Beans are a versatile pantry staple that you can use in multiple ways. You can use them to make various curries, hummus, dips, and various other recipes.
The typical way to cook beans is on the stovetop. But can you cook beans in a rice cooker?
Let’s find out.
How to Cook Beans in A Rice Cooker?
Many people prefer to buy canned beans because it can be tricky to make them on the stovetop.
Cook beans in a rice cooker only if its manual explicitly permits them and gives a suitable method. Beans can foam, expand and block steam vents; some rice cookers prohibit this use.
Dried red kidney beans need special care because of naturally occurring lectins. Health Canada advises soaking them for at least five hours, discarding that water, then boiling vigorously in fresh water for at least ten minutes. Continue cooking until tender. Do not assume a rice cooker’s porridge, warm or ordinary rice cycle provides this treatment; use a separate saucepan or canned, already-cooked beans.
1. Wash and Drain the Beans
Regardless of the type of beans you use for cooking, the process begins with washing them.
Measure the required amount of beans and place them in a colander or mesh vessel. Alternatively, you can use a regular bowl for washing them.
Different varieties of beans produce different outcomes when cooked. So adjust the measurements accordingly.
One cup of dry chickpeas yields three cups of cooked beans. You can use this as a reference for your measurements.
When using a mesh vessel or colander, wash the beans under running water several times.
Squish and agitate them all around to get rid of any dirt or debris stuck to the surface. You can do the same in a bowl too.
Just drain the water away and repeat with fresh water a few times to clean the beans thoroughly.
2. Soak the Beans for The Required Length of Time
Soaking is an important part of cooking beans in a rice cooker. It allows the beans to absorb water and swell up. This helps them cook better.
The soaking time depends on the type of beans.
Bean variety and age affect how quickly the beans absorb water and soften.
So you should set aside the beans for the required amount of time to ensure that they soften and expand to their full size.
Soaking needs vary by bean and recipe. Follow the bean package and an approved cooking method rather than a fixed time for every variety.
Lentils usually do not need soaking. For other beans, follow the package directions. Dried red kidney beans still need the soaking and vigorous boiling treatment described above.
Use enough soaking water to cover the beans generously and allow for expansion, as directed by the package or recipe.
For a long soak, use a refrigerator. For a quick soak, follow a tested boil-and-rest method rather than leaving beans in lukewarm water for hours.
3. Transfer the Beans to The Cooking Pot
Before soaking, sort out stones, debris and visibly damaged beans. Floating alone is not a reliable test of whether a bean will cook properly.
Drain and rinse the beans. Complete any required separate boiling step for kidney beans before using them in an appliance-approved recipe.
Use the water amount and maximum bean capacity in the appliance-approved recipe. Leave the required room for expansion and foam.
Salt does not universally prevent beans from softening. Follow the recipe; acidic ingredients can slow softening and are often added later.
However, you can replace water with broth or vegetable stock if you want the beans to be more flavorful.
Another option is to add herbs and seasonings to the liquid. The beans will absorb the seasonings and build a better flavor when you do this.
Depending on the recipe, you can use bay leaf, cinnamon, or garlic.
4. Turn the Rice Cooker On
Once you add all the ingredients to the cooking pot, place the lid on and turn the rice cooker on.
Use the cycle specified by the approved recipe, and monitor for excessive foam or other problems as the manual directs.
If the cooker has no approved bean program or recipe, use a saucepan or a cooker designed for beans. Do not select an arbitrary rice cycle.
A porridge setting is not automatically suitable for beans. Follow only the model’s approved method and keep its steam outlet clear.
An automatic switch to Keep Warm does not prove that beans are fully cooked or that kidney-bean lectins have been destroyed.
Tenderness is a quality check, not a substitute for the required kidney-bean boiling step. Let a sample cool before checking it with a fork.
If it’s still hard, you must cook it for longer. Add more water if required and restart the cooking process.
5. Let the Beans Rest Covered
The cooking time for beans will depend on the variety of beans, whether they are pre-soaked or not.
It will also be different for different rice cookers. Bigger and harder varieties of beans usually take longer to cook than soft bean varieties.
Cooking times vary widely with bean type, age, soaking and equipment. Do not use a fixed 45-minute estimate as proof that dried kidney beans are safe.
Some models switch to Keep Warm or turn off at the end of a cycle, but you still need to check that the approved cooking method is complete.
After checking whether the beans are cooked, place the lid back on and let it rest for a few minutes. This will allow them to absorb the excess liquid.
You can open the lid after a few minutes. Remove the bay leaf and other herbs if required, drain, and rinse the beans to use them.
For hot holding, use a function approved for the dish and verify that the food stays at 140°F or above. Otherwise refrigerate it promptly.
The name Keep Warm alone does not establish the beans’ temperature or a safe holding duration.
Since beans are moisture-laden, protein-rich foods, they spoil quickly at room temperature.
Lukewarm food can still support rapid bacterial growth; safe hot holding and prompt refrigeration are different from simply keeping food warm.
For storage, divide cooked beans into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Do not wait for a large pot to cool to room temperature.
Tips to Cook Beans Better in A Rice Cooker
Though it’s easy to cook beans in a rice cooker, you can improve the results by taking care of a few factors.
Let’s look at what they are.
1. Choose Fresh Beans
Dried beans last for up to two years when stored properly. However, the longer you wait, the tougher they become, and the longer they take to cook.
Fresh beans that are harvested in less than a year are easier to cook. So choose beans that were packaged within the last year for easier cooking.
2. Leave Enough Time to Soak the Beans
Soaking can shorten cooking time, but longer is not always better. Follow the recipe and refrigerate beans during a long soak.
An overnight soak in the refrigerator is one option. A tested quick-soak method is another, but it does not replace cooking.
For a quick soak, use the boil-and-rest method specified by a reliable recipe.
Do not substitute an hour in lukewarm water for the required soaking and boiling treatment for dried kidney beans.
The other option is to cover the beans with water, bring them to a boil for three minutes, and let them soak in the hot water for an hour.
Another way to reduce the cooking and soaking time is to choose beans that don’t need much soaking.
Lentils soften without soaking, and you can use them for a quick fix. Similarly, adzuki beans also don’t need soaking.
3. Season According to the Recipe
When we cook rice and other grains in a rice cooker, it’s a common practice to add salt to the cooking pot. This allows for even seasoning of the rice.
Salt can be used during soaking or cooking in recipes designed for it. The blanket claim that salt always makes beans hard is misleading.
Season according to the recipe, and account for salt already present in broth.
