3 Vegetarian Rice Cooker Recipes

So you thought your rice cooker could only cook rice? Come with us to discover how this wonderful tool can take care of a whole meal for you.

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 rice cooker recipes perfect for the rainy season ahead.

1. Spiced French toast casserole with azuki spread

A great recipe that can be eaten for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

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 of the casserole is browned and the spread has melted.
9. Serve while hot!

Optional: Top the casserole with fresh whipped cream.

2. Red sauce with shiitake mushrooms

An easy red sauce that can be served with most kinds of pasta.

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.

3. Mulled Cabernet with shiso leaves

A simple cold and rainy weather drink that can be kept warm for hours in a rice cooker.

Serves: 6  Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of cabernet
• 3 star anise pods
• 2 pieces of cinnamon bark
• 64 grams of light brown sugar
• 3 shiso leaves
• 1 mandarin orange (peeled) (you will only use ½ of the mandarin orange)
• 2 pieces of ginger

Instructions

1. Take the mandarin orange peel and slice it lengthwise. You should have about eight slices of the peel.
2. In the rice cooker bowl, combine all of the ingredients with a spoon.
3. Cook the wine for twenty minutes on the nikomi (boil, 煮込み) setting.
4. When the mulled wine is finished, stir it together.
5. Serve it hot in a mug or heat-resistant cup.

Using these recipes? Share your photos with Savvy on Instagram with a hashtag #savvyrecipe

This article was originally published in 2018 and edited on June 3, 2020.