How to Cook More Than Rice in a Rice Cooker
You don't need a stove to whip up pasta, soup, vegetables, meat, or even dessert—all you need is a rice cooker!
Up next in Cooking Techniques (19 videos)
Pick up some new cooking techniques with the tips and tricks in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- A rice cooker
- A willingness to experiment
- Ingredients for your meal
- Time
- Seasonings
Steps
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Step 1
Get to know your cooker
Get to know your cooker: Basic models have two settings—'cook' and 'keep warm'—while high-end ones have more settings and different accessories such as a separate steaming tray. Basic models work fine for most recipes.
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Step 2
Cook pasta
Cook pasta: Put hot tap water into the cooker – three quarts for every pound of pasta. When it begins to boil, add the pasta. Leaving uncovered, let it return to a boil and cook until desired tenderness.
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Step 3
Make soups
Make a variety of soups. For seafood bisque, sauté garlic and shallots until translucent, add fish, wine, and stock; simmer for about 20 minutes, and add cream.
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Make a mirepoix – the basis for many homemade soups – by sautéing diced onion, carrots, and celery until the onion is translucent.
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Step 4
Cook vegetables
Steam vegetables right in your cooker. Then remove the veggies along with the water and saute some garlic and onions in a little olive oil in the cooker. Add the vegetables back and cook for another minute.
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The food on the bottom cooks faster because it’s closer to the heat source. Stir for even cooking.
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Step 5
Braise meat
Braise meat: Sear it in the cooker with either butter or olive oil; remove it while you cook a sauce of onions, brandy, wine, or whatever you like; then return the meat to the cooker and simmer for a few hours.
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Step 6
Make a jambalaya
Add shrimp, sausage, peppers, spices, tomato puree, and stock to rice to make jambalaya. Or cook rice in stock, stirring frequently for a creamy risotto.
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Step 7
Don’t forget dessert
Heat heavy cream and chopped dark chocolate to make fondue. Serve with cut up fruit and chunks of pound cake.
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A Japanese woman made bread in her rice cooker using a recipe from a baking-superhero cartoon.
