Cooking with a Rice Cooker: What did you make?

[TdeV]

Just succumbed to whispers from The eGullet Enablers (including @palo, @weinoo, @JoNorvelleWalker, and many others). Bought a Zojirushi NW-JEC10 Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker manufactured in Japan. Although there are many eG threads for discussions of rice cookers, I couldn't find a thread showing what people have cooked.

 

One of my purchase triggers was Beth Hensperger's Ultimate Rice Cooker cookbook which recipes often include pre-cooking onions, garlic, mirepoix, etc. in the rice cooker bowl before the rice goes in. Nothing in the manual or Zojirushi's recipe website include any instructions for pre-cooking (how to warm up the rice bowl, what temperature to set it to, etc.). Does anyone pre-cook vegetables or meat in their rice cooker?

 

Zo's website instructions suggest pre-cooking in a separate pan. So that's what I did yesterday using some old shiitake mushrooms, and dehydrated mushrooms covered with boiling water and 1 tablespoon of each: soy sauce, mirin and cooking sake. Mushrooms drained (soaking water reserved). Into sauté pan (with olive oil) went sliced shiitake and reconsituted mushrooms and 1/2 cup soaking water for 5 minutes or so. This netted about 2 cups mushrooms. 2 go basmati rice into cooker, remaining soaking water + water. No added salt.

 

Tasted okay. I'm incredibly curious about what else can be done!

 

 

[ElsieD]

I have the Zo 5 cup non-induction one.  I have used it quite a bit and really like it, but one thing I tried was sauting an onion in it before carrying on with adding the rest of the ingredients.  It took so long that I finished them on the stove and then added the onions back into the rice cooker.  Maybe the induction ones do a better job of this than the non-induction ones.

[weinoo]

I just don't think that rice cookers are great for sautéing stuff.

[rotuts]

@TdeV 

 

I  think you have a fine RiceCooker , and the Ultimate book is outstanding

 

if you want to add something w saute like characteristics 

 

do that separately .

 

then , decide when you add it to the Rice Pot .

 

at the beginning ?  the Middle  of cooking ?  at the end ?

 

think about it.

 

Ive enjoyed adding ( at the  beginning )

 

slices of ginger ( sliced from frozen )  

 

and lemon grass   ( not easy for me to get , so from peeled Fz )

 

in slices easily retrieved from the finished rice.

 

and , my favorite   chinese sausage ( de skinned , sliced USA versions )

 

porky , a bit sweet   Ive added 1/2 way though k thinking a full cycle would be too

 

long for the sausage      but who knows.

 

so think :  at the beginning ?   midway though the cooking ?   at the end , and let steep for a bit.

 

RC's are wonderful and versital push button items .

 

no WiFI or BluTooth (  just yet   )

[heidih]

My Zo is at least 30years old and has suffered a few falls. But I use it often.  Many here set some lap cheong (Chinese sausage) on top and let it flavor the rice. God-daughter prefers the sausage with bok choi in steamer and the coco rice alongside.The furthest I go from water + rice is my coconut rice and sometimes peas. Use half coconut milk for the liquid, bit of chicken powder, pinch of S& B Oriental curry powder,  few saffron threads. For the pea version I simmer on stove a handful of split peas in some water until 1/2 done and add that at beginning, adjusting liquid amount. As peas break down the end result is a bit crusty on the bottom like a tahdig. When dings done add good handful of minced cilantro and thin sliced green onion or garlic chives (about to flower preferred). Nuoc mam or your spicy sauce preference alongside. I've also set some boneless skinless fish filets on top and they happily steam along. As @weinoo stated tryng to sautee in it is not so great. To me like using the crock pot for slow cooking and pre-sauteeing ingredients. Well then just cook over low flame and save pot cleaning. 

[lindag]

16 hours ago, TdeV said:

Just succumbed to whispers from The eGullet Enablers (including @palo, @weinoo, @JoNorvelleWalker, and many others). Bought a Zojirushi NW-JEC10 Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker manufactured in Japan. Although there are many eG threads for discussions of rice cookers, I couldn't find a thread showing what people have cooked.

 

One of my purchase triggers was Beth Hensperger's Ultimate Rice Cooker cookbook which recipes often include pre-cooking onions, garlic, mirepoix, etc. in the rice cooker bowl before the rice goes in. Nothing in the manual or Zojirushi's recipe website include any instructions for pre-cooking (how to warm up the rice bowl, what temperature to set it to, etc.). Does anyone pre-cook vegetables or meat in their rice cooker?

 

Zo's website instructions suggest pre-cooking in a separate pan. So that's what I did yesterday using some old shiitake mushrooms, and dehydrated mushrooms covered with boiling water and 1 tablespoon of each: soy sauce, mirin and cooking sake. Mushrooms drained (soaking water reserved). Into sauté pan (with olive oil) went sliced shiitake and reconsituted mushrooms and 1/2 cup soaking water for 5 minutes or so. This netted about 2 cups mushrooms. 2 go basmati rice into cooker, remaining soaking water + water. No added salt.

 

Tasted okay. I'm incredibly curious about what else can be done!

 

 

 

You will be  forever grateful to us for enabling your purchase.

[TdeV]

@lindag, I wanted to laugh. But thanking you came first. 😀