The Forbidden Rice

Forbidden black rice, or purple rice, is a black short grain variety that turns a beautiful deep purple color when cooked (and is not to be confused with wild rice which is actually a seed, not a grain). As with other short grains, black rice has higher starch contents than long grains, becoming chewy and sticky when cooked. Its coloring is due to the presence of anthocyanin, an antioxidant also found in blueberries and blackberries. However, studies have shown that the content of this antioxidant is higher in black rice than in berries and packs the added bonus of additional fiber and other health promoting antioxidants (to learn more click here). Yep. That means you can get your antioxidant fix from black rice with a few extra perks when your beloved blueberries are out of season.

Black rice is wildly nutritious (a superfood really), so why has forbidden become a word associated with this particular grain? Any recipe, blog or article about black rice on the web will inform you that once upon a timed during the Ming Dynasty in China, only the Emperors were allowed to eat it; leaving black rice forbidden to the public. Lotus Foods has actually trademarked the name Forbidden Rice, so when shopping for black rice it may not say “forbidden” unless it comes from them, and may be labeled as black or purple rice. I do know that PCC Natural Markets in Seattle carry the 100% certified organic Lotus brand of Forbidden Rice in their bulk section. Of note, Lotus Foods carries both organic and non-organic Forbidden Rice (both are gluten-free and non-GMO though, but if organic is important to you, be sure to read the label before purchasing).

Now that you are excited to make some black rice at home, what shall you do with it? This is a great time of year to experiment, as its mildly nutty flavor is wonderful in soups, warm salads, stir-fried with veggies, or as a hot cereal. I will give you the basics on how to cook the rice and then you I encourage you to get creative with it. To spur you onward in your own black rice adventure, here are a few ideas: 

• sesame seeds and a toasted sesame oil based dressing for a warm salad
• coconut milk, honey, pecans and fruit for a breakfast porridge
• paired with a baked white fish or shrimp and fresh greens
• ginger tofu and stir-fried bok choy 

I hope that gets the wheels turning for you! There are endless ways you can introduce black rice into your weekly meals. 

So, let us get the details of cooking it down. To preface the following recipe I want you to know that many other recipes will tell you 1-cup rice to 2-cups of water. This is standard for most rice and grains, however, from my own experimentation I find black rice to be chewier and easier to work with if you use 1-cup rice to 1 ¾ cups of water. By easier to work with, I mean it will be slightly less sticky and will not clump together, and will aid you in being able to mix it with other ingredients easily. Trust me, it will still be soft and lovely to bite into.

Forbidden Black Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup black rice

1 ¾ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place the black rice in a pan and cover with the water. Add the salt, cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil.

2. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer. Black rice takes approximately 30 minutes to cook, and you can tell when putting a spoon to the bottom of the pan and checking for water or bubbles. If there is any water or water bubbles, it is not done yet.

3. When it is finished, let it stand for 10 minutes, then fluff, then do something amazing with it!

Once again, thanks for reading. I hope to hear from you when you concoct your own black rice dish at home. Let me know what you come up with! 

Until next time. Eat it all up, 

D