Rice Cooker Cookbook
Page 18
Add the marinated chicken and the mushrooms and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Switch off rice cooker, dish out chicken, and set aside on a plate that will fit in the steamer insert or basket. Cover the top of plate with plastic wrap to prevent excess condensation during steaming.
Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Fill the pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Cover the rice cooker and set to Cook.
When the water in the rice cooker boils, place the steamer insert or basket with the plate of chicken into the rice cooker and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken cooks through.
Garnish with green onions and serve with steamed rice or plain Rice Congee.
Cooking Tip
Leftovers of this dish taste as good as the freshly prepared recipe and can be reheated the next day while you cook rice to serve with them. Just make sure you know the time required to cook rice in your rice cooker. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, place the leftovers (on a plate or wrapped in foil) on the steamer insert or basket and place it into the rice cooker to reheat while the rice finishes cooking.
Chicken Barley Stew
The liquid used for boiling the barley can be reserved for cooking and even drinking. Stir some honey and lemon juice into the barley water for a refreshing drink, warm or chilled.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2
4 cups water
2 ounces washed and cleaned pearl barley, soaked for 4 hours before using
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1 boneless chicken thigh, sliced to bite-sized pieces
3 cups barley liquid (adjust as needed during cooking)
6 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Fill the rice cooker pot with 4 cups water. Cover the rice cooker, set to Cook, and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the presoaked barley, cover, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until barley softens. Strain barley and place in a bowl. Reserve the barley liquid separately for later use.
Clean out the rice cooker and wipe dry. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the chicken and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
Add the barley and 2 cups reserved barley liquid. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a simmer.
Add the mushrooms, corn, salt, and pepper. Cover the rice cooker and allow to return to a simmer. When bubbling vigorously, lift rice cooker lid, stir for 1 to 2 minutes, then switch to Warm. Cover rice cooker and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken cooks through. Garnish with cilantro.
Benefits of Barley
Barley is high in dietary fiber — both soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber help to regulate the bowels and protect the body's intestinal systems.
Cider Chicken Stew
Medium-starch potatoes work well in most potato dishes, including this recipe. Yukon Gold is a common and readily available all-purpose potato.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, sliced into bite-sized wedges
4 chicken drumsticks, or 2 chicken legs (thigh and drumsticks)
2 cups baby carrots
1 large potato, cubed to bite-sized chunks
1 teaspoon corn flour
3 cups spiced cider
1 cup water
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add onions and fry for about 5 minutes until onions become soft.
Add chicken, carrots, and potatoes, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking. Sprinkle the corn flour over this mixture and mix well.
Add spiced cider, water, white pepper, and black pepper to the 4-cup mark on the rice cooker or enough to immerse the chicken. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a boil. Once boiling, switch to Warm, add salt, cover rice cooker, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours until chicken cooks through.
Cooking Tip
It is tricky to figure out how to cut or slice chicken to the desired size. Smaller chicken pieces will cook faster than larger pieces, but tend to dry out faster. Thus, for cooking methods such as stir-frying, chicken is usually sliced into thin strips or bite-sized chunks so that they cook quickly before they can dry out. Larger pieces of chicken work well in cooking methods such as steaming, braising, and stewing, since such methods are able to lock in the moisture in the chicken.
Tea-Flavored Chicken with Chinese Spices
Brewed tea can be used as a braising liquid, as in this recipe, or as a seasoning for marinades. The addition of tea helps this dish gain depth of flavor.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
3 to 4 cups water, or enough to immerse the chicken
½ cup dark soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed whole
2-inch piece ginger, slightly bruised
3 pieces star anise
2-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon salt
¼ tablespoon brown sugar
2 tea bags (English Tea)
2 pieces chicken leg (thigh and drumstick), or 4 chicken drumsticks
Fill the rice cooker pot with water to about the 4-cup mark. Stir in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and set to Cook.
When the mixture starts to boil, add the brown sugar and tea bags, stir well, switch to Warm, and simmer for 10 minutes to brew the tea in the sauce mixture. Remove the tea bags.
Immerse the chicken into the mixture, cover the rice cooker, set to Cook, and allow it to come to a simmer. Once simmering, switch to Warm and continue to simmer for 2 hours until chicken cooks through. Chop chicken into smaller pieces before serving.
Easy Chicken Curry
For a healthier version of curry that does not use potatoes (since potato is considered a high-carbohydrate food), substitute carrots or apples or a mixture of these.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 boneless chicken thighs, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 large potato, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons curry powder
¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
1½ cups water
½ cup coconut milk
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the onions and fry until onions are slightly soft.
Add the chicken, potato, curry powder, red chili flakes, salt, and water; stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow to come to a boil.
Once boiling, switch to Warm and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken cooks through. About 5 minutes before end of cooking, stir in coconut milk and simmer at Warm for the remaining 5 minutes.
Chicken with Spicy Tomatoes
If you prefer not to blend the spice paste, you can thinly slice the shallots, finely mince the garlic, use grated ginger and red chili pepper flakes, and fry them in hot oil until fragrant, before adding the chicken.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 3 OR 4
4 dried whole red chili peppers
4 shallots
2 cloves garlic
½-inch piece ginger
2 tablespo
ons vegetable oil
2 chicken thighs, sliced to bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise pod
1 whole clove
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
½ cup water, adjust accordingly
Combine chilies, shallots, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and blend into a paste. Set aside.
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the chicken and fry about 8 to 10 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface. Dish out and set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the rice cooker.
Add to the pot the spice paste, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, star anise, clove, salt, and pepper. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Return the chicken pieces to the pot, stir to coat the chicken with the spices mixture, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the tomatoes and water and stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow it to come to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, switch the rice cooker to Warm and continue to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken cooks through.
Mortar and Pestle
Instead of a food processor, use a mortar and pestle to get the best flavors out of the spices. The crushing and pounding actions in a mortar and pestle build flavors and give you more control over the texture of the paste.
Chicken Jalfrezi
This dish was originally created using leftover meat with chili peppers added to mask any unpleasant taste. However, the blend of spices turned out so well that it has become a popular dish.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
½ pound chicken pieces (thigh and breast meat), sliced to bite-sized pieces
½ tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 fresh serrano green chili peppers, seeded
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 tomato, sliced to thin wedges
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
½ cup water
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
Combine the chicken with ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the onion and fry until onions turn soft. Add the green chili and bell peppers and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant, covering rice cooker in the process of frying.
Add tomato wedges and stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, switching to Warm if mixture bubbles too vigorously. Dish out and set aside.
Add the butter to rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the butter has melted, add marinated chicken and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface.
Add chili powder, canned tomatoes (with juice), and water; stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow to simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until chicken cooks through, switching to Warm if mixture bubbles too vigorously.
Stir in the pepper mixture and mix well with chicken. Cover rice cooker and allow to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, switching to Warm if mixture bubbles too vigorously. Garnish with cilantro.
Do You Know?
The heat in chili is caused by capsaicin concentrated in the membranes surrounding the seeds. Seeding the peppers and removing the membranes helps to reduce the heat. The choice of chili determines the heat level as well. The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness or piquancy of a chili. If you don't like too much heat, tune down to just one fresh serrano green chili in this recipe.
Thai Ginger Chicken
This dish is not very common in Thai restaurants, but is popular as a stir-fry made at home. This recipe is adapted from a quick hot-wok stir-fry to the more manageable method of cooking in the rice cooker.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only
1 to 2 green chili peppers, seeded and sliced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small eggplant, sliced into bite-sized pieces
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1½ teaspoons salt
2 chicken thighs, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup water (if needed during cooking)
Blend cilantro, chilies, ginger, and half the oil in a food processor. Set aside.
Add remaining oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until onions turn soft.
Add the eggplant and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and salt, cover the rice cooker, and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the cilantro-ginger paste. Add the chicken, and water if the mixture appears too dry. Cover the rice cooker and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken cooks through and sauce reduces (thickens), switching to Warm if mixture bubbles too vigorously.
Three-Cup Chicken
The name “Three-Cup” came about because equal amounts of dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and sesame oil are used in the recipe. This dish is very popular in Taiwan and is usually served in a clay pot.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
¼ cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup Chinese cooking wine, divided use
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup sesame oil for cooking, divided use
½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 to 10 mid-joint chicken wings
2 stalks Thai basil, leaves only
1 fresh red chili pepper, seeded and julienned
Combine soy sauce, water, ¼ cup of Chinese cooking wine, and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix well and set aside as sauce.
Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the ginger and garlic and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the chicken and sear for about 5 to 8 minutes until it turns brown on the surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the sauce mixture and stir well. Cover rice cooker and allow it to cook for about 20 minutes, switching to Warm if mixture bubbles too vigorously, until chicken cooks through and sauce slightly reduces (thickens). Add the remaining sesame oil for final touch of aroma.
Before serving, switch rice cooker to Cook. Once simmering, add the remaining ¼ cup Chinese cooking wine, fresh basil, and red chili. Mix well and simmer for about 1 minute. Serve with steamed rice.
Cooking Tip
Because cooking wine is alcohol-based, it evaporates under heat. If the wine is added all at once during the initial cooking, the dish will not be as aromatic as it would be if the wine were added in stages. In Chinese wok cooking, cooking wine is typically added along the sides of the wok so that the heated metal wall evaporates the alcohol and retains the fragrance of the wine. In clay-pot cooking, cooking wine can be added directly onto a heated, covered clay pot toward the end of cooking. The cooking wine will slowly seep from the clay-pot cover into the dish that is being cooked and will sizzle with fragrance and aroma.
Sesame Oil Chicken
This dish is quite common as
a confinement food, especially in Chinese families. It is known to be a good dish for postnatal mothers, because traditional Chinese medicine utilizes sesame oil and ginger to heal and expel “excess wind” from the guts.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2 OR 3
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup water
2 tablespoons sesame oil for cooking
2-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
2 whole chicken thighs, sliced to bite-sized pieces
Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and water in a bowl and set aside as sauce.
Add the sesame oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the ginger and fry about 5 minutes until fragrant.
Add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
Add the sauce mixture. Mix well, cover rice cooker, and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, until chicken cooks through and sauce slightly reduces (thickens), stirring occasionally and switching to Warm if the mixture bubbles too vigorously.
Serve with steamed rice or plain Rice Congee.
Chicken in Wine and Shallot Sauce