Steaming Without a Steamer: Idli, Dhokla, Puddings and More

Why steam?

Steaming cooks food in hot vapour rather than in water or oil. It’s gentle, uses no fat, and keeps food moist and soft. In South Asian cooking it gives us spongy idli and dhokla, and steamed puddings and cakes. Many people don’t own a steamer, but any large pot with a lid can be turned into one.

Makeshift steamers

• Rack in a pot: put a metal trivet, a ring of foil or an upturned steel bowl in the bottom of a large pot. Add water below the top of the rack, and sit your dish or mould on it.
• Colander or sieve: rest a metal colander inside or on top of a pot of simmering water, with the lid on top. Good for vegetables and dumplings.
• Pressure cooker without the weight: the classic South Indian way to steam idli. Use the cooker as a pot, with the lid on but the whistle removed, so steam escapes and pressure doesn’t build.
• Small bowls or cups: steel katoris or ramekins, greased, make perfect individual idli or dhokla moulds.
• Wok with a lid: a karahi with a rack and a domed lid holds a wide plate.

How to steam well

1. Bring the water to a full boil first. Food should go into steam, not into a cold pot that slowly warms.
2. Keep the water below the food. About 2–3 cm of water, never touching the dish. If water boils up into the food, it turns soggy.
3. Leave space around the dish so steam can circulate. A dish that fills the whole pot blocks the steam.
4. Cover tightly. Wrap the lid in a tea towel (tied up away from the flame) so condensation doesn’t drip onto the food. This matters for dhokla and cakes.
5. Keep it at a steady boil on medium-high heat. If the steam weakens, the food sinks and turns dense.
6. Don’t open the lid for the first two-thirds of the cooking time.
7. Check the water on long steams, topping up with boiling water from a kettle.

Is it done?

• Toothpick test: for idli, dhokla and cakes, a toothpick pushed into the centre should come out clean.
• Spring back: a gentle press should spring back.
• Timing guide: idli 10–12 minutes; dhokla 15–20 minutes; small puddings 20–30 minutes.

After steaming

Rest for 2–5 minutes before unmoulding, so the food firms up slightly and comes out cleanly. Run a wet knife or spoon around the edge.

Steaming safely

• Lift the lid away from you, as escaping steam burns.
• Use tongs or a cloth to lift hot dishes, or put a strip of foil under the dish as a sling before cooking.
• Never let the pot boil dry; it can damage the pot.

Steaming is also a lighter way to reheat leftover rice, idli or kebabs without drying them out. For more on idli and dosa, see our guide to fermenting the batter.