Bamboo steamer is continuously getting high number of users due to its efficiency in cooking. The reason for this optimality is the natural steaming method which doesn’t take water from the food unlike other steamers. Hence, it retains the water level naturally present in the food. Steaming basket bamboo is a Chinese traditional kitchen equipment that is very much famous now for making Asian dim sum recipes, fish, vegetables and other meat. Read this article to know how a steamer for dumplings (bamboo steamer) is used.
Here are some crucial things you must know while using a dumpling steamer. By following these steps accurately, you can increase the life of your steamer basket.
Lemon or a teabag to remove any residue:
First of all, after following the cleaning guide from your manufacturer, rub the steamer with a half-cut lemon or a teabag. This is additional care but this will remove any residue of the previous recipe or the bamboo smell if you are going to use it for the very first time.
Stack management to prepare multiple recipes:
The arrangement of food in different tiers and tiers themselves is very important. The foodstuff that you think is hard like squash and big potatoes should be placed in such a way that it gets more heat. So for these types of stuff, mostly bottom tier is preferred.
The food that is soft like meat and soft vegetables do not require much heat so let them sit in the upper layer.
The choice of wok/pan to boil the water:
You should be very picky in terms of choosing a pan. Your steamer basket should snugly fit into the pan. Make sure that the base of the steamer doesn’t touch the water surface. Water should only be there to provide steam to cook the food.
The heat source:
Keep the heat to a high level when the water is just set to boil. And when it starts boiling, turn the heat to mild flame. Just keep the steamer basket over boiling water and carefully observe the previous instructions.
Time that most recipes take:
Mostly the Chinese traditional recipes don’t take more than 20 minutes but a careful instruction is to check after regular time intervals if the recipe is ready or not.
Things to avoid:
- Do not touch the steamer directly while steaming.
- Do not get close when opening the lid.
Visit our recipes page for amazing bamboo steamer recipes.
