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Black rice is healthy, packed with protein and fiber. Learn how to cook black rice using black sticky rice (black glutinous rice), and make this Southeast Asian sweet dessert.
Black Rice
What is black rice? Black rice is a type of rice grain which is black in color.
According to Wikipedia, it belongs to the species of Oryza Sativa.
Black rice is sometimes referred as purple rice or forbidden rice.
Black Rice Varieties
There are three (3) main varieties:
- Black sticky rice
- Black Japonica rice
- Chinese black rice
Black sticky rice is a long-grain glutinous rice; they are common in many Southeast Asian countries.
Black Japonica rice is a mixture of black short-grain japonica rice and medium-grain red rice. They are great for rice salads.
Chinese black rice is also known as forbidden rice. They are grown in China and eaten as a porridge. Chinese black rice is not sticky. (Source: Masterclass.com)
In summary, some black rice are sticky in nature, and hence they are also called black sticky rice or black glutinous rice. However, not all black rice are sticky!
Health Benefits Of Black Rice
Black rice is one of the healthiest rice grains. It’s packed with nutrients and comes with lots of health benefits:
- Higher in protein compared to brown rice>
- Loaded with fiber and iron while low in fat.
- Offers the highest in antioxidants of all the rice varieties.
- Promotes heart health and may prevent cancer.
- Gluten free!
- Promotes healthy eyes.
To learn more, please check out Healthline.com.
Black Sticky Rice (Black Glutinous Rice)
Black sticky rice is commonly eaten in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, mostly as a dessert. In Malay, it’s called Pulut Hitam.
One of the best black sticky rice recipe is to boil the rice over low heat and turn it into a bubur (or porridge), then sweetened with sugar and coconut milk.
The dessert is called bubur hitam or bubur pult hitam, or bee koh moy in Penang Hokkien dialect.
Recipe Ingredients
To make black rice into a sweet dessert, you will need the following ingredients:
- Black sticky rice
- Water
- Sugar
- Coconut milk
- Salt
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Black Rice
Black rice comes with the outermost layer of bran intact, making the exterior harder and hence takes longer to cook.
After rinsing the black rice with water, you can cook it (with the water) on low heat until they are broken up.
You can also use a slow cooker or a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot to make the rice.
I love the mouth feel and texture of this boiled black sticky rice dessert. The slightly salty coconut milk simply completes the flavor by lending a creamy note.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 296 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this dish as a dessert. For a complete Malaysia meal, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Rice Recipes You Might Like
Black Rice (Black Sticky Rice)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) black sticky glutinous rice
- 5 cups water
- 2 pandan leaves, tie them into a knot
- Sugar, to taste
- 1 cup coconut milk, mix well
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add the black rice to a pot and rinse it thoroughly with water until the water runs clear. Note that the rice will still appear black or purple, but the water should be clear. Drain the water completely.
- Add water and pandan leaves to the rice. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium to low heat for about 60 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer and continue cooking until the rice is soft and breaks apart. Keep checking the water level and add more water as needed to cook the black sticky rice. Add sugar to taste and stir to combine well.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the coconut milk mixture. Heat the coconut milk over low heat and add salt. Stir well and set aside.
- Serve the black sticky rice dessert in small bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of coconut milk. For a creamier texture, add more coconut milk. Stir well before eating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good
Hi,
I cannot stop thinking about how good this will taste. It looks amazing..
I am trying to go low carb. Do. You think it would be good if I swap half of rice for red beans?
No, You don’t mix the two.
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Thanks.
hi may i know how many people can be served with the above amount ingredient?
4-6 people.
hi may i know how many people can be served with the above amount ingredient?
Hello. Thanks for posting the recipe. Just wondering how many can this portion serve..
Has anyone tried using the Forbidden Rice in Whole Foods bulk bins by Lotus Foods? I read another website saying that that it is not a sticky rice.
Do we need to soak the rice for at least 5 hours after rinsing?
You don’t have to, but sometimes, they have a certain taste.
Hi Bernice,
Indeed forbidden rice and black sweet (gluttonous) rice is exactly the same. There are short/long grain, depending on its varietal. I seem to note the long grain need longer soaking but it stays in shape, compared to short grain that if one soak too long in water, when it is steamed, it can be not as stay in shape as the long one. Anyway they are delicious if you google its recipes, most South East Asian countries have a lot of desserts made of this rice.
Hi Bee,
I can’t seem to find anything here in the US that is labeled as black glutinous rice. Is Forbidden rice the same?
Thanks.
Here they are marketed as black sweet rice.
Which city are you in? I finally remembered to get a bag and found it!
Try the Vietnamese Grocery Stores