5. While the lamb is cooking, make the rice. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl along with the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ghee, and rose water; stir to combine. Close the cover and set the rice cooker for the regular cycle. Cook until the rice is fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the water and salt, stir to combine, and let the cycle complete.
6. Warm the milk in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Add the saffron threads, stir to combine, and set aside.
7. Add the reserved marinade to the lamb in the skillet; stir to combine. Season with the ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. When the marinade comes to a boil, cover the skillet and cook over the lowest heat possible until the lamb is tender and the marinade has almost cooked away, checking the liquid level occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat if the mixture appears to be in danger of burning.
8. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Scoop out about half of the rice into a medium-size bowl. Smooth the rice remaining in the rice cooker into an even layer. Sprinkle about half of the saffron milk over the rice in the rice cooker. Layer the lamb on top of the rice, arranging it in a smooth layer. Layer the onion filling on top of the lamb. (If desired, reserve a small amount of the onion mixture for garnish.) Top with the remaining rice, smoothing it with a rice paddle or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the rice with the remaining saffron milk. Close the cover and continue to steam on the Keep Warm cycle for 30 to 45 minutes.
9. Serve the biryani immediately. It can be served directly from the rice cooker bowl, or for a more elegant presentation, invert the rice cooker bowl onto a large platter with raised sides. Carefully remove the bowl and garnish, if desired, with the reserved onion filling.
zucchini and mungdal
This is a small-batch, very traditional dal recipe (double or triple the recipe, if necessary, and use a 10-cup rice cooker) using split mung, also known as yellow dal, known for being the most digestible of all the beans . While Indian food has a reputation for being hot because of the spices, dishes can be quite delicately flavored as well. This mild dal would be the Indian equivalent of chicken soup, as it has healing, nurturing qualities.
The important technique to master is initially heating the spices in oil. Leave the rice cooker cover open and listen until you hear the seeds start to pop or jump up in the bowl. You must immediately add the rest of the ingredients to stop the spices from overcooking or browning. If this does happen, just turn off the cooker, wipe out the oil and spices, discard, and start over, rather than ruin the flavor of an entire pot of soup. Buy black mustard seeds at a natural food store or Indian grocery; you will need them for both the dal and the rice. Asafoetida is available at Indian markets. Serve with whole wheat chapatis or tortilla flatbread, heated on a griddle, and a green salad.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
1¼ cups split mung dal
1½ tablespoons sunflower or sesame oil or ghee (clarified butter;)
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon mild curry powder
⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (optional)
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
¼ green chile pepper, seeded and minced, or 2 heaping tablespoons hot salsa
Juice of 1 large fresh lime (at least 2 tablespoons)
4½ cups water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups zucchini cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 recipe Simple Indian Rice
Freshly ground black pepper
1¼ cups cold yogurt or sour cream, plain or with 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger stirred in, for serving (optional)
1. Place the dal in a deep bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 2 hours at room temperature. Drain well.
2. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Place the oil in the rice bowl. When hot, add the mustard seeds. With the cover open, cook until the seeds just begin to pop, no longer. Immediately add the turmeric, curry powder, asafoetida (if using), ginger, chile, lime juice, drained dal, and water (take care, in case of splattering). Close the cover and reset for the regular cycle or let cook for 45 minutes, until the dal is soft.
3. Add the salt, coriander, and zucchini. Adjust the consistency with some more water if you want a thin dal. Close the cover and cook for 15 minutes longer.
4. To serve, spoon the Simple Indian Rice into bowls and sprinkle with some black pepper to taste, then top with the dal and cold plain or ginger yogurt, if desired. Dal can be made the day ahead and reheated.
CLICK TO SEE WHAT IS DAL ?
simple indian rice
MACHINE: Medium (6 cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular
YIELD: Serves 4
2 teaspoons sunflower or sesame oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup white basmati rice
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Place the oil in the rice bowl. When hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds. With the cover open, cook until the seeds just begin to pop, no longer. Immediately add the rice, water, lime juice, and salt; stir just to combine. Close the cover and reset for the regular cycle or let the regular cycle complete.
2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon, and add pepper to taste. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for up to 2 hours.
rice cooker paella
You will need a large (10-cup) rice cooker to prepare paella for 8; halve the recipe for medium (6-cup) machines. Don’t be tempted to make this without the saffron; it is essential. You can order it (rather) reasonably from Penzeys, the spice merchants. This paella, born in Julie’s kitchen, is a great dish for entertaining.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular
YIELD: Serves 8
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into ¾ -inch pieces
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips, the strips halved crosswise
1 cup seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes
2 ounces fully cooked smoked garlicky sausage (Spanish chorizo is traditional), sliced ⅓ inch thick
4 calamari (squid), cleaned, bodies cut into ⅓ -inch-wide rings, and each set of tentacles halved (about ⅓ cup total)
3 cups Arborio, Valencia, or other medium-grain white rice (not Japanese style)
5 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 11/2-inch lengths
½ cup small scallops
8 medium-size or large shrimp, shelled (tails left on) and deveined
½ cup frozen peas
8 small clams, washed in cold water to remove sand
1. In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
2. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the rice bowl. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring a few times, until soft
ened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and tomatoes, stir to combine, and close the cover. Cook, stirring a few times, until the tomatoes break down and the bell pepper softens, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage, calamari, rice, chicken, water, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine. A pinch at a time, crumble the saffron threads into the rice bowl. Close the cover and reset for the regular cycle or let the regular cycle complete. When the liquid boils (open the cooker occasionally to check, if yours doesn’t have a glass lid), add the green beans, stir quickly to combine, and close again.
CLICK TO SEE PAELLA
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, be ready to act quickly. Open the cover, toss in the scallops, and quickly stir them into the rice mixture. Place the shrimp around the border of the rice bowl, pressing them partway into the rice, so that their tails stick up. Sprinkle the peas over the entire surface of the rice. Nestle the clams about halfway into the rice, hinged sides down. Close the cover and let the paella steam until the clams open and the shrimp turn pink, about 15 minutes. Serve the paella immediately.
note: If the clams do not open, perhaps there is not enough heat remaining in the rice cooker. Take them out and put them in a medium-size saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. The clams should open in a few minutes. Throw out any that do not.
vegetable paella
Here is an unorthodox, vegetarian, and much simplified version of the elaborate Spanish paella. It is an excellent side dish or vegetarian entrée.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large (10cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular
YIELD: Serves 4
¼ cup olive oil
1 small dried red chile, broken
½ cup diced onion
½ medium-size red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
½ medium-size green bell pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, crushed between your fingers
1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
1 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1¼ cups Arborio, Valencia, or other medium-grain white rice (not Japanese style)
1¾ cups vegetable or chicken stock
Few saffron threads, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup fresh or frozen petite peas
1. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Place the oil in the rice bowl. When hot, add the chile, onion, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, paprika, zucchini, and tomatoes. Close the cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, stock, and saffron. Add the salt and black pepper to taste; stir just to combine. Close the cover and reset for the regular cycle or let the regular cycle complete.
2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, scatter the peas on top of the rice mixture. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This paella will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour. Serve hot.
arroz con pollo
There is no best recipe for arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice. Some feature yellow-tinted rice, some red, and, in some versions, the rice is not colored at all. Some are spicy with hot chiles; others are mild. Green olives and capers make their piquant appearance in many versions, especially those from Cuba or Puerto Rico. Some cooks use long-grain rice; others choose regular medium-grain or a risotto-type rice. Wine and beer are popular flavorings. Some versions of this dish are quite rich, with chicken skin, plenty of oil, and even bits of ham added. Ours is a deep yellowish red, accented with red bell pepper bits and bright green peas. Because we use skinless chicken and are careful with the oil, it’s relatively low in fat. The spicing is warm, not hot. We chose long-grain rice for its texture.
The yellow color comes not from saffron but achiote paste (pasta de achiote in Spanish). This is sold in a small brick form and is made from annatto seeds, which contribute a deep yellow color, as well as other spices. Achiote paste is available in Latin markets. The blocks we found were 3.5 ounces; we use about a quarter of one for this recipe. You cut or break off as much achiote paste as you need, then wrap the rest up airtight. If you can’t find achiote paste, you can try to find Bijol, a yellow coloring and seasoning that comes in a small red shaker. It contains annatto as well as food coloring. You don’t need much Bijol, maybe ½ teaspoon; add it when you add the liquid. If you are lucky enough to encounter annatto seeds themselves (try an Indian market if your local Latin market doesn’t carry them), you can make a brilliant yellow annatto oil by frying the seeds in a bit of vegetable or olive oil, then straining out the seeds. Use the oil to make the dish, and your rice will turn a lovely color without the use of artificial colorings. Or simply color the rice with turmeric, adding 1 teaspoon along with the liquid.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Quick Cook and/or regular
YIELD: Serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-size red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch square pieces
2 cups long-grain white rice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup lukewarm water, plus more water as needed
About 1 tablespoon achiote paste (use less, 1 to 2 teaspoons, if you don’t want a warmly spicy dish)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes (or use canned, reserving their juices)
One 12-ounce bottle medium- or light-bodied beer
1 cup frozen peas
1. Cut each chicken thigh in two. Place the chicken pieces on a plate and season them with half the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes.
2. In a heavy medium-size nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. When hot, brown the chicken pieces on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. As they are browned, transfer them to a clean plate and set aside.
3. Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or regular cycle. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the rice cooker bowl. When hot, add the onion and garlic and stir to combine. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to burn. Add the bell peppers; stir to combine. Add the rice and cumin; stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is opaque, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the water in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add the remaining lime juice and the achiote paste, breaking up the achiote paste with your fingers as you add it (it can stain fabric, so take care). Stir to dissolve the achiote.
5. Add the cilantro and tomatoes to the rice cooker, along with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add the beer and achiote water. You’ll need about 3.4 cup additional liquid. If you have reserved tomato juices from the canned tomatoes, measure it, adding water to reach the 3.4-cup level. If not, add an additional 3.4 cup water. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Add the chicken, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Push the chicken pieces down into the rice. Close the cover and reset for the regular cycle or let the regular cycle complete.
6. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, quickly open the cover and sprinkle the peas on top. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon and stir to incorporate the peas. Serve immediately.
THE BASICS : PILAFIN THE RICE COOKER
1. Place the butter, in pieces, or oil in the rice cooker bowl. Set the bowl into the machine body. Plug it in.
2. Press the On switch to cook or set for the regular cycle. If your machine has a soaking period built in, use the Quick Cook cycle. Butter will melt in about 5 minutes or, if using oil, let it heat up for 5 minutes. Leave the cover open or closed while you are doing this.
3. Add the measured amount of rice to the hot butter or oil and stir with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. Leave uncovered or cover, as you wish. Some on/off cookers won’t heat without the cover on. The rice will gradually heat up and gently sizzle, releasing its natural fragrance. Stir occasionally. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. You can sauté the rice for a short time, just until warm, or until it turns golden, according to your personal preference. Sautéeing the rice in the cooker like this will always take a bit longer than if you were doing it on the stovetop, but you won’t have an extra pan to wash.
4. Add the liquid, salt, and any other ingredients as specified in the recipe. Close the cover and complete the cooking cycle. (If you used the Quick Cook cycle to sauté the rice, reset for the regular cycle.)
5. Let the cooked rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes on the Keep Warm cycle before serving. If the rice is too moist, leave it on the Keep Warm cycle longer, or reset for the regular cycle, set a timer for 10 minutes, and continue to steam until the desired consistency is achieved. Turn off the machine or unplug it to stop cooking.
GARAM MASALA
The blending of spices, as opposed to using a solitary herb or spice, is characteristic of Indian cuisine. A garam masala, or melange of “hot spices,” is the essence of this custom and it is said that one must be a good masalchi, a fearless blender of spices, before one can become a good Indian chef. The art of the blending involves grinding or pounding (in a mortar and pestle) a combination of roasted or sun-dried spices.
There are almost as many formulas for this Indian spice blend as there are families in India. Some are chile hot, others more aromatic. The proportions even change with the seasons. You can buy garam masala in jars or boxes, but if you make it yourself, it will be fresher and more fragrant. Beth used to work at India Joze, a restaurant in Santa Cruz that specialized in cooking from all sorts of cuisines. Every day the backup chefs, who all had their own coffee grinders just for spices by their cooking stations, prepared their garam masala spice blends right before making a particular dish. You could hear the whir of the grinders as they cooked!
The Ultimate Rice Cooker Page 18
