Cauliflower is a rich source of nutrients and is healthier than most of the edibles in the vegetable domain. Other than providing healthy nutrients, it helps fight several diseases including cancer and different heart diseases. It is high in vitamins yet very low in calories. It contains a portion of almost every vitamin that a body needs to stay fit. Furthermore, it helps to detoxify the body and aids in weight loss.
It is widely available at all vegetable stores and does not cost much. We can cook it in different ways to add it to our diet. It can work as a replacement for many dishes such as grains and legumes. We can even make a cauliflower pizza crust!
One of the most effective ways to consume this vegetable is to cook it using steam. There are different methods to steam cauliflower. We will walk you through the most common and the least time-consuming ones.
Recommended Methods to Steam Cauliflower
How to Steam Cauliflower in an Electric Steamer?
An easy and fast solution is to steam cauliflower in an electric steamer. Start by filling the bottom of the stockpot of the steamer with water. Turn on the steamer and bring the water to a boil. Put the cauliflower florets in and cover the steamer with a lid that is tightly fitted and does not allow steam to escape.
Cook this over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes. Check if the cauliflower has gotten soft with only a little bit of crunch left. If not, cook it for a few more minutes.
At the end of this easy and quick method, you are rewarded with light and juicy steamed cauliflower that is extremely healthy to eat.
How to Steam Cauliflower in the Microwave?
There are alternate methods to do a similar job. Maybe you have not yet gotten around to getting yourself a proper steamer. Well, in that case, worry not! We have a simple hack which can save you time and effort. Now, we will teach you how to steam cauliflower in the microwave.
Wash and cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets using a sharp knife. Take a bowl and put enough water to cover the bottom of the bowl. This can be two to three tablespoons. Put in the cut cauliflower florets and cover the bowl with a plate. Microwave the bowl for three to four minutes. Check if the cauliflower has gone tender and, according to your liking, microwave it for some more time.
Do not immediately remove the bowl from the microwave. Let it sit there for a minute before taking it out. Be cautious with the steam-trapped plate and bowl as they will be hot. And your steamed cauliflower is ready!
There are many benefits of using the microwave to steam cauliflower. It is fast, it does not require any special equipment that you have to go out and buy and lastly, there is not much dishwashing to do afterwards.
Steaming Cauliflower on the Stove
There are multiple ways to steam cauliflower on the stove and they require only a few minutes to be perfected.
The first method you can do by using a frying pan. Put in about ¼ inch of water and half teaspoon of salt. Next, add in the cauliflower florets that have been cut and washed. Then, cover the pan and let it cook in steam for three minutes to make it tender as well as crispy. To get it completely soft and cooked cauliflower florets, cook it for eight minutes. Check after some intervals to make sure it is cooking up to your desired results. And that’s it! Take it out and serve it as a side dish topped with delicious choices of your own.
For the second method, you would need a steamer basket.
You can easily find this at any grocery store around you. Start by getting a large pot and filling half of it with water. Place the steamer basket in the pot above the water. Put the already washed and cut cauliflower florets in the steamer basket. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Let the cauliflower cook in the steam until the desired texture is reached. For tender-crisp, it would have five or six minutes and for softer cauliflower, it would have seven to nine minutes.
How to Steam Cauliflower in a Rice Cooker?
This method may be unexpected but you can use your rice cooker for more stuff than just boiling your rice. As an example, we will tell you how you can steam cauliflower in a rice cooker. Usually the rice cookers you buy come with a steamer basket that has the perfect size to fit in the cooking pot of the rice cooker.
To steam cauliflower, start by putting two or three cups of water to your cooker. Place the cauliflower florets in the steamer basket and place it in the cooking pot above the water. Cover the cooker with its lid. For some rice cookers, there is only one button to carry out all the jobs. In this case, just press the button and cook for a few minutes while checking the tenderness in between to know if it is according to your liking. With other rice cookers, there may be separate options for steaming. In this case, choose that and cook until you reach your preferred results.
Conclusion
So, as you have seen, there are many methods to steam cauliflower and it is not a very exhaustive or extensive job. You can make this dish at any time of the day; it is fitted for many occasions, be it a long day after work, some unexpected guests or simply having nothing better to make. Not only this, after you steam cauliflower, you can zip lock it in a bag and freeze it to use it for another week.
It can be topped off with butter, olive oil, cheese (you must try this!) and seasoned with salt and pepper. It is served best with steamed broccoli and serves as an impressive side dish.
