I was fortunate to come across black rice during a recent shopping trip to Waitrose. I knew of the Italian black rice but this one seemed different.
There are different varieties of black rice that originate from Far East Asia. Some are more glutenous than others. This refers to its stickiness and has nothing to do with gluten!
Black rice is exceptionally high in an antioxidant called anthocyanin. As a matter it contains more of this antioxidant than blueberries!
It is higher in minerals, protein and fibre in comparison to other rice varieties such as brown rice and wild rice. Wild rice is actually a grain and not a rice.
Black rice develops a rich black-purple colour as is cooks, it has a nutty yet creamy texture and is flavoursome.
1/2 Cup of black rice
Filtered water
Sea Salt
Almond milk or milk of choice, about a cup
Cinnamon
To serve:
Pomegranate molasses
Maple Syrup
Poached or roasted fruit
Almond butter
If you have a delicate digestion you can soak the rice overnight in filtered water. This improves it's digestibility.
Next day drain rice and put in a pan. Add a pinch of salt and double the volume of water. Bring to a simmer and cook till rice is soft. Add more water if needed.
Next cream the rice with about 1 cup of almond milk or milk of choice.
If you are using dry fruit you can add them to the pan now. I used prunes on one occasion.
Once the rice is cooked and has a nice texture you can serve it with you desired toppings.
Here I served with 2 different garnishes: First with roasted rhubarb and second with poached prunes. Both are topped with ground cinnamon, almond butter, pomegranate molasses and maple syrup.