For the vegetables, there is a kind of second pot that goes on top of the other one and the lid then on top of that. For storage, you can turn the second pot upside down and put it in the other one. You can make rice and vegetables at the same time, but it is a timing question (the rice is added later, when the vegetables are already steaming). So you can only cook rice (without the top), only vegetables (with the top) or both (with the top and add the rice).