Rice Cookers

[weinoo]

Has anyone asked? Have I asked?

 

Tonight, I am trying something with my Zo for the first time - a full meal - that is, Japanese rice, dashi, sake, mirin, chicken thigh, carrots, mushrooms, seasonings, etc. all in at the same time, and it's currently cooking.

 

I borrowed this book (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) from the library...

 

 

Am I in for a disaster? Actually, I worry as much about ruining my rice cooker as I do having a lousy dinner.  I mean, this is the type of dish I generally make in the donabe, but shouldn't the rice cooker work?

 

[Anna N]

12 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Am I in for a disaster?

You will be just fine. See!

[weinoo]

Just now, Anna N said:

You will be just fine. See!

 

That's exactly what it's called!!

[weinoo]

This is kind of exciting.

 

I have some stoned parsley.

[Anna N]

11 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I have some stoned parsley.

Euphemism for weed?

[Anna N]

Stone parsley? 

Sounds revolting.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, weinoo said:

Has anyone asked? Have I asked?

 

Tonight, I am trying something with my Zo for the first time - a full meal - that is, Japanese rice, dashi, sake, mirin, chicken thigh, carrots, mushrooms, seasonings, etc. all in at the same time, and it's currently cooking.

 

I borrowed this book (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) from the library...

 

 

Am I in for a disaster? Actually, I worry as much about ruining my rice cooker as I do having a lousy dinner.  I mean, this is the type of dish I generally make in the donabe, but shouldn't the rice cooker work?

 

 

You are brave or trashed.  I've read the book.  I'd worry most about making a mess out of my priceless Zojirushi.  Speaking as someone who once managed to make a mess of her donabe.

 

[rotuts]

ive made many of the ' complete ' Rx's

 

from the Ultimate book.

 

they work well , and adding in the ease factor

 

are quite nice

 

Paella and risotto  come to mind.

 

believe it or not .

 

of course , you have to use the proper rice 

Edited August 31, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[weinoo]

8 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

You are brave or trashed.  I've read the book.  I'd worry most about making a mess out of my priceless Zojirushi.  Speaking as someone who once managed to make a mess of her donabe.

 

 

Mine is certainly not as priceless as yours!  And I couldn't wrap my arms around how the rice/chicken/mushroom dish I was contemplating could make any more of a mess than cooking something straightforward like oats or congee. 

 

And it didn't!  What came out was what one might call dinner; certainly not inspiring, certainly not winning any Michelin stars, but dinner. Probably a little tastier in the donabe, because I work on getting a little crust in there on the bottom of the rice. Interestingly, there was a bit of crust/browned rice in spots in this prep, but as opposed to be chewier/crisper, it wasn't - it just had the look.

 

Now, if I was prepping dinner for like 3 kids and a salaryman every night, I could see this being a godsend. However...

 

I'm sure I'll try it again - I'm currently unable to do much with my cutting hand, as there are a dozen or so stitches in there, so it was nice to make a one-pot meal.

[KennethT]

Isn't that kind of like biryani?

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I'm sure I'll try it again - I'm currently unable to do much with my cutting hand, as there are a dozen or so stitches in there, so it was nice to make a one-pot meal.

Sorry about your hand!  Was the dish you made close to the one from the Zojirushi site? I keep meaning to make that one but the stars never quite align. 

[weinoo]

23 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Sorry about your hand!  Was the dish you made close to the one from the Zojirushi site? I keep meaning to make that one but the stars never quite align. 

 

Yes, almost exactly the same (they (Zoji)) possibly just borrowed the recipe from the book I was looking at, adjusting the quantities slightly down.

 

And now I think I know what the mixed rice setting is for!

[Anna N]

My guess would be that the copying is the other way around. And yes, the meaning of “mixed rice” setting emerges from the fog. 

[rotuts]

my 3 cup induction Zo 

 

has  a white rice / mixed rice setting 

 

as one selection.

 

in the manual :

 

White rice :  40 - 50 min

 

mixed rice :  40 to 60 min.

 

I think the Fuzzy takes over at some point

 

and adjusts the final minutes based on how the rice

 

absorbs the last amount of ' free ' water.

 

[Anna N]

13 minutes ago, rotuts said:

my 3 cup induction Zo 

 

has  a white rice / mixed rice setting 

 

as one selection.

 

in the manual :

 

White rice :  40 - 50 min

 

mixed rice :  40 to 60 min.

 

I think the Fuzzy takes over at some point

 

and adjusts the final minutes based on how the rice

 

absorbs the last amount of ' free ' water.

 

I think you may be right. But certainly “mixed rice” labelling of the setting can be quite confusing. I think many people would assume a mixture of rice types before considering a mixture of rice and other ingredients.  

[weinoo]

4 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I think you may be right. But certainly “mixed rice” labelling of the setting can be quite confusing. I think many people would assume a mixture of rice types before considering a mixture of rice and other ingredients.  

 

This is exactly what I think or thought. Like if you're cooking a wild rice mixed with other rices or something. Now where'd you find that recipe on the Zo site (I'm having trouble)? Because if I just go to the Zo site and look for recipes, they all seem to be of the kind where the rice is cooked separately and stuff is tossed with or added to it.

 

is there a Zo app?

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

Isn't that kind of like biryani?

 

Ken - isn't this how biryani is prepared?

 

Quote

In biryani, meat (and vegetables, if present) and rice are cooked separately before being layered and cooked together for the gravy to absorb into the rice

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biryani

 

If so, then while the results may be similar, it's a little different prep.  

 

Also different from paella where first ingredients are sautéed in olive oil before the rice is added. Same as risotto. 

[Anna N]

20 minutes ago, weinoo said:

is there a Zo app?

If there is I’m not aware of it. This is where I go 

Click

[Anna N]

6 minutes ago, Anna N said:

If there is I’m not aware of it. This is where I go 

Click

I just looked at other recipes on the site I linked to and most appear to be as you say.prepared separately with only the rice made in the rice cooker. 

[weinoo]

7 minutes ago, Anna N said:

If there is I’m not aware of it. This is where I go 

Click

 

Which is where I go - but still, if you don't know the Japanese name for the dish I made, it is hard to find in there.

 

Also, are there any other recipes on that site, which cook everything together in the rice cooker? (Hence, my belief that they borrowed the recipe from my linked book).

[weinoo]

And slightly cross posted with you.

[Anna N]

Just now, weinoo said:

 

Which is where I go - but still, if you don't know the Japanese name for the dish I made, it is hard to find in there.

 

Also, are there any other recipes on that site, which cook everything together in the rice cooker? (Hence, my belief that they borrowed the recipe from my linked book).

Without working my way through every recipe on the site I can’t answer that question. But it is a recognized Japanese preparation which is what makes me think it appeared there first. 

[KennethT]

29 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Ken - isn't this how biryani is prepared?

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biryani

 

If so, then while the results may be similar, it's a little different prep.  

 

Also different from paella where first ingredients are sautéed in olive oil before the rice is added. Same as risotto. 

I think it depends on what type of biryani you make.  I was referring (but I didn't say it, whoops) to a "dum biryani" which means that everything is cooked together in a sealed vessel.  Typically, you would par cook basmati rice, then layer it in the pot with spices and the raw meat, seal then cook with a minimal amount of liquid to create some steam.

[weinoo]

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

But it is a recognized Japanese preparation which is what makes me think it appeared there first. 

 

My thinking is a little different, and possibly a little more cynical than yours!

 

Like I'm wondering if they've always been worried about offering all-in-one recipes to cook in the rice cooker, worrying that they would end up having to answer to people who have screwed up their rice cookers.  Then, the cookbooks about using rice cookers as all-in-one cooking appliances came out, and they said the hell with it - put that recipe up on our site!!

[weinoo]

4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Typically, you would par cook basmati rice, then layer it in the pot with spices and the raw meat, seal then cook with a minimal amount of liquid to create some steam.

 

That makes sense.  I suppose there are (there is?) a plethora of recipes which might be adaptable to the rice cooker: arroz con pollo is just one that comes to mind, for example.

 

And I guess almost any of the donabe rice recipes...in theory. 

Edited August 31, 2022 by weinoo (log)