Black Rice Recipe (Forbidden Rice) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Is forbidden rice the same as black rice? ›

Thanks to its nutty flavor and striking purple hue, black rice, also called forbidden rice, had been one of my favorite grains when we lived in Austin. I'd get it from the bulk bins at the grocery store, eagerly anticipating adding it to salads and bowls when I got home.

Black rice might be an excellent dietary choice for diabetic people. The phenolic compounds present in black rice may help reduce blood glucose levels.

If you've ever eaten black rice, then you can appreciate its nutty, slightly sweet taste, chewy texture and exotic purple-black hue. But this unique rice is more than delicious, it's incredibly healthy — and increasingly considered a “superfood” among rice.

By soaking black rice 30 minutes before cooking, you'll end up with a more tender and moist texture. Otherwise, you can also prepare it straight from the jar for a texture that's firmer and more chewy. Get the right ratio. 1 cup of black rice is best prepared with 2 cups of water.

Eating black rice can give you a worthwhile boost on your heart health and overall fitness. Along with protective anthocyanins, black rice contains high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids known for their role in supporting eye health.

Black rice is also called forbidden rice or "emperor's rice, because it was once reserved for the Chinese emperor to ensure his health and longevity, and forbidden to anyone else.So it's more like a highly nutritious food deemed special to be consumed by the emperor.

What types of rice are most diabetes-friendly? The type of rice is important when selecting what to eat. It's better to eat rice that packs a nutritional punch. Brown rice, wild rice, and long-grain white rice include more fiber, nutrients, and vitamins than short-grain white rice.

Black rice is excellent for your skin and hair as well because of its high antioxidant content along with the richness of vitamins and minerals. Its potential to reduce oxidative cell damage is also beneficial for healthy skin and hair.

It can be steamed, boiled, or cooked in a rice cooker just like other varieties of rice. Myth 5: Black rice is hard to digest. Fact: Black rice is not inherently difficult to digest. Like other rice varieties, the digestibility of black rice largely depends on how it is prepared and cooked.

Can I eat black rice every day? As with most delicious things in life, it's all about moderation. “Black rice is high in fiber, which is a good thing overall, but don't overdo it, since eating too much fiber too quickly could cause an upset stomach or gas,” warns Allen.

Why is black rice so expensive? ›

Black rice is not as easy to grow as other rice varieties because it only yields about 10 percent of the harvest that other rice varieties do. That makes the rice very expensive, which is why it was initially reserved only for the richest of the rich—which meant Chinese royalty at the time it was first discovered.

If you aren't careful to wash black rice before cooking it in the rice cooker, you could end up with a gummy result, or worse – the excess starches could cause a volcano-like effect in your rice cooker and spill starchy purple goo all over your kitchen counter.

"Black rice has been shown to have the highest level of antioxidants of all rice varieties, due in large part to the anthocyanin content—a powerful anti-inflammatory that gives the grains their dark purplish hue—as well as flavonoids and carotenoids," explains Megan Roosevelt, RDN, LA-based registered dietitian, ...

In fact, purple rice is purple thanks to a pigment called anthocyanin, which also happens to be a powerful antioxidant. These beneficial plant compounds help to prevent cell damage caused by harmful substances called oxidants, which can lead to various chronic illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.

Black rice is known as chak-hao in Manipur, India and as “kavuni arisi” or “kavuni rice” in the Tamil language, spoken in Tamil Nadu, India and Eelam, Sri Lanka. In Bangladesh, it is known as kalo dhaner chaal (black paddy rice) and used to make polao or rice-based desserts.

Similar to black rice, red rice, or Oryza rufipogon, is a medium or long grain variety coloured by its anthocyanin content.

Both wild rice and black rice have a great nutritional value with the protein, B complex, minerals, folate, and antioxidants, promote a healthy heart and lesser carbohydrates. In addition, gluten-free black rice has the highest amount of anthocyanin.