Steam cooking is a way of cooking different food types using a microwave.
You only need a microwave-safe bowl or dish and something to cover if you do not have a traditional steamer, and you can quickly steam rice, veggies, and fish. The cover traps the heat and creates the steam that cooks the food.
It would be best if you were extremely careful when pulling the lid away after steam-cooking your food in the microwave to prevent it from burning yourself.
Steam cooking in the microwave can help you make your dinner quickly because it is four times faster than other traditional cooking methods.
Steam microwave is a hybrid model that allows you to cook food faster than any other traditional method.
You can cook different types of food in microwaves, such as raw meat, raw vegetables, and frozen vegetables.
There are several advantages of steam cooking in microwaves, such as reduced cooking time and food preserving their natural color, textures, and flavor.
You can also use a microwave to boil water for tea, coffee, or any other beverage.
If you have been using microwaves to steam your food, you may wonder what the difference is between the regular microwave and the new steam microwaves.
Read through to learn more about steam microwaves.
Benefits of Steam Cooking in Microwave
- Reduces the unpleasant smell of some types of food.
- It is a fat-free method of cooking because you do not use oil.
- It is a perfect way of cooking delicate food such as fish and vegetables, which get ruined by extreme heat.
- It is a simple and quick cooking method that saves you time.
- Maintains food properties, mineral salts, and vitamins such as B and C.
- Retains antioxidants such as glucosinolates, anthocyanins, and flavonoids.
- Preserves the natural flavor, colors, and textures of food.
Some Types of Food You Can Steam Cook With Microwave
1. Rice
Put the amount of rice you want to cook in a colander and rinse it with warm water to hydrate, plump it a bit, and help it steam evenly.
Transfer the rice to a bigger microwave-safe dish and add enough water depending on the amount of rice you are cooking the stir.
Cover the dish with a clean paper towel or a dish towel. The paper towel traps the excess steam as the rice continues cooking to prevent it from being soggy.
Ensure the cover is not tightly fitting to prevent the rice from boiling and making a mess.
Cook covered rice for about 10 minutes on high. Do not stop the microwave to stir the mixture until the 10 minutes are over.
Stir the mixture and let the rice continue to cook until it absorbs all the water. After 10 minutes, you can uncover it and stir the rice. If there are water traces, cover it and let it cook until it absorbs all the liquid.
2. Fresh or Frozen Vegetables
Wash your vegetables thoroughly with water to remove debris and dirt, then chop them into smaller sizes.
Transfer the vegetables to a microwave-safe dish. Ensure you do not pile the vegetables on top of each other because they require different steaming times. Therefore, avoid mixing different vegetable types in one dish.
Add two or three tablespoons of water and cover the dish. The water produces steam when you boil the vegetables.
You should steam most vegetables on HIGH for three to five minutes. However, if your vegetables are thick and tough, you can let them steam for five minutes.
Remove the dish and put it on a safe heat surface to wait for the steaming process to end. Next, pierce the vegetables with a fork to see if they are tender. If the vegetables are not yet tender, take them back for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Fish Fillets
Get the fish fillet of your choice, such as sole, cod, halibut, haddock, flounder, or hake, and spread it in a single layer on a microwave-safe bowl. Ensure the fish fillets do not overlap or touch each other.
Add the toppings or seasoning of your choice to the fillets, then cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap that absorbs the heat and produces steam that cooks them.
Place the bowl in the microwave and steam it on HIGH for three minutes. You know they are ready to serve when they change their color. If they do not change their color, return them to the microwave for 20-second intervals until they turn their color.
Remove the fish fillets from the microwave and let them cool for a minute before you start eating them.
Conclusion
Steam cooking in the microwave is cooking different types of food in the microwave. You only require a microwave-safe bowl or dish and a lid to cover the food.
The lead traps the heat that produces steam to cook your food. You can cook several types of food in microwaves, such as fresh or frozen vegetables, fish, and rice.
Steam cooking in the microwave saves you a lot of time and has various benefits, such as cooking fat-free food because you do not use oil.
It is the perfect method of cooking delicate food like fish, preserves food color, texture, and flavor, and retains food properties, mineral salt, and vitamins.
