8 Dishes You Can Make In A Rice Cooker Besides Rice

A rice cooker is a must have for most households. However, most people use this precious home appliance for only one purpose; making rice. Unknown to them is the number of dishes they can make with a rice cooker. It is designed such that when the rice boils the thermostat senses when the water has been absorbed and reduces to a simmer keeping the rice at the right temperature until you serve. It sounds very intelligent but trusts me you are smarter. By pressing cook again, you can trick the thermostat to allow the cooker to cook whatever you want. In general, there are over 200 dishes that you can prepare with a rice cooker, but in this article, I will take you through eight dishes you can make.

Steam vegetables

Steam vegetables: for the vegetable lover steaming is the best way to cook and preserve the flavors and nutrients. Cooking them with a stove can render them over cooked or even lose their fiber. The solution is to use the rice cooker to steam them. You just put water at the bottom and place the steaming tray and your vegetables. Turn the cooker on and wait for 10-15 minutes. You will have your delicious vegetables without even breaking a sweat.

Banana bread

Few people are aware of how effective a rice cooker can double up like an oven. All you have to do is mix your ingredients; flour, eggs, sugar, milk and bananas. Then place them in the pot of the rice cooker, mix them, and let it stand for 45 minutes. You will have a nicely baked banana bread that has cooked from top to bottom. You can now serve it for breakfast or as a snack.

Boiled eggs

You can easily make boiled eggs, and due to its deep pot, you can boil many eggs at once. The eggs will be very easy to peel. They will technically be steamed and not boiled since the rice cooker uses heat to steam. However, steaming the eggs using the rice cooker will most probably not save you time versus using a stove, but it will be an easier, hands-free way of making boiled eggs. We prefer boiled eggs in the morning when we wake up. At times you are too lazy in the morning to light a stove. You now need not do that because you can boil your eggs hands-free and effortlessly.

Pasta Cubano

If you have little knowledge on cubano foods and perhaps begins and ends with sandwich and ham, it is time to expand your Cubano foods horizons. You can use beef and pepper; brown them in a cooking pan and then transfer them to a rice cooker. Add pasta and other ingredients and remember to use olive oil. The result you will get with the rice cooker will be excellent you would not want to have them any other way. Pasta is very popular in Italy and most European countries. They have also been a preference food for most people in the US. If you want to learn how to make pasta cubano forget the traditional and conventional methods and instead use the simplified rice cooker method. You will thank me later.

Chicken chili

If you did not know, you can make all forms of meat with a rice cooker. I like to make my chicken chili. The ingredients are onions, olive oil, red pepper, ground cumin, and garlic. Prepare them and throw them in the pot. After the paste is ready, then throw in your chicken breasts, wings or drumrolls after rubbing them with the paste then slide in the lid and let it cook. You can let them cook as you watch Netflix or handle other chores in the house. The rice cooker will automatically switch off after the chicken is ready. It will give you a rather outstanding taste since it is tightly sealed hence not losing any flavor.

Chocolate lava cake

As we have already established, a rice cooker can very well mimic an oven and make great cakes. The recipe for making them is simple and its way easier to bake with a rice cooker than an oven. If you do not have an oven or it is just too tiring to warm it, you need not worry anymore because the cooker has got you covered. If you are planning to give a chocolate cake to a loved one, they will definitely tell the difference when you have baked it with a cooker instead of an oven.

Dried beans

We know what a mess beans can leave in your kitchen when boiling on a stove. The brown soup has a tendency to spill all over. When you use a rice cooker, you will have an entirely different experience. The lid is tight leaving no spillage at all. You just soak the beans overnight and drop them in the pot half water and half beans. Then switch the cooker on and let them boil for an hour or so. The dried beans will cook fast and with ease. They will also be well cooked and leave no mess.

Yogurt

The first time I decided to make yogurt with my rice cooker I thought I was going nuts. I am sure you are thinking the same thing too, but it is a real thing. Before I used to make it using my crockpot but when it failed to work, and I needed to make yogurt, I decided to use the rice cooker. I was surprised that it actually worked. If you find yourself in need for homemade yogurt, and you do not have a crock pot do not worry because you can actually do that with your rice cooker.

As we have identified, there are several foods you can comfortably make with your rice cooker other than rice. The possible combinations are endless. It is an easy and efficient way to make foods. For those in college that find it hard to find enough cooking hours you can cut the hours with a rice cooker. The results will be completely amazing. There are also other foods that you can make the list does not end with the eight I have listed here. When you are alone in the kitchen, you can take an adventure and discover other possible combinations of doing the same. You will save time and perhaps share your discovery with other adventurous cooks like yourself.