The idea of one-pot cooking seems intriguing for kitchen lovers because they get to make a variety of meals without using multiple utensils. The holy grail of this kind of cooking is the aroma rice cooker, which is convenient to make a lot of healthy meals because it uses moist heat instead of oils. It is also useful after a long day because you can throw in the mixed ingredients without having anything to worry about. The name may confuse you, however, it can make more than just rice. The below list of meals may convince you of the importance of having it in your kitchen.
Boiled Eggs
Let’s talk about one of the most common items in our breakfast or even dinner. Boiled eggs are easy to make and healthy as they contain a protein with little fat, especially if you disposed of the yolk. Some people use a rice cooker because it can cook easy-to-peel boiled eggs. Moreover, if you are inviting a huge number of people, you can save time by making ten at the same time. You can also control whether it comes out soft, medium, or hard.
Rice and Main Dishes
As the name suggests, you can get well-cooked rice from this pot without adding a drop of oil. You don’t have to wait for it to finish cooking one meal either, so you can steam vegetables and meat at the same time because an aroma rice cooker can work on various textures at once. Moreover, the flavor of the main dishes enhance the taste of the rice and gives it personality. You will have a healthy and tasty meal where you don’t have to worry about the added calories.
On a side note, don’t mix them all from the beginning, however, wait until the end of the first cycle, then add the rest of the food. This can apply to fish as well and is not restricted to a specific type of meat. Paella can be done too since anything with rice is applicable. While we are on the subject of rice, it won’t come as a surprise if the pot can cook grains such as risotto, grits, and quinoa.
Roasting Pork
The beauty of the rice cooker is that it has different settings so you can get steamed or roasted meals. If you are a pork lover, you can leave it in the pot with the added ingredients, such as sauces and spices. After the normal cycle ends, click on the warming button and leave it for an hour. You’ll get a roasted meal instead of a steamed one, which is healthy as well.
Beans
The problem with cooking beans is that you have to watch over them while they are being soaked. You will be on edge for almost four hours if they are soybeans. On the contrary, you can leave them in the rice cooker without checking every couple of minutes. All you have to do is set the timer and wait for it to go off.
Stews
Do you know that you can make some stews using an aroma rice cooker? You can do it by putting all of the ingredients and covering them with water. Add the spices, close the lid, and leave it for some time. After the alarm beeps, change to the warm setting to extract enough flavor from the added ingredients. You should be careful not to leave it for a long time because it may overflow and create a disaster.
Dessert
Who said that desserts can’t be healthy? Sometimes we crave foods that are sweet or chocolatey but don’t want to deal with the added calories. Well, the rice cooker may make your dream come true. You can make a vegan chocolate cake by using a recipe that doesn’t require eggs or milk, and you can replace the regular chocolate with healthy chocolate spreads or cocoa powder.
You can make banana bread by adding a few drops of oil and pouring the batter that you have previously prepared. You will have to wait for about an hour and a half while the pot is adjusted to regular settings to avoid overcooking it. If you are a fan of pancakes but not of standing in front of the stove flipping them, this cooker will save you the hassle and get them ready for you!
The above meals are not the only ones that can be prepared in a rice cooker. You can keep experimenting with the settings, time, and ingredients to create different meals every day. Odds are, you can pretty much cook anything in it, and it will manage to be healthy and delicious. That being said, this cooker should stay on your counter at all times, even if you have numerous other pans and pots.