How Can I Steam Dumplings Without a Bamboo Steamer? Good Questions

Q: Recently i've been craving Asian dumplings and thinking about trying my hand at making some. I know they need to be steamed, but I don't have a bamboo steamer.

Is there another way I can steam without having to buy one? I do have one of those flower-shaped folding steamer baskets.

Sent by Rebecca

Editor: Rebecca, yes, absolutely. First of all, if you want to steam the dumplings only, then yes, you can use the metal steamer basket. Be warned though that the dumplings will want to stick, so spray it very thoroughly with olive oil or baking spray. You can also line it with lettuce or cabbage leaves.

But, having said that, lots of dumplings aren't steamed in the baskets at all. Many dumplings are pan fried, then steamed by just putting a lid on the pan, with a little water inside to cook them. Take a look at this recipe for dumplings to see the whole process.

Readers, do you have other tips for cooking dumplings, or ideas for a makeshift steamer?

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(Image: Faith Durand)

Comments (9)

You don't even need a metal steamer basket to steam dumplings. I've always done them in an oiled dish on a rack in my wok.

My rice cooker has a steamer piece that fits on the bottom and it does a nice job with veggies and dumplings.

To prevent sticking, I line my rice cooker/steamer with some parchment paper roughly torn to fit. Works great.

Parchment paper on a plate, and place it in a rice cooker or on top of a rack in a wok / pot to steam. Rice cookers do a good job of letting condensation out, or if you use a wok / pot, use a domed lid so the condensation drips down the sides instead of on your dumplings.

I have a 8" cake cooling rack that set over an empty tuna can in a pot. It works well for a few items at a time. The bottom of my pressure cooker also has a perferated rack in the bottom that works well as a make-shift steamer. Be sure and use parchment paper with the racks. It makes the steamed items real easy to remove from the hot pan.

I fully admit to sticking a metal colander into the top of my stockpot to steam food in a pinch.

Put an inch or so of water in a pot. Set a ceramic bowl inside the pot. Put the food you want to steam inside the bowl. Cover the pot. Heat.

I'm very late to this thread, but as a Chinese person, I either boil or pan fry dumplings (as in ones with round wrappers pinched shut) using the technique described in the linked recipe above. Wontons are boiled - never tried doing anything else with them. Things like shumai or those shrimp dumplings in rice wrappers are steamed, but you can definitely do them in anything that can be suspended over boiling water, so long as it's lined with something (napa leaves, wax paper, parchment paper, whatever's handy). You can certainly steam dumplings if you want, but it's the slowest way to cook them and the wrapper ends up being chewy instead of soft or crunchy and sometimes doesn't taste totally cooked.