The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook (10 page)

Ground beef cooks easily, but do not overcook it, as it will turn out rubbery and dry.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 8 minutes until slightly soft and caramelized.
   

2. Add the ground beef and fry briskly for about 8 to 10 minutes until beef turns brown on the surface and partiallycooks through, being sure to cover the rice cooker occasionally in the processing of cooking.
   

3. Stir in the water, cover the rice cooker, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then switch to Warm and simmer the beef for about 8 to 10 minutes until completely cooked through.
   

4. Add the cooked rice into the rice cooker and mix well with the beef and shallots. Add salt and pepper to taste while fluffing up the rice.
   

5. Keep the rice cooker at Warm for about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onions.
   

Substitute broccoli stems for the peas to add similar color and a hint of sweetness to the rice. Thinly slice the broccoli stems and then dice to smaller bits. Prepared in this way, they can be such a wonderful addition to many rice dishes.

1. Add 1½ tablespoons of the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the garlic and peas and sauté for about 5 minutes until the peas turn tender and cook through. Dish out and set aside.
   

2. With the rice cooker still on Cook, add the remaining 1½ tablespoons of oil. When the base of the pot gets warm, add the eggs. Scramble the eggs gently in the pot.
   

3. Add the shrimp and fry for about 8 minutes until shrimp cook through (turn pink) and egg is cooked.
   

4. Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, and pea mixture to the pot and mix well with the eggs and shrimp.
   

5. Keep the rice cooker at Warm for about 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with green onion and red chili.
   

Cooking Tip

When cooking fried rice over the stovetop, leftover cooked rice is typically used because it has become drier during storage in the fridge. Rice with less moisture is easier to fry in a pan or wok since it does not stick to the pan or wok surface under heat. In addition, the rice grains tend not to stick to one another and so will not result in clumpy fried rice! One benefit of using a rice cooker to make fried rice is that you do not have to worry about the rice sticking to itself or to pan and wok surfaces.

To vary this recipe, substitute curry powder for the garam masala powder. You also can try different kinds of beans, such as lentils and black beans, based on your personal preferences.

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain the rice and set it aside in a separate bowl.
   

2. Clean out the rice cooker pot and wipe dry. Add the butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots turn soft.
   

3. Add the tomatoes and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
   

4. Stir in the rice, beans, and the 2 cups water or stock and mix well with the shallots and tomatoes.
   

5. Add the garam masala and salt, and mix well with rice. Cover rice cooker and cook the rice until done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
   

6. After rice is cooked, do not open the cover immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes to vent off the remaining steam. Fluff up the rice before serving.
   

By definition, “pilaf” means rice cooked in seasoned broth with poultry or seafood and sometimes tomatoes. In the United States, pilaf is usually served as a side dish accompanying a main course such as grilled fish. Essentially,
Indian Vegetable Biryani
is also considered a kind of pilaf.

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain the rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
   

2. Clean out the rice cooker pot and wipe dry. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until shallots turn soft.
   

3. Add the tomatoes and chili powder and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the grated ginger, garam masala, salt, and water. Mix well. Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 8 minutes until the shrimp cook through (turn pink) and the gravy slightly reduces, being sure to cover the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Dish out the shrimp mixture and set aside.
   

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the rice cooker pot. When base of cooker pot gets warm, add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and fry until fragrant.
   

5. Add the rinsed rice and Shrimp Stock to the pot and mix well with the spices. Cover the rice cooker, switch to Cook and cook the rice until done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
   

6. After rice is cooked, do not open the cover immediately. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to vent off the remaining steam. Fluff up the rice and gently slide the shrimp mixture back over the top of the rice before serving. Garnish with cilantro.
   

Basmati Rice

This long-grain variety is typically used in Indian cooking and is characterized by the thinness of the grain and its fragrance. Basmati rice grains tend to stay whole and separate when cooked with oil and spices.

Popularly known as Nasi Ulam in Malaysia, this is an herb-based rice dish or simply a rice salad with a variety of herbs and vegetables.

1. Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. Place the cabbage and long beans on a plate that will fit into the steamer insert or basket. When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket that holds the plate of vegetables into the rice cooker and steam for 6 to 8 minutes, with the cooker covered, until the vegetables become tender. Set aside to cool. When cooled, finely slice the cabbage and dice the long beans. Drain excess moisture from the vegetables.
   

2. While waiting for vegetables to cool, prepare salad dressing by combining the shallots and lime juice in a bowl. Set aside.
   

3. Mix the vegetables and the dressing in a deep mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice and mix with medley of herbs. Serve rice salad as a side dish.
   

Paella, which is another form of pilaf, is a traditional Spanish dish. This recipe makes use of mainly Chinese ingredients but layers up the rice similarly to how paella is cooked.

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
   

2. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the chicken, onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry for about 3 minutes.
   

3. Add the Chinese cooking wine and continue to fry for 1 minute longer, or until chicken is partially cooked (chicken turns brown on the surface).
   

4. Stir in the rice and the 3 cups water or stock and mix well with the chicken. Cover rice cooker and cook rice. (Time to cook the rice varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
   

5. About 10 to 12 minutes before the rice is completely cooked (when the rice is almost dry), add the shrimp and bell peppers on top of the rice and continue to cook until the rice is completely done. During this time, the steam generated by the cooking process will cook the shrimp (shrimp turns pink when cooked).
   

6. Set the rice cooker on Warm for about 15 minutes before serving.
   

Do You Know?

Red onions are typically used raw or minimally cooked, while white and yellow onions are usually used for longer cooking. Typically, a darker-fleshed onion is milder and sweeter than others. However, that is not always true. A shallot is also a member of the onion family, but is formed in bulbs like garlic rather than like onions. Shallots are milder in flavor, and thus sometimes are used interchangeably with small red onions.

This is best served as a side dish with grilled fish and roasted vegetables.

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water until the water is not “cloudy” anymore. Drain rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
   

2. Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry about 5 minutes until shallots are soft.
   

3. Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat the rice well with butter and shallots. Add the water or chicken stock to the rice, cover the rice cooker, and cook until the rice is done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
   

4. When the rice is done, add the lemon zest and drizzle lemon juice into the rice. Mix well by fluffing up the rice.
   

5. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the rice to taste. Keep the rice cooker at Warm for about 5 minutes before serving.
   

You can try a different variety of nuts in this recipe, but remember to finely chop nuts that are bigger in size to get a balanced bite and texture in the rice. You want to have a consistent bite in every spoonful of rice.

1. Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice and leave it in the pot.
   

2. Add enough Chicken Stock to cover the rice by about ½ inch. Add the turmeric, star anise, cardamon, and cloves and mix well. Cover the pot, set to Cook, and cook until the rice is done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
   

3. When the rice is cooked, top with the green and red bell peppers and pine nuts.
   

4. Turn the rice cooker to Warm for about 15 minutes, and add salt and pepper, then fluff up the rice before serving.
   

Do You Know?

Cardamom comes in several forms. The pod, which is the preferred form and retains aroma and flavor well and for a long period; the seed, which is generally crushed or ground prior to use; and ground cardamom, which is usually used because it's the most convenient but compromises slightly on freshness and full flavor.