Slow cookers and rice makers

[Hinna]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

hmm. I'm still not sold on the idea of having a slow cooker and/or rice maker. Is it just me or does having one of these things make you "less desi?" :p

[Chicken_Biryani]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

I think its not being less desi once you got the rice cooker .. its just one of those concepts like , some people still dont use kettles and prefer boiling water in a pot ... similarly some people still like to heat up their food the traditional way : on the stove .. while for the many of us Microwave is the answer to half our problems !

Its just a personal preference ... Seriously I would have gotten it, if it catered to my need i.e cooking rice for more then 8 people at least ... but since it doesnt do that , its a waste of space for me ... but like we have seen here , for many others its an extremely useful appliance .. all really depends on the need ...

[Chicken_Biryani]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

those of you who use rice cookers and slow cookers ... whats the difference between the two and how easy is it to clean them? specially after you have made oily desi food in them ... does it clean well?

[tigerlily]

I can't comment on a rice cooker. I was given one but gave it a way as I didn't have need of one. However my slow cooker has a removable dishwasher safe ceramic pot.

[Decent_6Chora]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@ehl-e-chamman

rice cooker is a life saver at the end of a long day for me.
slow cooker … great for pot roasts, chilis, stews … again … its heaven to come home to a freshly made hot dinner.

OK. Now I gotta try this. So you can cook Pilaoo in rice cooker? and stew/salan in slow cooker? how does set-it-and-forget-it works for bhoofying ?

[Chicken_Biryani]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

Decent , I dont think you can bhoonafy in the slow cooker .. mostly haleem , nihari or kheer dont need bhooning hence why they can be done in the slow cooker ...

Yes pulao can be done in the rice cooker .. you bhoon the chicken in the usual pot and then shift that to the rice cooker put in the required amount of water and rice and tadaaa .. that should give you the pulao ...

Now here's the deal .. i was looking up a bit more details on rice cookers on youtube and saw this disgusting video , a guy didnt clean up his rice cooker and after a few days when he opened it he found 100's of maggots crawling about ... yeah he showed a close up of it puke .. that put me off from it ...

[ehl-e-chamman]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@Decent_6Chora

OK. Now I gotta try this. So you can cook Pilaoo in rice cooker? and stew/salan in slow cooker? how does set-it-and-forget-it works for bhoofying ?

its as CB said … can not bhoon meat in slow cookers or rice cookers … BUT you can quickly sear or brown the meat in separate pan beforehand then add all requisite spices to the cooker …
it really does work … without even a hint of kachand or boo in salan or rice …
also for the traditional pilaoo … you arnt supposed to bhoon the meat … you just lightly brown it/fry till change of color from pink to opaque.

[saks]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

I've always thought about getting a slow cooker, does anyone want to share their slow cooker recipes (desi style)?

[Afshi]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

my MIL uses a rice cooker everyday. She even makes khichri in it as well.

it's actually pretty useful.

i'm really interested in using a slow cooker too.

[Hinna]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@Afshi

my MIL uses a rice cooker everyday. She even makes khichri in it as well.

it's actually pretty useful.

i'm really interested in using a slow cooker too.

How many cups of rice can she fit into the rice cooker?

[nabz]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

please share your tried and tested rice cooker and slow cooker recipes step by step...pulao, haleem, kheer, etc.

much appreciated :)

[bebo]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

I like to nithar my white rice after boiling and then put them on dum. It cuts the carbs and it is the preferred kashmiri way of making white rice.
For other types of rice, I think rice cooker serves it purpose well.
Slow cooker is awesome for meals which call for hours of cooking. If you keep stove or oven on for hours the then house gets hot especially in summer.

[Afshi]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@Hinna

How many cups of rice can she fit into the rice cooker?

Hinna, its a 3 cup rice cooker, but MIL makes 2 cups of rice in it. Something about how she likes to use more water....usually the rice comes out clumpy. Im not a big fan of clumpy rice, but my inlaws are. :S

[lil_ash]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@ehl-e-chamman

@Hinna : My rice cooker gets rice ready in 15 mins. and as TLK said … I use that time to do a quick stir fry or salad or shower or dishes etc without hovering over the pot…
also if you have yakhni n meat premade … it makes one heck of a quick and yummy pulao.
you are right you cant bhoonify the meat … but you can sear/fry the meat before adding to the cooker. Again, its convenient for people who spend of of their time outside of home. haleem turns out pretty good in a slow cooker!

@Runiner: I was afraid the first time … but not since. you just have to make sure there is enough fluid in there. Also, a small slow cooker cooks at approx 70 watts, larger slow cookers tween 180-250 watts. thats the same as a light bulb (60 - 250 watts)!

We make pulao and chanay walay rice n stuff on the rice cooker ALL the time. My mom makes yakhni and stuff on stove n then puts everything in the rice cooker. We even make zarda in it. :halo: For a family of 5-7 people, it works great.

[Reha]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

I can't comment on a rice cooker. I was given one but gave it a way as I didn't have need of one. However my slow cooker has a removable dishwasher safe ceramic pot.

So does ours. My mom makes haleem, payye and so many other things in the slow cooker.

I like to nithar my white rice after boiling and then put them on dum. It cuts the carbs and it is the preferred kashmiri way of making white rice. For other types of rice, I think rice cooker serves it purpose well. Slow cooker is awesome for meals which call for hours of cooking. If you keep stove or oven on for hours the then house gets hot especially in summer.

This is the reason my mom won't get a rice cooker. She says its much healthier to pasao the chawal and do dum because it cuts carbs and starch.

[Hinna]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

@lil_ash

We make pulao and chanay walay rice n stuff on the rice cooker ALL the time. My mom makes yakhni and stuff on stove n then puts everything in the rice cooker. We even make zarda in it. :halo: For a family of 5-7 people, it works great.

But doesn’t that defeat the purpose of cutting down the work? You end up cooking on the stove AND in the rice cooker. Why not just do everything on the stove?

[Twinklestar]

We don't have one. We do have a slow cooker we use frequently though!

What stuff do you make in it? Desi stuff or international dishes?

[khattichic]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

I love my CrockPot/Slow Cooker!!! I don’t use it for desi cooking, but I do ALOT of american/especially southern style recipes. It is my best friend during Thanksgiving

Here are dishes I make with my CrockPot:

Roast Beef/Pot Roast
Barbecue Chicken
Sweet Potato casserole
Chilli…just to name a few!

There are many websites, recipe blogs dedicated strictly to CrockPots!

As far as rice cookers go, I avoid them. Like Reha said, everyday chanwal should be parboiled, then “nitharofied” to drain out the starch, and then put back on dum. I was always taught that chanwal ko "Parayray honay chaiyay (fluffy with seperate grains)…rice cookers tend to make rice more clumpy, which i don’t like.

[Twinklestar]

My family has used a rice cooker for ages. The rice cooks to perfection. It may not be healthy but it is time and lifesaver. I have 2 for parties. My mater palao and khichri turn
Out great. I have made fried rice in it to but rice gets a bit clumpy. I
Get better results in a pot for that. But it is a must when I am having company over. Put it on and forget. About I.

[Princess1983]

Re: Slow cookers and rice makers

There is a new-ish slow cooker on the market which allows you to bhoonify too. However I love my slow cooker and bhoonify on the stove, then transfer to my slow cooker because fuel economy wise it's cheaper and you can use more cheaper cuts of meat and it tenderises them so well (e.g. mutton).
Rice cooker is great in time struggling situation. The best way I use it is by freezing bhoonified pilaoo masala and then when i need a quick meal defrost the meat add to rice and add stock and I have a pilaoo dish-yummy.