Over60
Home Hints & Tips

7 things you didn’t know your rice cooker could do

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the humble rice cooker is a one trick pony. After all, the name implies that it performs a highly specific function with no mention of anything else. Interestingly, though, the rice cooker can be used for a whole range of culinary tasks far above and beyond booking your long grain. Here are seven of our favourite dishes to cook in the rice cooker.

  1. Frittata – Perfect frittata by simply switching to the cook setting, heat olive oil, add veggies followed by beaten eggs, cover and reset to let the cycle run through.
  2. Macaroni and cheese – Super simple with minimal mess. Add all the ingredients and set to cook. Perfect mac and cheese with no washing up!
  3. Rice pudding – Cook in the same way you’d usually cook your rice, just make sure to stir every 15 minutes or so.
  4. Cheesecake and banana bread – Prepare your recipe as you usually would and then pour the batter into the lined rice cooker insert.
  5. Porridge – Wake up to perfect porridge every time! Presoak steel cut oats overnight in the rice cooker then run the cook cycle in the morning for creamy, delicious porridge.
  6. Quinoa – If you fancy jumping on the quinoa train, try cooking it in your rice cooker. It cooks at the same rate as long grain white rice so makes the perfect substitute that doesn’t require any fiddly programming changes.
  7. Polenta – Create creamy polenta by adding one cup of polenta to three cups of liquid and set to cook. Add cheese or butter at the end and you’re done.

Have you ever used your rice cooker to cook something other than rice? Share your experience with us in the comments below.

Image: Getty

Tags:
home, kitchen, rice cooker, food & wine, home hints & tips