Can you cook grains in a rice cooker

Alternative grains can make a great substitution for standard rice to serve alongside your chilli con carne or stir-fry, and they're great to keep on hand as a nutritious and filling addition to salads, meatballs, stews or soups. When cooking up a batch in your rice cooker, the key is to make sure the ratio of water to grain is correct. CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair says: "Some rice cooker models will come with pre-set programs for other grains apart from rice, or recipe booklets that will give you the correct water-to-grain ratios to use if you're cooking something like lentils or quinoa.

Always use the supplied measuring cup to measure out the grain and follow the grading in the bowl. Always use the supplied measuring cup to measure out the grain and follow the grading in the bowl to check how much water you're adding. Rice cookers are also perfect for cooking alternative grains and pulses such as quinoa, lentils and pearl barley pictured.

Some rice cookers come with a steaming tray or steaming basket that lets you steam everything from dumplings to vegetables, poultry or fish, meaning you could cook an entire meal using just one appliance no hob or saucepan required! Steaming veg is a great way to lock in nutrients and moisture and therefore flavour , so if you're guilty of over-boiling your greens until they go grey, bland and mushy, this could be your new kitchen hero.

CHOICE experts specify in our rice cooker reviews whether the rice cookers we've tested include a steamer tray or basket although we don't specifically test their effectiveness. If you're after a model that incorporates a steamer, Fiona advises: "The steamer basket is the diameter of the rice cooker bowl, so if you would like to steam large quantities of food while cooking your rice, then you may want to opt for a rice cooker with a larger capacity.

Always refer to your manual for instructions on how to use your cooker for steaming. OK, so it's not going to roll your maki for you, but some rice cookers come with a setting specifically for sushi rice which means you could be dishing up Japanese-style delicacies with even greater ease. With the ability to incorporate all sorts of flavours and textures, sushi is perfect for kid's lunchboxes, toddler snacks or light meals, and it's also fun to make. One of the most important aspects of cooking sushi rice is getting the right consistency so it sticks together and is easy to shape, so a rice cooker with a sushi setting can ensure you get the best, consistent results.

If you have a basic rice cooker, you could also still use it to cook these types of dishes. Using a basic rice cooker to cook dishes such as risotto, porridge, congee, polenta and dhal is possible, but this can take longer than it would be if you just did it on a cooktop.

Do you think I need to adjust it for quinoa? The rice cooker is very versatile and works well with all different types of grains.

The cooking time varies, but once you know roughly how long it takes, you can add whatever seasonings and aromatics you like.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. January 2, November 12, Rice Cooker Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf Quinoa has a bitter coating called saponin that needs to be washed off before cooking. Toss to loosen up quinoa. Serves 4. Related Posts. Coconut-Turmeric Rice with Kale and Cashews. Carlton Barnes June 16, - am Thanks for the tips.

Its really comes in handy you know!! Julie June 13, - am Loved this whole idea. Nenita Altermatt February 2, - pm This is just amazing. I wish I could do the same. Josie Birely January 31, - pm You article is well written. I enjoy reading your blog. Kiley Coffel January 29, - pm Amazing. I like what you did. Reynalda Studt January 29, - pm This is a new comment. Josie August 26, - pm How do I find the calorie for this recipe.

Martha March 1, - am Do you think I can use a microwave rice cooker for this recipe? Magic of Spice January 3, - am Great recipe…looks fresh and delicious! What can you cook in rice cooker besides rice? If you don't have a rice cooker yet, first check out some of the best rice cookers on Amazon. Rice Cooker Oatmeal. Cinnamon Apples. Hardboiled Eggs. Hearty Chocolate Scone. Vegetable Frittata. Apple Upside Down Cake. Rice Cooker Banana Bread.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Can you cook raw chicken in a rice cooker? Yep it's fine. You have to be careful about cross contamination with raw and cooked foods or foods that won't be cooked salads etc but mixing raw chicken with raw anything else is fine as long as its all going to be heated to a safe temperature.

You can, but you're missing out on flavor. Brown the meat well first. Can you make popcorn in a rice cooker? Simply pour a tablespoon or so of oil into the rice cooker along with a few kernels of unpopped popcorn.

When you hear the kernels you put in pop, CAREFULLY open the lid and pour in a few more — about enough to cover half the bottom of the rice cooker to a depth of one kernel. Can you make Zatarain's in a rice cooker? Dump meat in rice cooker and add box of zatarain's jambalaya plus two cups of water and half cup of tomato sauce as recommended on the box. Stir everything and set it to cook.