Also, the grain you use need not always be rice. As mentioned above, I've had beans with corn bread, ladled right on top instead of rice or on the side in addition to rice. I've forgotten what I did, but I recalls cooking beans with a beef sausage and beef broth, that I served on with pearled barley. I added the barley to what was really soup with beans and sausage, and let it soak up all the broth. I'm sure you can do the same with other grains.