderly and pregnant women, athletes and all those who monitor their diet and count every calorie. Another advantage of such food is that if it gets on your clothes, it will not leave greasy marks and your favorite item will not be spoiled.

Overripe and too soft vegetables and fruits are not suitable for this device. You won't be able to cook them well. In a double boiler they will only soften, spread out and turn into an unappetizing mass. Mushrooms and pasta made from soft varieties will also not turn out tasty. The dish will be rubbery and tasteless.

Steamed dishes will take some getting used to, because at first they will taste bland for most.

Features of the device

All parts of the steamer are replaceable. It is easy to disassemble and assemble. The parts of this kitchen appliance are dishwasher safe. A steamer can replace several devices in the kitchen at once. You can defrost food in it, heat food without oil, and process baby dishes and bottles.

It is worth noting that in modern appliances you can use not only water, but also broth, tea and even wine for cooking. This can give the dish a new taste, a special piquancy.

Even before purchasing a steamer, you should look for a place for it in the kitchen. It will not be possible to install this unit anywhere. The heating element will need to be cleaned regularly. It is worth considering that using this device is quite energy-intensive, and therefore the electricity bill will increase. For comparison: cooking with gas is more profitable in terms of saving the family budget.

The benefits of healthy food

For health, steamed food is certainly much healthier than fried food in a frying pan in oil. Since ancient times, people have used steam to process food. Nutritionists unanimously say that this is very good for health. Products better retain nutrients - microelements, vitamins, minerals, taste, structure, color. Along with food, you do not get harmful cholesterol and save money on buying vegetable oil.

Such food is maximally filled with beneficial properties and does not contain extra calories. Steamed food is free of harmful fat and fills the body with strength, vigor, lightness and energy. It has been scientifically proven that consuming steamed dishes improves the condition of hair, nails, and skin. Such a diet relieves the cardiovascular system and helps improve its functioning.

For example, brown rice loses such useful and necessary vitamin B1 when cooked. This does not happen in a steamer. The juice that accumulates in the pan during cooking can be used to prepare delicious dietary soups.

If there are newborns in the house, then you can also cook for them in a double boiler. You can safely use such food for the first complementary feeding and not be afraid of an allergic reaction.

The main nuance is that for cooking in a double boiler you need to buy organic vegetables and fruits, free of pesticides. They will be more expensive in price. This is necessary because harmful substances do not disappear during steaming, as they do during cooking. This can be considered a minus, since sometimes it is quite difficult to find such products.

Buyers' opinion

Reviews about the steamer vary, but generally consumers are very satisfied with this kitchen appliance. After all, purchasing it is an investment in your own health and quality of life. Fans of a healthy lifestyle will happily cook chicken, fish, cutlets, vegetables, and all kinds of cereals in this unit. But this will appeal only to those who are able to refuse the harm of a fried crust and vegetable oil.

Some buyers even advise cooking vegetables and fish exclusively in a double boiler; the dishes turn out very tasty.

Women note the advantages over cooking in the oven. The temperature in the kitchen does not rise, it does not become stuffy and hot. There is no strong smell of food, so the room does not require additional ventilation. The steamer takes up little space. And you don’t need to keep an eye on it, the food won’t burn or overcook, because the smart equipment will turn off on its own.

Customers are advised to choose models with several cooking containers. But in this case, each bowl must have an individual tray. Thanks to this, tastes and smells do not mix. And the remaining juice can be reused for dressing or broth.

Another convenient function is the delay start.

How to choose

In household appliance stores you can find models for the most demanding tastes and for any income. The Bork F700 steamer is designed for real gourmets. Smells do not mix in it, it is very spacious. At the same time, in different containers you can cook, for example, dinner for the whole family and vegetables for the little ones. This model fits and cleans easily in the dishwasher.

The manufacturer has provided a heating function, so you don’t have to eat cold food. Steamer thanks to technology " IQ Steam" combines three containers, each with individual settings. This device contains seven automatic programs, which greatly simplifies the cooking process. You don’t need to study recipes for a long time and wait until you get your hands on preparing a particular dish. You just need to select the desired program and turn on the unit.

The dish will remain hot for another 40 minutes after the end of cooking, since the required temperature is maintained inside. If all the water has evaporated, the smart technology will warn you with a signal and automatically turn off. The reservoir in which the water is placed is enough for an hour of cooking.

Budget options

A very economical solution for those who decide to switch to a healthy diet would be to purchase a steamer. Polaris PFS0213. Vegetables can be cooked in it in literally 10-15 minutes. The bowl holds 2.5-3 liters of volume, there are two of them in the set, made of plastic. The water tank holds 0.75 liters, with this amount you can cook for about 60 minutes. The sleep timer is also set to one hour.

Everyone knows that the most convenient household appliance for preparing steamed dishes is a steamer. However, remembering the tricks and ingenuity of our mothers and grandmothers, you can completely do without it. How can you steam a dish for a child without a steamer? Yes, very simple!

How can you make a double boiler?

When you don’t have a double boiler at hand, you can make one yourself:

1. Take a deep saucepan and a bowl of the same diameter.

2. Fill the pan with water no more than halfway, tie it tightly with gauze folded in two or three layers.

3. Place the dish on cheesecloth and cover it with a bowl on top as a lid. Inside, the dish will be steamed without a steamer - just as quickly and tasty.

In this simple way, for example, you can prepare tender ones.

Instead of gauze, you can also use a colander or sieve and cover it with a regular pan lid. But in this case, the dishes should be enameled or stainless.

Using these methods, you can steam vegetables, rice, fish, cutlets and much more for your child.

Safety when steaming food without a steamer:

The main rule in the kitchen is that appliances must be convenient, reliable and safe. You must be attentive and careful when preparing dishes in a homemade double boiler:

- the slightest contact of the skin with steam can cause burns - do not put your hands (fingers) inside under the lid, use oven mitts and spatulas,

- when using gauze as a homemade steamer, remember that it can get wet and is also very hot!

- the gauze should be tied tightly, and the ends should be hidden up inside the “steamer”,

— plastic colanders should absolutely not be used for preparing any steamed dishes without a steamer, unless they are marked “for high temperatures,” which is extremely rare.

By the way, a very convenient thing for preparing small amounts of food is a removable folding steamer for a saucepan. It is very similar in meaning to using a colander, but it fits pans of different diameters thanks to the folding petals along the edge. For example, model Vitesse VS-1261 (Margot) from the French brand VITESSE

When steamed, cutlets are not just tasty. They are also extremely useful due to the fact that due to the absence of fat in this method of heat treatment of the dish, it will contain significantly less harmful cholesterol and calories. On the contrary, it will be possible to preserve many times more vitamins and other nutrients than with a different method of preparation.

This food has one more advantage: it is suitable for the diet of people of virtually any age. It can also be enjoyed by children who are just beginning to get used to eating dishes from the common table, as well as those who are sick and must be on a special diet. As a rule, doctors do not prohibit steaming cutlets in such situations and often even recommend them - to saturate a weakened body with proteins.

However, some link the creation of the above dish to the presence of a special device in the house - a double boiler. There are those who believe that in the absence of such a device it will be very difficult to find an adequate replacement for it. This approach is incorrect because in reality there are several ways to make steamed cutlets without a steamer.

One of the simplest methods known to a considerable number of housewives is the use of a flat-bottomed colander or sieve along with a sufficiently capacious saucepan with a lid. The latter should be slightly larger in diameter than the first, but such that they do not fall into it, but are held at the top.

The pan must be filled with enough liquid. However, its level, even when boiling, should be left just below the bottom of the sieve or colander. The dish is steamed, not boiled! However, you should not allow the liquid to completely boil away.

You can make cutlets according to any suitable recipe. For example, from half a kilogram of meat, a quarter of a white loaf pre-soaked in a glass of milk, one onion, an egg and spices. Traditionally, all components are passed through a meat grinder, and not very large balls are formed from the resulting mass.

The cutlets should be placed in a sieve or colander so that a small distance is maintained between them. Next, the vessel must be placed on top of a pan with boiling liquid and covered with a lid. Reducing the heat slightly (to medium), you need to cook the food for about 30-40 minutes. To determine readiness, break one cutlet. The meat inside it should be uniform in color, and the flowing juice should be transparent.

For other methods of creating steam cutlets, a metal sieve is also useful. In addition to this, you will need pans of various sizes, a piece of gauze at least 50x50 cm, twine and a grill grate from the microwave.

Pour water into one of the saucepans, whose diameter is about 20-25 cm, and cover everything with gauze, tying it tightly with twine. The fabric then needs to be pushed down a little to form a kind of hemisphere. After boiling water, place the cutlets on cheesecloth and, covering the pan with a lid, cook the dish for 35-40 minutes.

Instead of gauze, you can try placing a special rounded grill stand inside a pan of suitable diameter. Heat treatment of cutlets on it usually lasts about 40 minutes.

In each case, you need to ensure that the lid on top tightly closes the pan. Otherwise, the cooking time for steam cutlets will be increased - up to 60 minutes, or even more.

This dish will differ from its fried version in the absence of a golden brown crust. At the same time, however, it will be much juicier and more tender in taste.