Vegetables get easily cook compared to meat, poultry and fish. I will give you few methods to cook vegetables so you can cook them properly. The goal when cooking vegetables is to tenderize the texture of the food without sacrificing its color, flavor, or nutrients. Choose the appropriate technique for the vegetable. No matter what cooking technique you use, you’ll want to taste everything before taking it off the heat. As soon as the vegetables feel tender to your teeth, yet have a little resistance left, you’ve got it.

Here some method of cooking vegetables:

1. Deep Bath Boiling 

This is an especially good way to cook carrots, beets, potatoes, and various other green vegetables. It is quick and efficient way to achieve good texture, color, and flavor. Fill a large pot with enough water so the vegetables can roll around freely once the water begins boiling. Add salt if desired and bring the water to a full boil. Drop the vegetables in gradually so that the water continues to boil. Begin timing, but do not cover the pot. Remember to always cut vegetables into uniformly sized pieces so they will cook in the same amount of time. Onion, garlic, herbs, and spices will all add flavor through the cooking water. When the vegetables are tender, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and you’re ready to go.

2. Steaming

In this method, vegetables steam in the water vapor instead of the water itself, in a way that doctors and nutritionists consider to be the best method for preserving vegetable nutrients. The newer electric countertop steamers with built-in timers are a bit more expensive but very handy. Almost all vegetables steam well, particularly tender ones like leafy greens, string beans and snow peas.

Boiling a pot of water, keeping the water level just below the steaming tray. Place the vegetables on the tray. For even results, arrange vegetables in a single layer and avoid overfilling  the pan. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. It’s important not to allow the water to boil away. The timing is similar to that deep bath boiling. Tender vegetables usually takes one to three minutes.

3. Braising and Stewing

Braising means when you slowly simmer a single vegetable in a small amount of stock or liquid. Stewing is closely related, with the exception that several differently flavored vegetables are cooked at once in more liquid that is not completely boiled away.

To braise, start cooking using a medium saucepan with a little seasoning and enough water to come halfway up the sides of the food. Cover and cook over medium heat until almost tender, then uncover, raise the heat, and rapidly boil the liquid away, leaving only about a tablespoon of liquid clinging to the vegetable. If you’re stewing, fill the pot almost to the top with water and follow the directions for braising. However, at the end, do not raise the temperature to boil the liquid away.

4. Sauteing

When you saute, you’re tossing vegetables around in an uncovered pan heated to high temperatures. Any skillet can be used to saute, although a larger one is preferred to allow more room for the ingredients. Use a small amount of oil or a liquid such as water, wine or stock (no more than a quarter of a cup for a large skillet). Maintaining a high temperature, add dry, uniformly cut vegetables slowly in order to avoid reducing heat. If you crowd the pan, the ingredients will steam instead of saute. Shake the pan often or stir continuously with a spatula until vegetables are crisp-tender. When you cook more than one kind of vegetable, start with the longest cooking first and work gradually toward the fastest- cooking.

5. Stir- Frying

This is Asian style of sauteing. High heat and brief cooking are the keys here, although a well-seasoned wok is preferred, you can also use a large heavy skillet. Cut ingredients into a uniform size, then line them up next to the cooking pan in their order of use. Flavoring ingredients such as garlic and ginger are added first. The longest cooking ingredients such as carrots and other root vegetables next, and the shortest-cooking such as peas, scallions, etc. are the last.

Heat a wok or skillet until very hot. Add a small amount of oil or liquid, and wait about one minute until it begins to bubble, then begin adding the vegetables. Instead of shaking the pan, keep moving the vegetables with a spatula in between adding other ingredients. Serve vegetables immediately to keep a crisp-tender texture.

6. Broiling and Grilling

The vegetables on this method of cooking are cooked by direct radiant heat, which produces a delicious smoky exterior and a tender interior. Vegetable such as corn on a cob and potatoes are example of vegetables that being cooked on this manner. Either way, oil the grill or rack just before cooking.

Light coals 30 to 45 minutes before you plan to cook. When coals are gray, they are hot enough. A gas grill requires about 5 minutes of preheating, an oven broiler between five to ten minutes. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, whole scallions or sliced onions, summer squash, and even snow peas can be grilled. Marinate or spray the vegetables lightly with nonstick cooking spray before setting them on the rack. Longer-cooking vegetables such as potatoes, winter squashes, pumpkins should be parboiled first before grilling. Peel and slice them a half-inch thick, then boil or steam the slices for five minutes. Dry, then spray the vegetables with a little oil before grilling. Lightly oil whole bulbs of garlic, wrap in foil, and place on the side of the grill where coals aren’t as hot. Cook to 30-45 minutes, or until soft.