by Hui Leng Tay
Clean out the rice cooker pot and wipe dry. Add the butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots turn soft.
Add the tomatoes and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the rice, beans, and the 2 cups water or stock and mix well with the shallots and tomatoes.
Add the garam masala and salt, and mix well with rice. Cover rice cooker and cook the rice until done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
After rice is cooked, do not open the cover immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes to vent off the remaining steam. Fluff up the rice before serving.
Shrimp Pilaf
By definition, “pilaf” means rice cooked in seasoned broth with poultry or seafood and sometimes tomatoes. In the United States, pilaf is usually served as a side dish accompanying a main course such as grilled fish. Essentially, Indian Vegetable Biryani is also considered a kind of pilaf.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons butter, divided use
6 shallots, thinly sliced
1½ cups diced tomatoes, with juice
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup water
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
2½ cups Shrimp Stock
½ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain the rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
Clean out the rice cooker pot and wipe dry. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the rice cooker pot, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until shallots turn soft.
Add the tomatoes and chili powder and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the grated ginger, garam masala, salt, and water. Mix well. Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 8 minutes until the shrimp cook through (turn pink) and the gravy slightly reduces, being sure to cover the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Dish out the shrimp mixture and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the rice cooker pot. When base of cooker pot gets warm, add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and fry until fragrant.
Add the rinsed rice and Shrimp Stock to the pot and mix well with the spices. Cover the rice cooker, switch to Cook and cook the rice until done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
After rice is cooked, do not open the cover immediately. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to vent off the remaining steam. Fluff up the rice and gently slide the shrimp mixture back over the top of the rice before serving. Garnish with cilantro.
Basmati Rice
This long-grain variety is typically used in Indian cooking and is characterized by the thinness of the grain and its fragrance. Basmati rice grains tend to stay whole and separate when cooked with oil and spices.
Rice Salad
Popularly known as Nasi Ulam in Malaysia, this is an herb-based rice dish or simply a rice salad with a variety of herbs and vegetables.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
6 whole round cabbage leaves
4 long beans, cut into halves
2 shallots (or small red onions), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 cups warm cooked rice
½ cup finely chopped herb medley (mint leaves, kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves, cilantro leaves)
Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. Place the cabbage and long beans on a plate that will fit into the steamer insert or basket. When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket that holds the plate of vegetables into the rice cooker and steam for 6 to 8 minutes, with the cooker covered, until the vegetables become tender. Set aside to cool. When cooled, finely slice the cabbage and dice the long beans. Drain excess moisture from the vegetables.
While waiting for vegetables to cool, prepare salad dressing by combining the shallots and lime juice in a bowl. Set aside.
Mix the vegetables and the dressing in a deep mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice and mix with medley of herbs. Serve rice salad as a side dish.
Asian “Paella”
Paella, which is another form of pilaf, is a traditional Spanish dish. This recipe makes use of mainly Chinese ingredients but layers up the rice similarly to how paella is cooked.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound boneless chicken pieces (thighs and breasts), chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup finely chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
3 cups water or stock
10 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced into bite-sized pieces
½ cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the chicken, onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry for about 3 minutes.
Add the Chinese cooking wine and continue to fry for 1 minute longer, or until chicken is partially cooked (chicken turns brown on the surface).
Stir in the rice and the 3 cups water or stock and mix well with the chicken. Cover rice cooker and cook rice. (Time to cook the rice varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
About 10 to 12 minutes before the rice is completely cooked (when the rice is almost dry), add the shrimp and bell peppers on top of the rice and continue to cook until the rice is completely done. During this time, the steam generated by the cooking process will cook the shrimp (shrimp turns pink when cooked).
Set the rice cooker on Warm for about 15 minutes before serving.
Do You Know?
Red onions are typically used raw or minimally cooked, while white and yellow onions are usually used for longer cooking. Typically, a darker-fleshed onion is milder and sweeter than others. However, that is not always true. A shallot is also a member of the onion family, but is formed in bulbs like garlic rather than like onions. Shallots are milder in flavor, and thus sometimes are used interchangeably with small red onions.
Easy Lemon Buttered Rice
This is best served as a side dish with grilled fish and roasted vegetables.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cups water or Chicken Stock
Zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water until the water is not “cloudy” anymore. Drain rice and set aside in a separate bowl.
Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry about 5 minutes until shallots are soft.
Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat the rice well with butter and shallots. Add the water or chicken stock to the rice, cover the rice cooker, and cook until the rice is done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
Wh
en the rice is done, add the lemon zest and drizzle lemon juice into the rice. Mix well by fluffing up the rice.
Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the rice to taste. Keep the rice cooker at Warm for about 5 minutes before serving.
Easy Spiced Rice with Peppers and Pine Nuts
You can try a different variety of nuts in this recipe, but remember to finely chop nuts that are bigger in size to get a balanced bite and texture in the rice. You want to have a consistent bite in every spoonful of rice.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
3 cups Chicken Stock
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 star anise pod
3 or 4 cardamom pods
3 or 4 whole cloves
½ cup diced green bell peppers
½ cup diced red bell peppers
½ cup pine nuts
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice and leave it in the pot.
Add enough Chicken Stock to cover the rice by about ½ inch. Add the turmeric, star anise, cardamon, and cloves and mix well. Cover the pot, set to Cook, and cook until the rice is done. (Cooking time varies with the type of rice cooker used. Most automatic rice cookers will switch to Warm when the rice is cooked.)
When the rice is cooked, top with the green and red bell peppers and pine nuts.
Turn the rice cooker to Warm for about 15 minutes, and add salt and pepper, then fluff up the rice before serving.
Do You Know?
Cardamom comes in several forms. The pod, which is the preferred form and retains aroma and flavor well and for a long period; the seed, which is generally crushed or ground prior to use; and ground cardamom, which is usually used because it's the most convenient but compromises slightly on freshness and full flavor.
Ground Beef and Rice Soup
To make a more robust rice soup, you can substitute leeks for the shallots or use a mixture of both to increase the depth and flavor.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
2 tablespoons butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ pound ground beef
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine
8 cups water
3 cups warm cooked rice, divided among 4 serving bowls
3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry for about 5 minutes until shallots are soft.
Add the garlic and continue to fry for about 1 minute.
Add the ground beef, soy sauce, and white pepper. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Add the Chinese cooking wine and fry for 1 minute.
Add the water. When soup mixture in the rice cooker boils, switch the rice cooker to Warm and simmer for about 15 minutes, until beef cooks through.
Before serving, ladle soup over cooked rice in serving bowls. Garnish with green onions.
Fish Kedgeree
Traditionally, kedgeree is a dish of flaked fish, cooked rice, hard-boiled eggs, and butter. Make it flexible, your way, by using leftover cooked fish (preferably grilled), fresh fish cooked on the same day, or canned fish.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
½ pound salmon
2 tablespoons butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 cups warm cooked rice
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook. While the water is coming to a boil, place the salmon on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. When the water boils, place the plate that holds the salmon into the steamer insert or basket. Cover the rice cooker and steam for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon cooks through (turns to light pinkish orange). Set aside the salmon and break into bite-sized flakes.
Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Add the butter to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry about 5 minutes until shallots are soft, covering the rice cooker occasionally.
Add the garlic and continue to fry for about 1 minute, covering the rice cooker occasionally.
Add the cooked rice and flaked salmon and mix well to incorporate all the flavors.
Top with hard-boiled eggs, green onions, cilantro, black pepper, and salt. Switch rice cooker to Warm and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Cooking Tip
In addition to using leftover cooked fish, you also can whip up kedgeree easily when you have leftover hard-boiled eggs. If you will cook the hard-boiled eggs on the same day that you try this recipe, you can save time by boiling the eggs in the rice cooker before you steam the salmon. Place room-temperature eggs in the rice cooker, with enough cold water to cover them. Turn the rice cooker to Cook. Bring the water to a boil; continue boiling the eggs for 8 minutes with the rice cooker covered. Remove the eggs (leaving the boiling water in the pot) and run cold water over them. While the water in the rice cooker is still boiling, place the steamer insert or basket that holds the plate of salmon into the rice cooker, cover the cooker, and steam the salmon as directed in this recipe.
CHAPTER 6
Comfort Congee (Rice Porridge) and Grains
Fish Congee
Seafood Congee
Chicken Congee
Tuna and Corn Congee
Pork Congee
Pumpkin Congee
Sweet Potato Congee
Gojiberry Congee
Taro and Spinach Congee 88
Corn, Carrot, and Pea Congee
Fish Congee
There are two common types of fish congee in Asia. In one of them (this recipe) the fish is cooked together with the rice porridge, and the finished dish has a “gluey” consistency. The other is a fish soup ladled over fish slices and rice (similar to Halibut and Asparagus Soup).
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
1 cup long-grain rice
2 fish fillets (snapper, cod, sea bass), cut into about ¼-inch-thick slices
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine
4 to 6 cups water, less water for thicker consistency
1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon sesame oil, to be drizzled
Ground white pepper, to taste
¼ cup finely chopped green onions, for garnish
¼ cup Fried Ginger Strips, for garnish
Rinse rice well by gently swirling the rice in the cooker pot with 2 or 3 changes of cold water. Drain rice.
Combine the fish slices with salt, pepper, sesame oil, and Chinese cooking wine. Set in the fridge to marinate.
Add the rinsed rice and the water to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Add the ginger slices, stir the congee, and continue to cook for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally. During this process, adjust the amount of water depending on whether you like soupy or thick rice congee.
Add the marinated fish slices to the congee, partially cover the rice cooker, and bring to a boil again. The fish slices should be cooked (turns opaque) in about 5 minutes. (Do not overcook the fish by boiling the congee for too long.)
Dish out congee into serving bowls and drizzle each with two d
rops of sesame oil. Add a dash of pepper and garnish with green onions and Fried Ginger Strips before serving.
Rice Storage Tips
Place the opened rice package in an airtight container to help keep out moisture and rice weevils. Store the container in a dry, cool place.
Seafood Congee
To add variety, you can also add fish balls to your seafood congee. You can buy them already made or make your own as directed in Fishball (Dumpling) Soup.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
4 to 5 cups water, less water for thicker consistency
1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
½ cup shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced
½ cup fresh baby scallops
1 fish fillet (cod), thinly sliced
Ground white pepper, to taste
2 green onions, finely chopped, for garnish
Add rinsed rice and the water to rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When you hear the rice cooker making noises and see some over-bubbling of fluid at the lid, lift up the rice cooker cover. Add the ginger, stir well, and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes with the cover tilted slightly to vent the steam pressure, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns into a soft pulp.
