9Honey Kitchen Hacks: How to steam veggies when you don't have a steamer

There's always going to be a time when you need to steam something and there's no steamer. Could be a new house or a holiday house, or maybe you just can't find the steamer basket.

Whatever it is, you'll need this nifty little trick to get you through. And yes, it works for anything that needs steam, not just vegetables — it's great for pork buns, fish, chicken, you get it.

READ MORE: Hack for the easiest potato peeling trick

Check out the video above to see how easy it is to make your own steamer without any fancy gear.

It's a little tip you can store away for the next time you're suddenly scratching your head and asking, 'Where's the steamer?'

All you need to do is create a platform in your pot of hot water to keep the veggies out of the simmering water, and the let the steam circulate around them. The easiest way to do that, and to create a stable platform to sit a dish on, is to place three or four balls of foil in the base of your pot.

Sit a plate that fits inside the pot on the balls, and then add your veggies to the plate.

READ MORE: Hack to poach a perfect egg in an egg strainer

When you pour water into the pot, stop well below the level of the plate so simmering water doesn't spill onto the dish. Pop the lid on, bring to the simmer and steam until your veggies are ready.

Safety tip: Be careful when you're removing the veggies from the pot. Don't try to lift the hot plate, simply serve the veggies out with tongs and then let the pot and plate cool down.

You can find more of our 9Honey Kitchen Hacks series here.

Video recipe below and here for steamed fish in a bag