Rice porridge, a bowl and dhal: Three healthier recipes from the rice cooker

Rice can be cooked to contain fewer carbohydrates while staying filling and tasty. You just separate off some of the starch during cooking, then use the rice as the base for three completely different meals, from breakfast porridge to dinner. 

How rice with less sugar works 

The rice cooks in a special basket that works like a sieve, and some of the starch separates during cooking and drains away with the water into the lower container. The result is rice with up to 40% fewer carbohydrates that still tastes like rice cooked the usual way. 

And this is exactly what the Lauben Low Sugar Rice Cooker 3000AT does. Besides the Low Sugar rice programme, it offers five more modes, namely Slow cook, Quick cook, Soup, Porridge and Vegetables, so you can also make porridge, pulses or soup in it. The three-litre ceramic bowl cooks without fat and nothing catches, and it goes straight into the dishwasher afterwards. The Keep Warm function and delayed start make sure the meal is ready exactly when you need it. 

Warm rice porridge with apple and cinnamon 

A breakfast that warms you without weighing you down. Thanks to the natural sweetness of cooked apple and cinnamon, you get by with very little sugar. 

Ingredients: 

• 100 g short-grain rice 
• 400 ml milk (plant milk works too) 
• 1 apple 
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional) 
• a pinch of salt 
• a handful of walnuts to scatter on top 

Method: 

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear. This washes off the excess starch. 
2. Tip it into the cooker, pour in the milk, add a pinch of salt and start the Porridge programme. 
3. Dice the apple and add it about halfway through cooking, so it softens and releases its sweetness. 
4. Stir the finished porridge and season with cinnamon, and a little honey if you like. 
5. Divide into bowls and scatter with chopped walnuts. 

Low sugar rice bowl with roasted vegetables and chickpeas 

A filling meal in a single bowl. Rice with less sugar forms the base, topped with soft vegetables and chickpeas. 

Ingredients: 

• 150 g rice (Low Sugar programme) 
• 1 sweet potato or a piece of squash 
• 1 tin of chickpeas (400 g) 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
• a handful of fresh spinach or salad leaves 
• for the dressing: plain yoghurt or tahini, lemon, salt 

Method: 

1. Cook the rice on the Low Sugar rice programme in the special basket. 
2. Cut the sweet potato into cubes and cook until tender on the Vegetables programme. 
3. Drain and dry the chickpeas and toss with the oil, paprika and cumin. For a crisp finish, give them a few minutes in the oven or a pan. 
4. Put the rice in a bowl, top with the sweet potato, chickpeas and fresh spinach. 
5. Drizzle with a dressing of yoghurt or tahini, lemon and a pinch of salt. 

Rice with red lentils and spices (dhal) 

A warming, spiced and filling dish that won't sit heavy. The red lentils cook down to a creamy texture and the lower-sugar rice rounds it off nicely. 

Ingredients: 

• 200 g red lentils 
• 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves 
• 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 400 ml vegetable stock or water 
• 100 ml coconut milk 
• salt, a squeeze of lemon 
• to serve: rice from the Low Sugar programme 

Method: 

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Put them in the cooker with the lentils, spices and stock. 
2. Cook on the Soup or Quick cook programme until the lentils break down and turn soft. 
3. Stir in the coconut milk and let it warm through for a few minutes. 
4. Season with salt and lemon. 
5. Serve with rice cooked on the Low Sugar programme. 

FAQ 

How does reducing the sugar in rice work? The rice cooks in a special basket that lets water through. During cooking, some of the starch and sugars release into the water, which drains into the lower container for you to pour away. The rice then has fewer carbohydrates than with normal cooking, up to 40% on the Low Sugar programme. 

How many carbohydrates does the rice actually lose? The Low Sugar programme cuts carbohydrates by up to 40%. The real figure varies with the type of rice, the amount of water and the programme, so treat it as a rough maximum rather than a fixed number for every portion. Even a smaller reduction makes the rice a lighter side. 

Which rice suits the Low Sugar programme? White varieties like jasmine or basmati work best, and it handles brown rice too. Whichever you choose, rinse it before cooking; cleaner water means a cleaner taste. 

Can the cooker make more than just rice? Yes. Besides rice, you can make porridge, pulses, soup and vegetables in it, as it has six different programmes. That's exactly why this article pairs rice with porridge and dhal. 

Do you have to rinse the rice before cooking? It's worth it. Rinsing washes off the excess surface starch, so the rice isn't sticky and tastes cleaner. With the Low Sugar programme it's the first step to a lighter result. 

 

Why it's worth it 

Rice doesn't have to be just a side you drop on the plate without a thought. With the Lauben Low Sugar Rice Cooker 3000AT you turn it into the base of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and with fewer carbohydrates at that. Set the programme, get on with something else and come back to a finished meal.