What are some ideas for non-Asian ethnic foods to make with a rice cooker?

Rice and rice cookers are most commonly associated with Asian foods – particularly Chinese and Japanese cuisine. These countries often seem to have cornered the market – not just in terms of the amount of rice they consume, but also the way their countries have seemed to brand rice as their own, a though it was something they themselves have created.

But rice is a staple not just in Asian cultures, but across the globe. Many countries have their own rice food styles that also can benefit greatly from a rice cooker, allowing the appliance to open up the door for new types of cuisine that you may never have tried before.

 

 

Countries That Can Use Rice Cookers, and Example Dishes

-          India

Though technically in Asia, Indian rice dishes differ considerably from their Chinese-descendent counterparts. Rice in this country is often flavored with much more exotic spices than Chinese, Japanese, and Korean rice dishes. Indeed, most Indian foods are actually create as though they are toppings for basmati rice. Palak Paneer is a good example – this dish is spinach and Indian cheese, that you scoop and place over a bed of rice.

-          Iran

Iranian food also has its own rice dishes, and chances are you have never tried them. Using Persian rice, Iranian households make meals similar to the style of Indian meals, often serving a bed of rice and a stew consisting of meats, vegetables, and herbs, and flavored with tasty spices like Saffron.

-          Italy

Italians have delicious meals that can easily use a rice cooker. For example, Risotto is an extremely popular dish that can easily be made with some of the better rice cookers available.

-          South America

In many different countries in South America, rice (known as Arroz) is fed in several simple dishes. For example, Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken) is incredibly popular, and other meals like Arroz chaufa are the continent’s changes on traditional Chinese dishes. Arroz chaufa is a Peruvian fried rice dish.

-          Sri Lanka

Another area with several interesting rice dishes is Sri Lanka, with such rice dishes as Kiribath (known as “milk rice”) and their won form of curry rice. Both of these are extremely popular in the little country, as they get many of their spices from Indian importers.

-          Africa

Many African countries have their own rice dishes as well. West Africa has Jollof rice, which is used with a tomato stew.

Experimenting With Cuisine – Enjoying the Rice Cooker

Rice cookers make cooking much easier – allowing you to spend your time preparing other parts of the meal, or simply sitting back on your couch watching television. Because of the freedom that you get with the rice cooker, you can experiment with International cuisine that you may not have even thought of before, as rice cookers can make the process simple and give you more time to experiment. There are hundreds of new and exciting dishes to try, and the rice cooker makes creating these meals much easier.  

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