What's good to put in steamed rice

Adding miscellaneous grains, beans, vegetables, or seasoning ingredients to steamed rice can enhance its taste and nutritional value. Common combinations include brown rice, red beans, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc., which can not only enrich the flavor but also help balance the diet.

1. Brown Rice

Brown rice retains the germ and bran, and is rich in B vitamins and dietary fiber. Mixing and steaming with white rice in a ratio of 1:3 can increase the chewiness of rice and slow down the rate of blood sugar rise. Brown rice needs to be soaked for 1 hour in advance to shorten cooking time.

2. Red beans

Red beans contain high-quality protein and iron elements, and when paired with rice, can improve protein utilization. Red beans need to be soaked for at least 4 hours in advance, and when boiled with rice, the amount of water should be increased by about 1/3. Red bean rice has a special aroma and is suitable as a staple food to supplement plant-based nutrition.

3. Pumpkin

Cut pumpkin into pieces and steam it with rice. Its natural sweetness can penetrate into the rice. Pumpkin is rich in beta carotene and potassium elements, which soften and blend into rice during steaming, forming a golden color. It is recommended to choose old pumpkin, peel it and cut it into 2cm square pieces.

4. Sweet Potato

Combining sweet potatoes with rice can increase dietary fiber and vitamin A intake. Cut sweet potatoes into small pieces and steam them on top of rice. Starch saccharification will produce a natural sweetness. Purple sweet potatoes can also give rice a light purple color, but the steaming time needs to be extended by 5 minutes.

Five, shiitake mushrooms

Dried shiitake mushrooms can be soaked, sliced, and steamed with rice, and their guanylate content can significantly enhance the freshness. Mushrooms contain fungal polysaccharides and ergosterol, which can reduce the need for oil intake when paired with rice. It is recommended to choose thick fleshed shiitake mushrooms and retain the soaking water after soaking for steaming rice.

When adding ingredients to steamed rice, attention should be paid to food preparation and proportion control. It is recommended that miscellaneous grains account for less than one-third of the total amount, beans should be fully soaked to avoid undercooking, and root vegetables should be cut evenly into small pieces. Mixing different ingredients may change the cooking time, which can be adjusted by soaking or layering. Special groups such as diabetes patients should choose the combination of low glycemic index, and those with weak gastrointestinal function should reduce the amount of crude fiber ingredients. When trying new combinations, it is recommended to start with small portions and observe digestion and absorption before adjusting.