Want to know how to cook black rice also known as forbidden rice? Learn all about this nutty tasting grain, it’s benefits, how to make it and some meal ideas below…
There was a time on earth when only kings and queens would eat it, and so it was also called “Forbidden Rice“. Lucky for us, we live in an age where we don’t need to be royalty to try this royal, wonderful grain.
Types of black rice:
There are 2 types of black rice – Black rice and Black glutinous rice…. Their differences are as the name suggests – glutinous black rice is more gooey and sticky (porridge-style) than the regular black rice.
In this post, we will focus on regular black rice.
Why should we eat it?
- They are rich in Anthocyanins. Black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanins in food, which are fantastic antioxidants.
- It contains lower carbs, more protein and fiber than brown rice and white rice. According to livestrong.com – a 1/3 cup serving of dry black rice contains 43 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, while the same serving of brown rice contains 47 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein.
How to cook black rice?
Here’s how I cooked it using 2 different methods:
Using an Instant Pot
I washed the grains in 3-4 rinses of water. I added 1 : 1.75 cups water in the instant pot and cooked in ‘Pressure setting’ for 20 minutes. (For comparison, regular white rice cook time in IP is 12 minutes). I gave it about 15-20 minutes to naturally release and then opened the pot to well cooked grains.
Using a Pressure Cooker:
Here I soaked the grains overnight. I drained the water, washed the grains once more and using 1 : 1.75 ratio, I put a pot-in-cooker method in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Let the cooker cool down to natural release and then serve.
How does black rice taste?
‘Nutty’ describes the taste/texture of black rice very well. It has a nice chew and bite to it, which I love.
It has its own personality, unlike white rice – which absorbs the taste of the sauce that coats it. Whether that lack-of-blandness is an advantage or disadvantage is up to you and how you use the black rice.
Mealtime ideas:
Here are 2 simple ways I used it…
As a substitute for white rice:
Just ate it with sambar and curry, you know..like a regular ol’ South Indian meal.
Now, it does not absorb the flavors of sambar like regular white rice, but on the other hand, it was a robust and filling meal.
I also tried black rice with rasam (South Indian soup), which surprisingly was a delicious combination. The chewy nature of the grain with the watery rasam just went together.
As a light, nourishing breakfast:
This is an East Asian style breakfast, a very delicious one at that. I make a coconut sauce with coconut milk, coconut sugar, chia seeds and salt. I spoon it over the black rice and serve it with chopped fresh fruits.
This makes for a great summer breakfast when your pantry is filled with fresh fruit.
Recipe
How to cook black rice / forbidden rice in an instant pot or using a pressure cooker
- 1 cup Black Rice (Forbidden Rice)
- 1.75 cups Water
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Rinse the grains in water well. Cook in ‘Pressure’ mode for 20 minutes. Allow time for natural release. Open and serve.
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Soak grains in water overnight. Drain, add measured amount of water to grain. Using ‘pot in pot’ technique, let grain cook in pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Allow pressure to cool naturally. Open then serve.
Conclusion
So, what are you waiting for? Try black rice for your next meal. You just might fall in love with this ‘forbidden’ grain :)!!
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Great post. While I’ve been making idlis with it, didn’t know if it can be used as a rice substitute with sambar, etc. Thanks for clarifying
Happy to hear it was useful. Good to know you can make idlis with the same, thanks. 🙂
Good to know that this rice is so nutritious, compared to others! I started eating it years ago, though mostly in sweet dishes, from SE Asia, like a pudding, flavored with a pandanus leaf, or some coconut. Good to see that it can be cooked this way, too! The cheapest place I found it was a local SE Asian/Chinese market.
The only downside for this rice is the comparative high cost. I also get mine from an Asian/Chinese supermarket. Costco very rarely offers it in bulk, and I forgot to stock up when it did and unfortunately, they now they no longer offer it.
Personally, I find that black rice has a lot more satiety than white. Any meal with white rice ends up with me scanning the pantry for some post meal snack, less so with black rice.