This is the trick for steaming dumplings without a steamer basket
We previously sang the praises of the steamer basket because, damn, what a handy thing to have in your kitchen cupboard. But what if you’re somewhere without a steamer basket and feel an irresistible urge to steam a bag of dumplings? Not at home, obviously, because by now you have one, but somewhere you still want to eat dim sum and there’s only some ‘regular’ kitchen stuff around; a holiday rental or something. No problem!
A metal steamer pot is of course also an ideal alternative (just put a piece of baking paper in the steamer basket first or grease it lightly), but for now let’s assume you have neither of those available.
Aluminium foil
The tip: make a sizeable ball/lump out of a few (say, three) pieces of aluminium foil. They need to be large enough to hold a plate a few centimetres above the bottom of a saucepan. Put them in the bottom of the pan, add water up to halfway up the balls, and arrange them so you can place a plate flat on top. The plate should be slightly smaller than the circumference of the pan, so the steam can circulate inside. Now cover the plate completely with a round piece of baking paper, or simply grease it with a few drops of oil, place the food on top, put the lid on and you’re ready to steam.
So bring on those rendang dumplings, or whatever you’re in the mood to steam!
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