As i mentioned i treated myself to a few kitchen accessories for Valentines day - better than jewelry these days, and one of the things i got myself was a bamboo steamer. I've always been curious about these things - apparently you can stack them and make a whole meal by putting the ingredients on different levels. I wasn't quite ready for that kind of ambitious cooking, so i simply got one with one level, figuring i could always buy another level if i felt so inclined.
I decided that one of the first things i was going to try making was dumplings. I really like them, and had mainly had them pan fried. I thought i would try a healthier way of making them. While i was at the grocery store they had so many types of dumplings, most of them containing pork, but i thought i would play it safe and get some vegetarian ones. The first kind i got was a mushroom mixture and the other simply a veggie one, which seemed to have leeks, cabbage and carrots.
In all of my internet research i noticed that they recommended you put something - either greens or parchment paper down to prevent sticking. I actually had a bit of parchment paper left so i thought i would use that. I put an inch of water in a pot that the steamer could fit into and brought it to a boil, once it was boiling i put in the steamer. This is actually kinda difficult because it is quite hot, i used some tongs, and put the basket in first, then the lid. The package said between five and six minutes. When the time was up i removed them and served them with simply soy sauce. They were awesome!!!
You know when you enjoy something so much you want it again right away - these little dumplings were like that! A day later i decided to try them again, but thought i would pan fry them. I put a bit of olive oil in a non stick skillet and heated it up, adding the dumplings when a drop of water sizzled. This was actually a really messy process, and i got a sweet oil burn on my right wrist in the process!!! Eating them, i actually thought that the steamed ones were better!!! I mean i love fried things, and maybe the burn had something to do with it, but really i think i will be steaming them from now on!
Both of the types of dumplings i bought were both really good, and i don't think i had a preference. It was nice to have two different kinds, sort of kept it from getting repetitive. Yeah Dumplings!
I'm looking forward to more dumplings and more steamer recipes!
Above:
My steamer
Fresh out of the steam
Dumplings
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