Five Asian-inspired recipes you can make in a rice cooker

As the end of May approaches, the doom and gloom of finals week also draws closer. Chores start to fall to the wayside as students lock in: laundry piles up, floors remain unswept – and if you live off campus, preparing meals starts feeling like another large project. Fortunately, cooking doesn’t need to take up too much precious studying time, especially if you own a rice cooker. To save you time and celebrate the final days of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month, here are five easy Asian-inspired recipes you can make in a rice cooker.

1. Claypot rice (but not in a clay pot)

Originating from Cantonese cuisine, claypot rice is a quick and easy way to incorporate the major food groups into one recipe. In true Asian fashion, I used my eye to gauge the color for all the sauces in this recipe instead of using measuring utensils. But below are some loose guidelines. Here’s what you’ll need (adjust to taste):

Serving size: 1

• Chinese sausage
• Chinese bacon
• Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup of rice
• 2 drops of ginger paste
• Minced garlic
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of oyster sauce
• Green onion (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the Chinese sausage and bacon into bite size pieces. Wash the shiitake mushrooms.
2. Rinse 1 cup of rice in your rice cooker bowl and add 1 cup of water to the rice
3. In your rice cooker bowl, add the minced garlic, ginger paste, soy sauce and oyster sauce, then stir.
4. Add in the Chinese sausage, bacon and shiitake mushrooms. Then, cook in the rice cooker for approximately 35 minutes.
5. Once the rice cooker is finished, let the dish sit for 2 minutes. Then, stir the rice. 
6. Serve and garnish with green onion (optional).

2. Hainan chicken

As the name suggests, Hainan chicken comes from Hainan Island in China. I love making this recipe in a rice cooker because it steams the chicken thoroughly, so I never have to worry about the chicken being undercooked. The flavor of this dish actually comes from the sauce, which you will need to make outside of the rice cooker. Here’s what you need (adjust to taste):

Serving size: 1

Chicken + rice:

• Chicken drumsticks/wings
• Sesame oil (enough to coat the chicken)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Minced ginger
• Minced garlic
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of rice

Sauce:

• Vegetable oil
• Minced ginger
• Minced garlic
• Green onion 

Directions:

Chicken + rice:

1. Marinate the chicken with sesame oil, salt and pepper. Let the chicken sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. Rinse 1 cup of rice in your rice cooker bowl and add 1 cup of chicken stock to the rice.
3. In your rice cooker bowl, add some minced garlic and ginger. Then, place the chicken on top of the rice. 
4. Press cook on the rice cooker. After the rice cooker finishes cooking for about 35 minutes, let the chicken sit for 2 minutes. Then, stir and serve. 

Sauce:

1. Heat up oil in a small saucepan. Then, add in minced ginger, garlic and green onion.
2. Let the ingredients sit in the oil on medium high heat for about 1 minute.  
3. Pour the oil mixture into a sauce dish and serve with the chicken.

3. Steamed fish

Want to change up your protein? Eat some seafood! This recipe is inspired by Cantonese-style steamed fish. The best part about having a rice cooker is it can double as a steamer, so if you learn this recipe, you can even steam other dishes, such as dumplings, buns and more! Here’s what you need (adjust to taste):

Serving size: 2

• 1 tilapia
• Sliced garlic
• Sliced ginger 
• Green onion 
• Soy sauce
• Salt 
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Wash the fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Then, cut the fish in half and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Add 1 cup of water to your rice cooker bowl. Crush three pieces of aluminum foil into balls and place them in the bowl.
3. Put the fish on a small plate. Place the plate on top of the foil balls so that the plate is elevated above the water and is steady.
4. Press cook on your rice cooker and let it do its magic.
5. While the fish steams, heat up oil in a small saucepan. Then, add in garlic and let it sit on medium high heat for about one minute.  
6. After the fish is finished cooking, garnish with ginger and green onion. 
7. Pour the oil and garlic over the fish. Then, drizzle with soy sauce and serve.

4. Pancake

If you’re hosting brunch at your place, this giant pancake recipe is perfect for serving several people. Unlike the first three recipes, this one requires precise measurements for successful results. Here’s what you need:

Serving size: 6  

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk

Directions:

1. Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Grease your rice cooker pot. Pour the batter into the pot until it fills up halfway. 
3. Press cook on your rice cooker. When finished, insert a toothpick into the middle to make sure it comes out clean. If needed, let it cook again for 15 minutes.
4. After cooking, let the pancake cool. Then turn the pancake upside down on a plate and glaze with yuzu honey or other toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

5. Japanese soufflé cheesecake

Yes, that’s right – you can make a soufflé cheesecake in a rice cooker, AND it tastes good. This recipe is more complicated than the other four, but if done right, the reward of having a sweet treat to power you through finals will be worth it. Here’s what you need:

Serving size: 6

• 60g all purpose flour
• 100g cream cheese
• 20g unsalted butter
• ½ cup milk
• ½ tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• 3 eggs
• 40g sugar

Directions:

1. Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and set the egg whites aside in the fridge.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter until the texture becomes creamy. Then, add in milk, egg yolks and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. 
3. Sift the flour into the bowl and continue mixing. 
4. In another bowl, add the egg whites and sugar. Beat together until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
5. Carefully fold ¼ of the meringue into your large bowl from step 2. Repeat three more times.
6. Pour your batter into your rice cooker pot until it fills up halfway. Then press cook.
7. After cooking, let the cheesecake cool and deflate for about two hours. For some extra sweetness, you can top it with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!