3 easy vegetarian rice cooker recipes to try

Rice cookers are a staple of Japanese kitchens. After using them in China and now in Japan, I’ve discovered how versatile they can be. Many people believe that you can only make rice in a rice cooker, but just because the name tells you so doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with it. There are loads of simple dishes and drinks that can be made in a rice cooker in under an hour — and with minimum preparation.

Here are three of my favorite vegetarian rice cooker recipes for you to try!

1. Red Sauce With Shiitake Mushrooms

2. Spiced French Toast Casserole With Azuki Spread

3. Mulled Cabernet With Shiso Leaves

1. Red Sauce With Shiitake Mushrooms

Serves: 4 Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 128 g of dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tsp of pink Himalayan sea salt (regular iodized salt is okay, too!)
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper
• 2 tsp of oregano, basil and parsley
• ½ tsp of light brown sugar
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 18 g tomato paste
• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 64 g of white onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

Instructions

1. Place the ingredients in the rice cooker bowl and stir until well combined.
2. Cook the red sauce for thirty minutes on the nikomi (boil, 煮込み) setting.
3. When the red sauce is done cooking, stir it with a spoon.
4. Add your favorite pasta to the sauce and serve.

*Make it vegan by replacing the butter with two tablespoons of olive oil and sweetening it with 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup instead of sugar.

2. Spiced French Toast Casserole With Azuki** Spread**

Serves: 4  Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices of white bread
• 4 eggs
• 375ml of soy milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mandarin orange juice
• ½ teaspoon of mandarin orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar (white sugar is okay, too!)

Azuki Spread

• 64 grams of azuki (Japanese red bean) paste
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon

Instructions

1. With a sharp knife, cut the bread into small, square pieces.
2. Next, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, mandarin orange juice, mandarin orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and light brown sugar.
3. Then, place the bread into the same mixing bowl as the mixture. With a spoon, evenly coat the bread with the mixture.
4. Pour the bread into the rice cooker bowl and allow it to sit for five minutes.
5. While the bread is in the rice cooker, place the azuki paste, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
6. Stir the ingredients together until the azuki paste is light in color.
7. Evenly spread the paste over the bread.
8. Cook the casserole for 45 minutes on the nikomi (煮込み) setting, or until the bottom is browned and the spread has melted.
9. Serve while hot!

Optional: Top the casserole with fresh whipped cream.

3. Mulled Cabernet With Shiso Leaves

Click here to read more.

© Savvy Tokyo