Curry Simmered Brussels Sprouts Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Why not to boil brussel sprouts? ›

Steaming and boiling use moist heat, and moist heat can make Brussel Sprouts mushy and stinky—not a good combo. Give them the treatment they deserve by roasting them instead.

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

The bitter taste of Brussels sprouts comes from compounds called glucosinolates and their degradation products, he explains. These bitter tasting compounds are an important part of the plant's defence mechanism against leaf-eating enemies, such as insects, nematodes, slugs, and herbivores, like pigeons and deer.

Side Effects of Brussels Sprouts:

Although a healthy vegetable, consuming too many Brussels sprouts can be unsuitable for people on anticoagulants since it contains vitamin K, which results in blood clotting. Another issue with consuming Brussels sprouts excessively is that it can lead to gas and bloating.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

Let it cook for as long as possible. Simmering a curry allows time for the flavours to infuse; a long, slow simmering time generally produces the best curry. Flavours will continue to infuse even when the curry is taken off the heat, so do allow time for the curry to “rest” and cool down before serving.

Use a splatter guard (they look like a flattened sieve which goes over the pan) to reduce the amount of splatter from curries when you cook them. Avoid covering pans completely with a lid as steam needs to evaporate to help reduce the curry sauce down.

The flavor components that contribute to a bitter flavor are concentrated in the center of the brussels sprout. If you slice the the veggie in half, it helps to release some of those compounds during the cooking process. Smaller is better when it comes to tenderness and flavor.

To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half. If your Brussels sprouts are very small, you can leave them whole (and if they are very large, quarter them).

Are brussel sprouts better steamed or boiled? ›

Steaming Brussels sprouts preserves more of the nutrients and antioxidants than any other cooking method. And they turn out tasting like crisp-tender, sweet little nuggets. Plus they're just about the quickest veggie side dish you can cook.

In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.

"People with certain genetic variants in the TAS2R38 gene can detect bitter taste more than others and therefore may be more likely to dislike sprouts,” 23andMe senior product scientist Alisa Lehman recently told the Daily Record. "There are many factors outside genetics that play a part in the foods we like.

First: It's not just Brussels sprouts; it's all brassicas. Brassicas contain sulphur compounds, which are released when the vegetables are cooked in contact with water. Boiling or steaming lightly is no big deal but overcooking them is what makes that unpleasant sulphur-y smell so intense.

Yes, you can cook fresh Brussels sprouts without boiling them. You can roast, sauté, grill, or even microwave them for alternative cooking methods that can enhance their flavor and texture. Roasting, in particular, is a popular method that brings out their natural sweetness and creates a crispy exterior.

Fortunately, a simple cooking process like boiling can enhance the bioavailability of nutrients, unlocking the full nutritional potential of sprouts. For those grappling with stomach or intestinal disorders, the option of boiled sprouts offers a more accessible path.

Brussels sprouts provide 48 mg of vitamin C in every cooked 1/2 cup ( 1 ). Vitamin C is important for the growth and repair of tissues in your body. It also acts as an antioxidant, is involved in the production of proteins like collagen, and may even enhance immunity ( 3 ).

Your first step should always be to blanch the brussels sprouts. This is basically when they get submerged in boiling water just for a few minutes, not until they're fully cooked, but just enough to take away some of the bitterness. Blanching also softens them and preserves their beautiful bright green color.