11 Steamer Recipes: Variations for Daily Steamed Meals

On my way home from work four years ago.
I bought a small cedar steamerwith two tiers and a shiny stainless steel pot designed for it. That was the beginning of my steamer life.

[Researching steamed dishes every day]

Thinking that if I were to replace it in a few years anyway... I decided to try steaming various ingredients as an experiment.
And so, I completely fell for the charm of the steamer... Half a year ago, I bought a slightly larger steamer at Muji.

And that is how this video was born.

A video simply recording my everyday meals.The video I made most casually turned out to be an unexpected hit.
This time, I will introduce the steamed dishes that appeared in this video.

・Hard bread and cheese in a steamer

Slice the hard bread, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, put them in a storage bag, and freeze them.
Place melting cheese on the rock-hard baguette and steam for about 3 minutes.The result is chewy, fluffy bread.
I'm sorry to ruin the character of the hard bread with this texture, but it's addictive, so I hope you try it once.

・Frozen gyoza are also delicious when steamed

[bibigo Wang Mandu (Meat & Vegetable)]
These gyoza are huge. They are about 10cm in size. Inside, mixed with meat and vegetables, there is also glass noodle.When steamed, the wrapper absorbs moisture and becomes slippery, and when you take a bite, delicious juices—whether meat juice or vegetable soup—might drip out. Have a rice bowl ready under the gyoza.

As an aside, the Mandu from Kaldi is even bigger and more satisfying.

・Steamed pork shabu-shabu with plenty of vegetables

A classic among classics. This is also a great way to clean out the refrigerator.
Just steam your favorite vegetables and meat.Enjoy with your favorite sauce.

・Breakfast with steamed frozen bagels

Please steam your bagels
Please steam your bagelsPlease steam your bagels

I said it three times because it's delicious.
When you expose a bagel to steam before eating, it feels incredibly fresh. Put the frozen bagel directly into the steaming steamer while still frozen. It becomes as chewy as a soft, low-resilience cushion.

・Steaming frozen shumai in a bamboo steamer

Since I don't pack bento lunches, I rarely keep frozen foods on hand. However, I am currently hooked on frozen shumai. They are surprisingly healthy, incredibly easy, and when you steam them on top of vegetables, I feel like the vegetables underneath taste better too.

・Simmered dried daikon radish made in a bamboo steamer

If you put rehydrated dried daikon radish, your favorite vegetables, and something that adds richness like deep-fried tofu or thick fried tofu into the steamer along with water and mentsuyu, it becomes an instant simmered-style dish.
It has a crunchier texture than the familiar simmered dried daikon radish, and the unique flavor feels more concentrated.If you prefer flavors that have soaked deep into the ingredients, make it in a pot!

・Steamed thick fried tofu is delicious

I had some thick fried tofu in the fridge that was past its expiration date, so I tried steaming it and got hooked because it was so good. It's great that you can enjoy various textures depending on the manufacturer, with some staying firm while others become fluffy and soft.

・Tofu tastes richer when steamed

Silken tofu becomes plump.
Firm tofu becomes dense and concentrated.What they both have in common is that the flavor becomes concentrated and tastes sweeter. Steamed tofu is delicious.

・Steamed fish in foil

I steamed the same ingredients used for standard foil-baked fish. When eating, drizzle with ponzu or soy sauce. But honestly, when it comes to salmon, I still prefer it foil-baked!

・Steaming white fish makes it fluffy

Coat the cod with salt koji, sprinkle with sake, top with shredded ginger, and steam.

・Salt Koji Steamed Chicken and Mushrooms

Mix the chicken, mushrooms, and salt koji, place in a dish, and steam. Since you want to cook the chicken thoroughly, open the lid halfway through to stir. I highly recommend enjoying the soup that forms as well. The soup, made entirely from the moisture released by the mushrooms, is packed with umami.

【Summary/Steamed dishes are versatile】

Steamed dishes aren't just for chawanmushi or vegetables; you can steam anything you like.Also, you don't need a bamboo steamer to make steamed dishes.
Before I bought my steamer, I enjoyed making steamed dishes using other methods. They were still delicious. There is absolutely no rule that says you must use a bamboo steamer.
I hope you all enjoy steamed dishes in a way that suits your own style! ♨️

Video about sauces for bamboo steamers

I've made one as well! Please feel free to watch it along with this one. 🙇‍♀️