The Everything Rice Cooker Cookbook (20 page)

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.

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.

1. Combine the chicken with ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
   

2. 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.
   

3. 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.
   

4. 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.
   

5. 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.
   

6. 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.

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.

1. Blend cilantro, chilies, ginger, and half the oil in a food processor. Set aside.
   

2. 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.
   

3. Add the eggplant and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
   

4. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and salt, cover the rice cooker, and bring to a simmer.
   

5. 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.
   

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.

1. Combine soy sauce, water, ¼ cup of Chinese cooking wine, and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix well and set aside as sauce.
   

2. 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.
   

3. 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.
   

4. 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.

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.

1. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and water in a bowl and set aside as sauce.
   

2. 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.
   

3. 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.
   

4. 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.
   

5. Serve with steamed rice or plain
   Rice Congee
   .
   

The use of wine in cooking accentuates the flavors and aroma of food, and should not overpower. Dry white wine is recommended when cooking savory dishes.

1. Add the oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add shallots and fry about 3 minutes until slightly soft.
   

2. Add the chicken and fry each side about 5 minutes, until brown, covering the rice cooker occasionally in the process of frying.
   

3. Add Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and 1 tablespoon wine. Mix well, cover rice cooker, and allow it to come to a simmer. Once simmering, switch to Warm and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes until chicken cooks through.
   

4. Lift up rice cooker lid, stir in lemon juice and parsley, and sprinkle in remaining wine along the side of the rice cooker. Serve warm.
   

Cooking Tip

Chicken breast is lean and tends to dry out easily during cooking. To reduce cooking time, flatten the chicken breast prior to cooking. Wrap the breast with plastic wrap and lay on a chopping board, then pound the chicken breast flat with the base of a pan or a rolling pin.

Do not add the orange segments too early or they will break up and the final dish will look mushy. You can choose not to add the orange segments during cooking and instead use them as a garnish.

1. 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 until chicken turns brown on all sides. Dish out and set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the rice cooker.
   

2. Add the onions to the pot and fry until slightly soft. Add the garlic and peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until vegetables become tender, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
   

3. Return the chicken to the pot and mix well with the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes.
   

4. Add salt, pepper, orange juice, orange rind/zest, and water to the chicken mixture. Cover rice cooker and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until chicken cooks through and sauce reduces (thickens).
   

5. Switch rice cooker to Warm, lift up rice cooker lid, add the orange segments, and mix well for 1 minute. Serve warm.
   

Be creative in choosing fruit preserves to use in this recipe. The sweetness will complement the savory flavors of the dish. Marmalade would work well too, and the finished dish would be similar to
Orange Chicken
.

1. Combine chicken with soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
   

2. Add the vegetable oil to the rice cooker, cover, and set to Cook. When the base of the cooker pot gets warm, add the shallots and fry about 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry about 3 minutes until fragrant.
   

3. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and fry until chicken turns brown on the surface, covering rice cooker occasionally in the process of cooking.
   

4. Stir in citron or yuzu preserve to coat the chicken. Add water as needed, if mixture appears too dry. Cover rice cooker and allow mixture to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken cooks through and sauce reduces (thickens). Stir occasionally, switching to Warm if the mixture bubbles too vigorously.
   

Citron or Yuzu?

Citron and yuzu have stirred up confusion because both names may be used to refer to the same fruit. This recipe does not restrict you to using either citron or yuzu when creating the final dish. Look for citron or yuzu fruit preserve in the supermarkets. Citron honey, which is available in Korean specialty stores and typically is used to make tea, can be a lovely substitute as well.

Fresh lychee smell fragrant and taste sweet. These tropical fruits can be found in Asian supermarkets. Summer is lychee season, but canned lychee is available all year round in the canned fruit section of most supermarkets.