This works best when you’re making a small batch of rice, because cookers often won’t have room for both a full batch of rice and the steamer basket. A steamer basket is the most common way to steam vegetables. This simple houseware is inserted directly into a pot or pan, and then used on the stove or in the microwave. The steam will enter the steamer through the sides and the hole in the center and create convection. You can steam cauliflower in the rice cooker along with white rice, for example, if the florets … Cover the steamer. There is a best way to cook sticky rice (also called sweet rice or glutinous rice) in a rice cooker but it is almost certainly not to use the cooking program in your fancy electronic appliance.. Some vegetables steam more quickly than others, so be selective. Steaming Over Rice. The concept is rather simple, you just add a little bit of water into the pot, place your veggies in the basket and then close the lid to the pot. You can also steam vegetables over the rice as it cooks. If you want to use parchment paper instead of cabbage leaves, line the steamer with a circle of parchment paper about 1/2 inch smaller in diameter and with a 1/2-inch hole in the center.