Zojirushi Rice Cooker Question

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GB

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I have a new rice cooker which I love. I know I can use it for things other than rice, but I am not sure which settings to use. Does anyone have a Zorjirushi rice cooker and know what the different settings do? the settings I am not sure about are mixed, porridge, and sweet. The settings I understand are white rice, reg/sushi, softer, harder, quick cooking, semi brown, and brown.

I would like to cook quinoa in it, but I am at a loss to pick the right setting. My guess is I would use the setting I use for regular long grain rice as the package cooking instructions say to use the same water to grain proportions as rice. I would love to know what about those other setting though.
 
If quinoa is a grain, I would put it more on par with cooking oats in this instance and wouuld have thought the porridge setting was appropriate. I would have tried lentils in the brown rice setting.

Sweet I would think was for something like boiled rice pudding which has mixed fruit in and cooks in milk.

Mixed - perhaps for something akin to risotto type dishes?

All of this is just a guess GB as I'm not familiar with the machine. But without a manual, that is how I would interpret it. Sorry.
 
Thanks for your input Bilby. Unfortunately the manual is no help. It was written in Japanese and translated into English so even the basic things are not explained as well as I would like. There do not discuss those other setting even minimally though.

I think most of your ideas in this make sense. The quinoa/porridge one is the one I am not convinced about though. I am not sure why though. I am thinking (but could be wrong) that quinoa cooks pretty quickly and oats take a long time, but I guess the whole point of these cookers is that they are smart enough to determine how much time something needs and they adjust automatically so maybe you are right.
 
I've been searching and can't find a recipe or instructions. A lot of people recommend this book tho: "The Ultimate Rice cooker Cookbook"

Hope this helps?
 
Also it depends on the oats. Quick oats cook in under a minute. Guess the best way is to stick a cup of oats in on the porrige setting and see what happens. only out a bit of oats and water then.
 
Just having a look at the website. Never seen anything like it!!LOL Our Sunbeam rice cookers do just that and maybe steam. That's it. These ones look like R2D2!

Which model do you have? This is the one you got with points isn't it?
 
R2D2 indeed. It's so cute!! DH, open your ears, this is what I want for Christmas. :) Along with the book, of course. :)
 
Looks great! Just about do the washing too!

Had a look at the manual and it isn't porridge like we were talking about, it's congee porridge - Asian porridge is made with rice, not oats.

This link should take you to page 20 which seems to me to indicate that the primary function of the different settings is for the water level as well as the cooking time. A bit like the washing machine with "woollens" etc. http://www.zojirushi.com/servicesupport/manuals/manual_pdf/ns_zcc10_18.pdf

There is a recipe page as well. Will have a look before commenting further.
 
Mixed is definitely for complete meals using rice. Page 23 onwards has some recipes which may not appeal to you but give an indication of how to treat the functions. Well at least from my brief look and without having the machine to look at to see how much sense they make in relation to the machine.
 
Can't really see that it is meant for anything other than rice so if you use another grain, it will be an experiment. I also wouldn't use any grain too different in size to rice. Think it might have a problem. The way I see it, it is designed for an Asian kitchen.
 
Well you are definitely right that it is designed for an Asian kitchen and for rice. I do know that people (in the US at least) use it for many things other than rice. I guess I will just have to experiment and see what happens.

Gossie if DH picks up on your hint you will not be sorry. The rice that comes out of this thing is amazing.
 
OK I have decided to just give it a shot. I am cooking it on the setting I have been using for long grain rice. We will see what happens. Part of my problem is that I have only had quinoa a few times (made by the same person) so I am not completely confident that I know what the end product should be like. I am fairly certain I will be able to tell if I did it wrong though at least ;)
 
Quinoa

This isn't Kojirushi question, more of a quinoa question. What is it and what does it taste like?

:)
 
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain that has been used for thousands of years. The Incas called it the "Mother Grain". It has a very light delicate flavor and is soft, but with a slight crunch. It can be used much the same way rice or couscous can be used. It is very high in protein. Look for it in health food stores or places like Trader Joe's or other places that carry a variety of grains.
 
Found this, sounded good. Let me know if you like it. :)




quinoarecipe_spring.jpg


Delicious Big Bowl - Quinoa Recipe
2 cups white quinoa, rinsed well
4 scant cups water
1 teaspoon salt
a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil
3 - 4 medium/large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc)
1-2 cups lightly cooked asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
another splash or two of good olive oil or citrus dressing
Bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil in a large thick-bottomed pot. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa opens up revealing a little spiral and is soft and pleasant to chew. If there is any remaining liquid at this point, drain it off and set the quinoa aside.

Warm a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the potatoes and a couple pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes and cover for a few minutes to allow the insides of the potatoes to sweat and cook. Uncover, toss again, then cook a few minutes longer (uncovered) until the potatoes start to get some color. Continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispness. When they are cooked through and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt and scoop out onto a plate. Set aside.


In the same skillet (no need to clean) warm another splash of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up a bit.

Toss the quinoa with a splash of olive oil. Serve each bowl of quinoa topped with potatoes, onions, nuts and asparagus. Alternately, you can toss everything together in one big bowl and serve it up family-style.

Serves 4 - 6.


 
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