There are a lot of recipes that call for boiled vegetables. In the boiling process, nutrients are released into the cooking water and if those are drained off, they are lost. If one realizes this, you can save all those nutrients in various ways. I will say at this point, there are some vegetables that you can't save the water (if anyone thinks of some way please post). These would be cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. But good tasting waters would be those from vegetables like carrots, peas, beans, parsnips, celery, etc. Those waters can be refrigerated or frozen and then used for soups or for cooking beans/dal. The water from boiling potatoes is especially useful in making breads....it will keep them fresh/soft longer. Just adjust the salt in the bread if you have it in the water. As to rice, of course some types of rice must be washed depending on the method of harvesting. Here in USA rice normally does not need to be washed as the mechanical harvesting process keeps it clean. But there are a number of cooks who cook rice with excess water and then drain it off. This will just throw away many nutrients of the rice. Better to cook the rice with just enough water or as above, save this water and add to other dishes.
broccoli,cabbage ,cauliflower,beans ,carrots,spinach.....all can be steamed instead of boiling. They taste better steamed too. I never drain water from rice.....
I boil cabbage and then drain the water later uses for rice , dal boiling thanks for sharing the info, I check my habit of over boiling
Yes, steaming is better for preserving nutrients. Sometimes though boiling may be a preferred cooking method: what comes to mind is potatoes that will be mashed. Some people boil out of habit. Good to know you are preserving your nutrients.
Beans, carrot, beetroot, broccoli - I prefer pressure cooking just for a single whistle with few drops of water, thereby all the essential nutrients are preserved.. Cabbage, Cauliflower - I prefer to steam cook.. I don't drain water from rice as I pressure cook.. I pressure cook Potatoes along with dhal..just to simply my cooking process..
Thanks for sharing your cooking methods. Hopefully all these tips on this thread will be helpful to the readers.
