Deliciously sweet in flavor and high in nutrients, sweet potatoes are perfect as a staple or an occasional snack. While some cooking methods can increase the sugar and fat content, the use of steam allows you to prepare a low-calorie dish capable of keeping away any sense of guilt. Steaming sweet potatoes is also incredibly simple; the only things you will need are: heat, water and some cooking utensils.
Ingrediants
Steamed - Basic Recipe
- 450 g of Sweet Potatoes
- 500 ml of water
Possible Variants to the Basic Recipe
- 4 tablespoons of Butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, ground
- 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of cloves powder
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Steaming Sweet Potatoes
Step 1. Peel the potatoes
Generally the easiest way to do this is to use a normal potato peeler. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife.
Throw the peels in the compost to avoid waste. Better yet, cut them into long strips, leaving some pulp attached and follow the potato peel recipe
Step 2. Cut it into small pieces
The dimensions are not relevant, usually it will be enough to cut them into three or four parts. What really matters is that all the pieces are more or less equal in size so that the cooking is uniform.
Step 3. Transfer the potatoes to a steamer basket
Steaming sweet potatoes means exposing them to the intense heat of the water without the need to immerse them. To do this, first place the chopped potatoes on the bottom of the metal steamer basket. The basket must be placed on top of the pot that contains boiling water (500 ml).
If you don't have a special steamer basket, you can use a regular metal colander. Alternatively, you can place a grill on the edge of the pot
Step 4. Bring the water to a boil
Place the pot with the basket on the stove and heat it using a high flame. Cover it with the lid and, as soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a medium level. Cook the potatoes until evenly fluffy.
- Depending on the size obtained during cutting, the required cooking time should vary between 15 and 20 minutes. The advice is to test the consistency after about 12 minutes. Try sticking them with a fork; if they are evenly soft, they are ready. If they still seem hard, continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid carefully so as not to risk burning yourself with the hot steam.
Step 5. Serve and enjoy the sweet potatoes
Once fluffy, they are ready to eat. Turn off the heat and transfer them to a serving dish. Serve them immediately and season them to your taste.
As evidenced by their name, sweet potatoes are naturally sugary. Thanks to their unique taste they can be enjoyed alone. In the next section you can still find some useful tips to further enrich your recipe
Part 2 of 2: Variations to the Basic Recipe
Step 1. Enjoy the sweet potatoes with butter, salt and pepper
This combination of flavors perfectly accompanies both regular and sweet potatoes. It may not be a very imaginative choice, but it is always a winner.
One of the hypotheses is to simply season the potatoes with butter, salt and pepper after steaming them. Alternatively, especially in the presence of demanding palates, you can serve them plain, letting your guests dress them according to their preferences
Step 2. Try flavoring sweet potatoes with garlic
It might seem like a bizarre combination, but the sour taste of garlic is perfect for enhancing the sweetness of these delicious tubers. The important thing is not to overdo the quantities to avoid overwhelming the delicate taste of the potatoes. Here are some indications for one of the possible preparations:
- Steam the potatoes as described above.
- Transfer them to a bowl and add extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic and rosemary. Stir to distribute the dressing evenly.
- Complete the dish by decorating it with powdered pumpkin seeds and serve it to the table.
Step 3. Cook them with the onions
Like garlic, onions also go perfectly with the taste of sweet potatoes and even in this case the best advice is not to overdo the quantities so as not to overwhelm the delicate flavor. For an ideal result, opt for sweet, white or yellow onions; red onions have a lower sugar content and are therefore not suitable for this preparation.
Pairing the onions with sweet potatoes is really easy: simply cut half an onion into small pieces and steam it with the potatoes
Step 4. Season the dish with your favorite spices
Adding the right spices will transform them into a tasty and low-calorie dessert. Sweet and pungent flavors, such as those of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, go perfectly with the taste of this potato variety.
Start small - you can always add more spices later if needed
Advice
- Sugar glaze is another perfect ingredient to go with sweet potatoes. The advice is to prepare the glaze with brown sugar and melted butter, then pour it over the steamed sweet potatoes and transfer them to the hot oven. Since the potatoes are already cooked, it will be enough to keep them in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Sweet potatoes come in different varieties, with different shades and flavors. The cooking directions are almost similar, so you can try to create fabulous multi-colored combinations.
