Un-fried Fried Rice
It may be surprising to learn that, even though I've lived in Asia for a full two years now, I have not yet used a rice cooker. Neither of my previous two apartments were furnished with one, and with space being limited, I had only my toaster oven as the extra appliance. Now, however, I have moved again, and there is a rice cooker here; and this weekend I got my first taste of how it works.
I don't mean to imply that I have spent the past 26 years of my life without eating or cooking rice. Of course, we probably eat more potatoes and pasta than rice in the Midwest, but rice is also a staple carb. It is just cooked on the stove instead, which works fine, though you have to be careful to ensure the water doesn't run out or the rice will scorch.
Over the years, as my interest in cooking has increased, I have heard of the benefits and versatility of the rice cooker. A couple of my former colleagues told me how you can cook vegetables alongside the rice, or how you can even use the rice cooker to make things like banana bread. I find this latter function particularly intriguing.
In preparation for using the rice cooker this weekend, I of course did some Internet research. I came across some helpful general articles here on Suite 101. They also had a link to an article from The New York Times, which even though it's 4 years old, is still very interesting and includes a couple of yummy-sounding recipes.
My first rice cooker meal was un-fried fried rice because I was in the mood for Chinese food. I began by putting a small amount of canola oil, along with chopped onion and carrot, into the rice cooker and turning it on to the cook setting. Then, I added frozen peas and canned corn (the baby corn at the grocery store looked like it was nearly rotting).
After a couple of minutes more, I added the rice and water and let the machine work its magic. When nearly all the water was cooked off, I added two eggs and stirred them in. For seasoning, I added a heaping spoonful of a Chinese jarred sauce called chili bean paste, which is a bit spicy and salty.
I am happy to report that my first rice cooker experience was a success, and I look forward to exploring it more. I'm thinking that rice cooker rice pudding, possibly with sweetened condensed milk, sounds absolutely scrumptious!
I don't mean to imply that I have spent the past 26 years of my life without eating or cooking rice. Of course, we probably eat more potatoes and pasta than rice in the Midwest, but rice is also a staple carb. It is just cooked on the stove instead, which works fine, though you have to be careful to ensure the water doesn't run out or the rice will scorch.
Over the years, as my interest in cooking has increased, I have heard of the benefits and versatility of the rice cooker. A couple of my former colleagues told me how you can cook vegetables alongside the rice, or how you can even use the rice cooker to make things like banana bread. I find this latter function particularly intriguing.
In preparation for using the rice cooker this weekend, I of course did some Internet research. I came across some helpful general articles here on Suite 101. They also had a link to an article from The New York Times, which even though it's 4 years old, is still very interesting and includes a couple of yummy-sounding recipes.
My first rice cooker meal was un-fried fried rice because I was in the mood for Chinese food. I began by putting a small amount of canola oil, along with chopped onion and carrot, into the rice cooker and turning it on to the cook setting. Then, I added frozen peas and canned corn (the baby corn at the grocery store looked like it was nearly rotting).
After a couple of minutes more, I added the rice and water and let the machine work its magic. When nearly all the water was cooked off, I added two eggs and stirred them in. For seasoning, I added a heaping spoonful of a Chinese jarred sauce called chili bean paste, which is a bit spicy and salty.
I am happy to report that my first rice cooker experience was a success, and I look forward to exploring it more. I'm thinking that rice cooker rice pudding, possibly with sweetened condensed milk, sounds absolutely scrumptious!
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