Healthier General Tso’s Chicken with Tiger Rice Cooker
What’s that one small kitchen appliance you use on a regular basis? For us, it’s definitely a rice cooker along with an electric water boiler which I use to make my daily pot of green tea.
A side of rice is a staple in my home whenever I cook Asian food and using a rice cooker ensures that I can expect a perfect bowl of fluffy white rice consistently.
It’s been more than 9 years since I’ve upgraded my Tiger rice cooker which my in-laws got for us when my husband and I got married.
Tiger rice cookers are extremely well made and last forever. My in-laws and parents all own a Tiger rice cooker and a hot water dispenser so I was really excited when I had the chance test out both the Tiger JAX-T18U Micom Rice Cooker along with the Tiger PDU-A50U Electric Water Heater and Warmer.
I’ve been using them both almost daily for more than a month and we couldn’t be happier. The beautiful and sleek design fit in perfectly with any modern kitchen.
I also created a short video showcasing them in action:
Tiger JAX-T18U Micom Rice Cooker with Food Steamer & Slow Cooker is a mid-range multi-function rice cooker by one of the most famous makers in Japan.
The rice cooker comes in two sizes: a 5.5-cup version for a family of two and a 10-cup version for family of four to six.
The rice cooker comes with 4-in-1 functions
- rice cooking
- “tacook” Synchro-Cooking
- slow cooker
- steamer function)
as well as 10 computerized cooking menu settings
- Synchro-cooking
- plain rice
- quick rice
- porridge
- mixed rice
- sweet rice
- brown rice
- multi-grain rice
- slow cooking
- steam cooking
The rice cooker also comes with a steaming rack that allows you to cook two dishes at the same time which I loved.
You simply marinate the meat, place it on the steaming rack with any vegetables you want, and cook them with the rice.
Or you can use the pot to cook soup and the steaming rack to cook root vegetables. Then simply hit “Start” and wait. A healthy and delicious meal will be ready in 40 minutes.
Plus with Tiger’s cooking plate, it’s specially designed so the flavors from the cooking plate will not affect the flavor or texture of the rice.
The easy to read LCD control panel, automatic keep warm function after the rice is cooked, and delay timer make this so user friendly and convenient for those times you want to make rice in advance and ready to enjoy when you are ready.
There are 5 options for cooking steamed rice:
- white rice
- brown rice
- multigrain
- mixed rice
- porridge
With the quick option, you can have hot steaming white rice in just 25 minutes.
The slow cook and steam functions allow you to set time a to cook various dishes, including protein, vegetables, other grains, etc.
Along with rice, I also used it to make my daily oatmeal which took about 25 minutes to cook rolled oats using the slow cooker function.
They cooked up nice and creamy and I love the fact that I don’t need to stir or monitor the pan while cooking.
For this particular version, I topped it off with some fall spices and chopped apples.
The package also includes a thorough handbook and a cookbook with numerous creative ways to use the rice cooker.
There are also helpful tips and a timetable letting you know how long it takes to cook and steam different foods, and the average cooking time for each function.
You can start creating your own recipes after learning from the cookbook.
I made this Healthier General Tso’s Chicken along with the white rice using the rice cooker and it was a hit with my family.
I started by placing washed medium-grain Jasmine rice on the bottom level and marinated about half a pound of chicken for an hour in a sweet, spicy and savory sauce then added it along with dried red chilies to the steaming rack. The whole meal was ready in 1 hour 20 minutes and I loved that it was so fuss-free.
The rice came out fully cooked and the grains were well separated. The chicken was tender and flavorful and was simple to put together.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post created in partnership with Tiger Corporation. All opinions are 100% my own.
- Sauce
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/3 lb skinless chicken thighs cut into smaller bite-sized pieces
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Place chicken inside the bowl and marinate in the fridge covered for at least an hour, or overnight.
- Put the washed rice and water in the inner pan, and set in the rice cooker.
- Place the marinated chicken along with the dried chilies on the cooking plate and set it in the rice cooker on top of the inner plate.
- Select the [Plain/Synchro-Cooking] menu and press the [Start] key.
- Scoop rice into serving bowl and top with chicken. Spoon any additional cooked sauce on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
*if you don't have a Micom rice cooker, you can place all the ingredients into a slow cooker for 4 hours on low or cook on the stovetop by sauteing until chicken is cooked through.
Timer Function
The handy timer function allows you to set the rice cooker before you leave for work. The rice will start cooking automatically and be ready by the time you come home.
Overall Impression
I think if you’re looking for a high performance rice cooker that will last you for many years to come, this is a fantastic option. It’s well-made and I love the elegant design. There are also many cool functions that help make meal prep and cooking easier for busy people.
Tiger PDU-A50U Electric Water Boiler and Warmer is a mid-range electric water heater that dispenses hot water any time with just a push of a button.
You can use it to make tea, coffee, hot cocoa, blanching vegetables, making instant soups, and so much more.
It’s equipped with a user-friendly LCD control panel, and has the freedom of 4 different temperature set controls, 2 sleep timer settings, and a re-boil feature.
The water heater also has safety features like a magnetic power cord and “unlock” button to ensure that no accidental spills happen while the heater is under operation.
It’s elegantly designed with a steel black finish and blends and evenly blends with any modern-age kitchen theme.
I love that I can have an instant supply of hot boiling water any time of the day.
You just pour cold water into the the inner container to the max level then just plug it in and set it to the temperature desired.
Overall Impression
If you are a big tea, coffee drinker or have a little one that requires heating up that late night bottle,, this water heater makes those tasks so much more convenient. It’s sleek design makes any kitchen prettier and the solid build will last you for many years to come.
For more products and recipe ideas, you can visit Tiger’s website or find them on social media here:
Vivian -
This was so delicious! thanks!