Broccoli, Courgette & Carrot
Kitchen-tested
A plain, bright steamed side that goes with any main: whatever greens are in the fridge, a carrot for sweetness, garlic and a little oil, steamed in the container in their own juices with a splash of water so nothing catches.
Ingredients
- — All in —
- 200 g broccoli tenderstem, trimmed, thick stems halved lengthways
- 120 g courgette, cut into 1 cm slices
- 1 carrot (about 80 g), cut into 5 mm slices on the diagonal
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp + ¼ tsp neutral oil, spooned in
- 4 tbsp water, poured from a measuring jug
- 2.6 g salt (about ½ tsp), spooned level
- — Finish up —
- ½ tsp sesame oil, spooned
Method
- Everything except sesame oil goes into the 1.6 L container: broccoli tenderstem, courgette, carrot, garlic, neutral oil and salt. Pour the water in at the side. Cooking lid on loose.
- Set the heat once: medium — about 6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob (see Heat below) — and set a timer for 22 minutes. Then leave it: one setting, one timer; steam from the lid gap is the sign it is working.
- When the timer goes off, lift the lid (it is hot) and check: the greens are bright and a knife slides into the carrot. Not there yet? Lid back on loose; set a timer for 2 more minutes and check again. Looks dry before tender? Add 30 ml hot water first.
- Off the heat: sesame oil over the top. Serve from the container.
- To reheat from the fridge: storage lid off, cooking lid on loose, add 30 ml water if the sauce has set firm, and use a gentle-to-medium heat — about 4–6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob. Set a timer for 5 minutes; stir, then give it 2 minutes more until it is bubbling all over and piping hot right through.
Heat
| Stage | Heat into the pan | Induction hob (settings 1–9) | Portable induction hob | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook — one setting, start to finish | about 195–450 W (medium) | about 6 of 9 | level 2 (the 285 W setting) | steady steam from the lid gap; a little liquid always in the base |
| Reheat from the fridge | medium-low | about 4–5 of 9 | level 1–2 | steaming and hot right through |
Hob settings are not standard — the same number means different heat on different hobs. The power figures show how hard the pan is actually being heated. The settings shown are for a typical fitted induction hob with settings 1–9, and for a plug-in portable induction hob with power settings. Go by what you see in the pan, then remember the setting that gave it on your own hob.
Cook’s checks
- Greens bright green, carrot knife-tender; a little liquid still in the base.
- Dry before tender: add 30 ml hot water, lid back on. Still firm: 2 more minutes, lid on.
- Cook with the cooking lid loose or vented; never heat with a friction-fit storage lid sealed. Container and lid get very hot — cloth or oven gloves.
Nutrition
| Serving | Calories | Protein | Fat | Saturates | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Fibre | Salt / sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 132 kcal | 3 g | 9 g | 0.8 g | 9 g | 4.4 g | 3.7 g | 0.5 g sodium (1.3 g salt) |
Nutrition information is provided for general reference only. Values are estimates based on typical ingredient data and will vary with brands, cuts, portion sizes and preparation. They are not intended as precise nutritional, dietary or medical guidance.