Mashed potato and veggies

[margi191]

I would like to cook mashed potatoes and steam veggies at the same time?  Is this possible, I have been trying but havent been very successful. Potato cooked but veggies in veroma undercooked. Any suggestions?

[Katya]

It could be a number of things Margi....

Are you cooking the potatoes at Varoma temperature or 100?   It needs Varoma to produce enough steam to cook the veg

It may be that the vegetables are not cut sufficiently small for the time you are steaming them - if you do them on top of rice, it cooks for longer so the veg have more of a chance.   You could, if you prefer bigger bits of veg, either cut your potatoes into bigger cubes, or remove the potatoes and allow the veg to cook for longer.

Are you leaving enough space between the veg to allow the steam to circulate?

Hope this helps
 

[quirkycooking]

Hi Margi,
This is how I do it... 1kg potatoes, 200g milk (I use rice-almond milk), 200g water; veges on top in Varoma (sliced nice & thin); cook at Varoma temp, 20 mins, speed 1. If the veges on top need longer, you can usually go another 5 mins on Varoma without it sticking.
Jo 

[margi191]

THankyou Katya and Jo
Tonight I used frozen veggies in the varoma and cut potato smallish.  I used the veroma setting. Potatoes were cooked, veggies were not frozen but they were still a bit cool.  I think next time I will try, as you suggested to cut potatoes larger and cook longer.  I also put frozen veg in the deeper varoma tray and they may have been too close so next time I will use the flatter tray.
Have only had my tm for 2 weeks so I have lots to learn!

[quirkycooking]

I always just use the large tray for this - I don't bother with the flat one. 

[deannemanson]

Hi, I am also having this problem and am new to the TM world
Having already tried all the above comments, tonight I simply placed a tea towel over the Varoma to trap the steam in... seems to have cooked through a little better.  I know this isn't a permanent solution, so let me know when something better comes along

[djinni373]

Hi deannemanson. Welcome to the forum.

I cook mash and veg in the thermie quite often. It does take a few goes to get it right so perservere. It's really worth it.

I follow Quirky Cooking's method:
Weigh 1kg of cubed potato into the bowl.  Add 200g water + 200g milk (I use rice milk).  Place Varoma on top of lid, filled with veges that are thinly sliced for steaming, and cook on Varoma temp for 20 mins, speed 1.
- Remove Varoma (setting it on it's lid to catch drips), remove lid, and push butterfly into potatoes on the blade.  Add butter or olive oil and salt & pepper to season, and mash for 20 seconds on speed 4.

Easy!  We like the potato done like this as it gets a nice flavour from the vege juices.

I usually end up doing Varoma temp, 25 minutes, speed 2 1 and not bothering with the butterfly to mash.

But others do it differently as discussed here:
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=6238.0

Try whichever method appeals to you and let us know how you go 

[cookie1]

Welcome deannemanson. It pays to make sure that you always have space for the steam to come up into the varoma.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Vegies should cook in that time. What quantity of vegies are you using and is there a decent gap in the varoma dish to allow the steam to come through? Hope you get it sorted and well done for using your varoma so quickly. 

[JaneeZee]

How many are you trying to cook potatoes for?  I tend to simply put my cut potatoes in the rice basket, water in the TM bowl & veggies on the top in the varoma dish, steam all for 16-20 mins depending upon quantitiy & type of veggies & then put the non potato veggies in the thermoserver while I mash the pots.  I can do enough mash for 3 adults or 4 with smaller serves (which we should be doing anyway lol!) that way.  That's what I term the "everyday" mash vs the extremely rich version in the EDC.

[Lellyj]

Thanks Janeezee

I used your method tonight and it worked really well.  Great "everyday" mash and so easy to cook the vegies too.  Don't use the varoma nearly enough, so thanks again.

[judydawn]

That's the way I do it too JZ - soon tired of the rich EDC method with cheese and wanted to go back to basic mashed potato with less calories plus a bowl that was easier to clean.