Vegetables – Is it sensible to add steamed vegetables to a vegetable curry to reduce cooking time

Typically, vegetables will lose their colour if they are over-cooked, so it's probably worthwhile cooking them for a shorter period of time.

Usually steaming is a great way to preserve the nutrients and colour of vegetables, as is stir-frying rapidly.

Different kinds of vegetables contain various pigments in their skins. Green vegetables contain chlorophyll; red and white vegetables contain flavonoids; orange vegetables contain keratin. Each of these pigments requires a different approach when cooking to preserve colour.

When cooking green vegetables, never add an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, as this will cause the vegetables to discolour quickly. Always cook green vegetables rapidly and preferably without a lid.

With red and white vegetables, which contain flavonoids, the converse to green vegetables is true. Adding an acid during the cooking process will retain and even restore the colour. For red vegetables use a red or white wind vinegar. For white vegetables use a slice of lemon.

Orange vegetables, which contain keratin and are generally fairly robust, for the most part can be cooked with or without the addition of an acid, and they will usually retain their colour.

Another way to preserve the colour is to blanch the vegetable in boiling water for a minute or so, then plunge them into ice water. Doing this stops the cooking process instantly. Using the method is useful if you intend to freeze vegetables.

One thing we have found that helps in adding flavor during the steaming process is to slice garlic thinly, and line the bottom of the steamer basket with the garlic. Then afterwards, toss the garlic in with the potatoes and add salt/pepper/etc. (I'd probably add paprika, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne.)

I would imagine orange or lemon peel might work the same as garlic when steamed, although you might get better results tossing the steamed veggies with some zest.

You can also toss the steamed potatoes with vinegar or lemon juice (whether or not it's combined with oil is up to you) along with the spices.

Another option would be to bake your potatoes rather than steam them. Just wash, poke, and bake at 350F for 1 hour. There's no more fat, but the flavor and texture are VERY different. Just make sure not to wrap them in foil, since you won't get the same results. (Wrapping potatoes in foil is essentially steaming them, and the crust won't get crisp.)