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Moroccan Tagine to Bamboo Baskets: 3 traditional cooking tools to whip up a great meal

These styles may seem complicated, but there's a reason why food from a clay pot or bamboo basket tastes better.

• By: Madhuli Trivedi |
• January 9, 2018 5:06 pm

Have you ever wondered why dim sums are served in bamboo baskets? No, it isn’t because it looks pretty. Traditional tools and ancient cooking methods have always played a major role in regional cuisine from across the globe. These styles may seem complicated, but there’s a reason why food from a clay pot or bamboo basket tastes better.

Moroccan Tagine

This tall, conical, earthenware cooking vessel is easy as it does everything with very little work from the cook. It is used to slow-cook Moroccan food. It has a wide and shallow base where food is covered with a tall lid. And as the food gets cooked, the steam rises to the cone.

Tips to use:

1. If you have just got it, soak it in water for an hour
2. Use some olive oil to rub inside the vessel and the lid

Advantages:

1. As food is cooked in vapour of its own juice, it preserves the nutritional qualities
2. It’s oil-free cooking
3. The meat doesn’t get dry

You can cook: Lamb, chicken stew, seafood, rice

Recipe: Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Vegetables

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Bamboo Baskets

You must have seen a bamboo basket in various Asian restaurants. When food is steamed in these baskets, they help preserve vitamins and minerals. The circular frame of bamboo basket helps absorbing excess moisture and the steam moves freely within.

Tips to use:

1. Fill the steamer baskets with lettuce/cabbage leaves
2. Fill the basket with two inches of water
3. Place the steamer basket over the pot

Advantages:

1. It helps to keep meal warm and moist
2. Absorbs excess moisture

You can cook: Dim sums, fish, vegetables, pancakes

Recipe: Vegetable dim sum in bamboo basket

Clay Pot

Clay pot’s history dates back to ancient Rome. It is a slow cooking technique and doesn’t require oil. When food is cooked in a clay pot, the food remains succulent and juicy and retains nutrients and vitamins.

 

ALSO READ: Tornado Potato Fries: How to make South Korea’s delicious street food at home #DabbaGoals

Tips to use:

1. Clay pots need to be handled with care
2. Never use it on a stove
3. Never remove it from a hot oven and keep it on a cold surface (it might crack or break)

Advantages:

1. Juicy and flavourful food
2. Perfect for one-pot meals

You can cook: Vegetable, rice, fish, meat, chicken

Recipe: Mutton Curry