The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook (29 page)

1. Add snow fungus, honey dates, and rock sugar to the rice cooker pot. Add the 4 cups water, or enough to submerge the ingredients. Cover rice cooker, set to Cook, and bring to a boil.
   

2. Once boiling, switch to Warm, add screwpine leaves, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
   

3. Add the ginkgo and sugar or honey (as preferred). Ladle into dessert bowls to serve.
   

You can add the 1 stalk of bruised lemongrass to infuse more aroma into this drink.

1. Add the water to rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When water boils, add the sugar and honey and stir about 5 to 8 minutes to dissolve. Switch off rice cooker and allow mixture to cool.
   

2. Add lemon and grapefruit juices into the sugar syrup and mix well. Pour into a jug, for ease of serving the drink later.
   

3. Add the basil and some crushed ice before serving.
   

Cooking Tip

If any of the grapefruit was not needed for the juice, you can peel the fruit, remove membranes, and cut the segments into smaller pieces to be added to the lemonade.

As a variation, you can use cantaloupe instead of honeydew, or use some of each. These fruits give an added texture to the dessert.

1. Add the snow fungus, sugar, and water to the rice cooker pot. Cover, set to Cook, and bring to a boil.
   

2. Once boiling, switch rice cooker to Warm and simmer for 1 hour. Remove snow fungus and allow to cool. (Leave the remaining water in the pot.) Once cooled, cut snow fungus into small pieces and divide evenly into serving bowls.
   

3. Cover the rice cooker, set to Cook, and bring remaining water in the rice cooker to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and then slowly stir in both milks. Mix well.
   

4. Ladle milk mixture into the serving bowls with snow fungus and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, until the mixture is cold.
   

5. Before serving, add the honeydew cubes.
   

Do not use frozen (stored) ginger to make this. Even when thawed, the ginger may contain too much moisture and cause the oil to spit when frying.

Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the ginger and fry for about 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Cover the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying and make sure the ginger strips do not burn. Set aside the fried ginger strips on paper towel to drain off excess oil. Stored in an airtight container, they can be left outside at room temperature for about 1 week.

Sprinkling fried shallots over Asian soups and noodles will make any dish extra flavorful.

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 to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Cover rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying and make sure the shallots do not burn.

Fried garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few months.

Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the garlic and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Cover rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying and make sure the garlic does not burn.

Serve this as an appetizing condiment with steamed rice, coconut-based dishes, or pan-fried fish.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the pot starts to get warm, add the ginger and chili and fry about 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
   

2. Add pineapple, salt, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar and stir constantly for about 6 to 8 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking, until the pineapple looks shiny and glossy.
   

This mango chutney is a sweet-spicy condiment, mild on the spice and easy to make. Store the chutney in airtight containers in the fridge and consume within five days.

1. Cover the rice cooker and set to cook. When the base of the pot starts to get warm, add the mustard seeds. When seeds start to pop around in about 2 to 3 minutes, add the remaining ingredients and mix well in the pot, stirring occasionally to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
   

2. In about 8 to 10 minutes, when “sticking” is frequent, reduce the heat by switching the rice cooker to Warm. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until mixture thickens.
   

3. Dish out the chutney and allow it to cool.
   

This is an easy chili condiment you can make at home. This chili condiment is also called sambal in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

1. Combine shallots and chilies in a food processor and blend into a paste.
   

2. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the pot gets warm, add the chili paste and fry about 5 minutes until mixture becomes fragrant, switching the rice cooker to Warm if mixture gets too hot and starts to splatter.
   

3. Add the brown sugar and salt and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
   

This can be a good dipping sauce for boiled chicken, or lettuce-wrapped chicken rolls.

1. Combine water or chicken stock, brown sugar, green onions, and ginger in a small heatproof glass bowl. Set aside.
   

2. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. Wait for about 5 minutes until the oil gets very hot but is not smoking.
   

3. Slowly pour the hot oil into the ginger mixture. (It will sizzle for a few seconds.) Allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes to cool before serving.
   

Bottled peanut sauce is readily available in Asian supermarkets. However, if you make your own, you can control the ingredients much better. Add some pineapple cubes to the peanut sauce as a variation.

1. Blend the chilies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and 1 tablespoon oil in food processor until mixture reaches a finely chopped consistency.
   

2. Add remaining oil in the rice cooker. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. When base of rice cooker pot is warm, add the blended mixture and fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process.
   

3. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, salt, and sugar. Cover rice cooker and bring to a slight simmer. Switch to Warm when mixture starts to bubble and stir well until sauce thickens.
   

4. Once thick, transfer to a bowl and allow sauce to cool.
   

Nuts that need to be toasted can be dry-fried in this way, similar to toasting sesame seeds.

Cover rice cooker and set to Cook. When the base of the pot gets warm, add the almonds and stir until golden brown.

For topping variations, try canned corn kernels or diced bell peppers.

1. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. When the base of the pot gets warm, add one pita (one pita each batch) to the bottom of the rice cooker; sprinkle ham and pineapple over the top. Cover the rice cooker to heat the pizza for 3 to 5 minutes, until toppings are warmed and pita bread becomes crispy at the base.
   

2. Toward the end of cooking, add the cheeses, cover rice cooker, and continue to cook about 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Continue the same for the remaining pita bread. Serve warm.
   

Create stuffed egg rolls with some eggs and leftover fried rice. It brings new life to the leftovers.

1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with green onions, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
   

2. Add half the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add about half the quantity of the whisked egg (in each batch). Make sure the eggs cover the base of the pot in each batch. Allow the eggs to cook in the oil about 8 to 10 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally, until a thin round “plain omelet” is formed (taking care not to let the egg to burn under prolonged cooking). Remove the omelet and set aside on a paper towel to drain the oil. Repeat with remaining whisked egg.
   

3. To assemble, lay the omelets on a flat surface, place rice in the center of each, fold up the edges, and roll up to enclose the rice.
   

Rice cookers measure size or capacity by cups, ranging from 1 to 10 cups (10 cups equivalent to about 1.8 liters). The smallest rice cooker is about 0.6 liter and can cook up to 3 cups of rice, whereas the largest rice cookers, typically those for commercial use, are about 4.2 liters and can cook about 23 cups of rice. You should not buy an extremely small or large unit unless you need it. A larger unit also is more expensive to operate because it draws higher voltage and power. The recommended rice cooker size for a family of three to four is 1.8 liter, which can cook up to 10 cups of rice and allows enough real estate within the inner pan to do other cooking besides cooking rice. Generally, because serving size differs in the East and West, the exact measurement of a “cup” in the rice cookers also differs. For example, one Japanese cup is 200 milliliters, as compared to one American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Be aware of such differences and adjust any recipes accordingly.

The range of inner pans is almost as varied as that of pans you would choose to use on the stovetop. Rice cookers now come with nonstick pans, anodized aluminum pans, and even stainless steel pans. Choose a rice cooker with the inner pan you prefer to work with. For example, if you do not like to spend too much time cleaning, choose a rice cooker with a nonstick pan. An anodized aluminum pan may allow better dissipation of heat for cooking.

The basic models usually come with a metal lid. If there is no extra cost for it, a clear glass or plastic lid is best, as this helps you to “eyeball” cooking or steaming without lifting up the lid and losing heat while cooking.

Depending on the model, rice cooker units may come with a steamer basket or perforated metal tray that sits above the rice so that steaming can be done as the rice cooks. The inner pan can also be filled with water to boil, and in effect, steam the food in the steamer tray. There are other models that even have a small tray or pot that sits right at the bottom of the rice cooker pan, above the cooking element. A steamer tray is considered a very useful accessory, allowing the rice cooker to serve “double duty” as a steamer.

This switch automatically switches to Warm when the inner thermostat in the rice cooker detects the temperature exceeding a pre-designated Cook temperature limit (usually 100°C to 120°C or 212°F to 248°F). The Keep Warm mode usually operates at about 65°C or above, which means some rice cookers can safely keep rice warm for up to twelve hours. This switch can be intentionally turned to the Keep Warm mode when cooking other food and when heat (temperature) control will be helpful. For example, when you stir-fry in the pan, start with Cook function. When the next step calls for simmering at slightly lower heat, switch the cooker manually to Keep Warm. Most basic Cook and Keep Warm rice cooker models allow you to do this. Read the rice cooker manual to learn what can or cannot be done.

Nothing is more important than safety when operating an appliance, especially an appliance such as the rice cooker, which might be left unattended during cooking. This will trip the fuse and prevent possible fires.