Coconut Forbidden Rice
Our Coconut Forbidden Rice is an exotic side dish with subtle flavors, and is surprisingly so simple to make. This easy black rice recipe uses only 5 ingredients and turns out perfectly cooked every time. Coconut milk, fresh ginger & garlic enhance the flavor of this beautiful black grain to make it tender and creamy.
Both delicious and visually stunning, this rice makes the perfect side dish for our Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass. Once forbidden in Ancient China, this unique black rice is now a popular grain served around the world. Its deliciously nutty flavor and many health benefits are only two of the reasons you should try this recipe. To find out more about the history and health benefits of forbidden rice, visit our Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
COCONUT FORBIDDEN RICE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Peel and finely mince ginger and garlic, and set aside.
- Add coconut milk, and vegetable stock, to a measuring cup (2-cup), and set aside.
- Add black rice to a fine mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, shaking the strainer to toss the grains of rice. Allow to drain well.
- Heat olive oil (or coconut oil) in a medium nonstick saucepan (2.5 quart) over medium heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté about 15 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Then add rinsed and drained rice, and sauté for 1 minute to thoroughly coat. Add coconut milk, vegetable stock, and kosher salt, and stir well to combine. Bring to a full boil, give it a quick stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Then remove from heat, and let rest covered for 15 minutes.
- Using a fork or a Fiskie, fluff the rice until grains are separated and fluffy. Rice should be moist and shiny. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Serve with our Coconut Forbidden Rice makes the perfect side dish for our Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas, or our Grilled Chilean Sea Bass.
- Makes 4 servings (¾ cup each), or 6 smaller servings (½ cup each).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
245.99Fat (grams)
10.26Sat. Fat (grams)
4.98Carbs (grams)
36.83Fiber (grams)
3.04Net carbs
33.8Sugar (grams)
1.14Protein (grams)
5.06Sodium (milligrams)
931.12Cholesterol (grams)
0Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: Oops, we forgot to include the garlic in this photo!
STEP 1a
Peel a knob of organic fresh ginger with the edge of a small spoon. Finely mince ½ tablespoon ginger, and set aside.
Note: We used this Global chef’s knife to mince our ginger and garlic.
STEP 1b
Finely mince 1 teaspoon garlic (1 large clove), and set aside.
STEP 2
Add one 14 ounce can of unsweetened lite coconut milk, and ¼ cup fat free vegetable stock, to a measuring cup (2-cup), and set aside.
Note: Photo of coconut milk is not shown. For brand of lite coconut milk, see Preparation photo above.
STEP 3
Measure 1 cup uncooked organic black rice, and add to a fine mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, shaking the strainer to toss the grains of rice. Allow to drain well.
STEP 4a
Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil) in a medium nonstick saucepan (2.5 quart) over medium heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté about 15 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Then add rinsed and drained rice, and sauté for 1 minute to thoroughly coat. Add coconut milk and vegetable stock, and ½ tablespoon kosher salt, and stir well to combine. Bring to a full boil, give it a quick stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until liquid has absorbed.
STEP 4b
Then remove from heat, and let rest covered for 15 minutes.
STEP 5
Using a fork or a Fiskie, fluff the rice until grains are separated and fluffy. Rice should be moist and shiny.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve immediately. This Coconut Forbidden Rice makes the perfect side dish for our Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas, or our Grilled Chilean Sea Bass.
VIDEO
How to Make Coconut Forbidden Rice!
Blog Comments & Tips
Delicious and Visually Stunning!
Our Coconut Forbidden Rice is deliciously tender and creamy! It is such a unique side dish, not just because of its gorgeous deep black color, but for its taste and texture. Because most varieties of rice have a very neutral flavor, we set out to make this black rice more interesting.
We developed this forbidden rice® recipe specifically to accompany our Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass recipe, and wanted to keep the flavors subtle so as not to overpower the main dish. With that in mind, we used lite coconut milk (unsweetened) to add a hint of natural sweetness and creaminess. We chose not to use full fat coconut milk, to cut down on the richness (and fat) of this dish. The addition of small amounts of fresh ginger & garlic, really completed the exotic profile.
Forbidden black rice has a mild and wonderful nutty flavor, and when cooked, its plump grain reminds me a little of chewy arborio rice. It takes just a bit longer to cook than traditional white rice, but it’s well worth the extra few minutes.
In Ancient China, this unique black rice was forbidden…hence its name. Due to its many health properties, it is said to have been “reserved” only for royalty during that time.
Now a popular staple around the world, its many health benefits are only some of the reasons why so many of us love black rice.
Black rice is very high in antioxidants, protein, fiber, and iron. In comparison to brown rice which has 7 grams of protein for a 100 gram serving, black rice contains a whopping 9 grams! Forbidden rice is also high in anthocyanin, which has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
I’ve been asked if black rice is dyed - no, it is not dyed. The deep black color comes from anthocyanin, which is a natural pigment found in plants (e.g., such as purple carrots). During the rinsing process, you’ll notice a dark purple color draining from the rice. We suggest wearing an apron while rinsing forbidden rice, as the purple pigment will most definitely stain your clothes!
Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 3 tips to making this delicious Coconut Forbidden Rice:
Use high quality, organic ingredients. We used organic black rice (we also love Lotus Foods Organic Forbidden Rice), garlic & ginger, along with organic lite coconut milk and veggie stock.
Make sure to rinse your rice well and drain it before adding it to the sautéed garlic and ginger.
The rice will be quite moist at the end of the 35 to 40 minutes of simmering, but it should NOT be very liquidy. If the rice has not absorbed most of the liquid after simmering, then uncover, quickly stir it, cover it again, and continue to simmer for another minute or two. Watch it carefully so as not to dry up or burn it. Once you remove it from the heat, it will continue to cook and absorb the remaining liquid.
It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it More Exotic: If you love exotic flavors, you can certainly add more ginger and garlic for a much stronger taste. Use 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of finely minced ginger, and 2 to 3 garlic cloves. If you are using this as a side dish, be sure the stronger flavors don’t overpower your other dishes.
Make it More Aromatic: Add finely minced lemongrass, and sauté with the garlic and ginger. The amount is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that lemongrass has a powerful taste. Start with about ½ tablespoon of finely minced lemongrass, and see if you like the flavor. You can always adjust it the next time you make it (trust us, you will make it again!).
Make it Richer: Replace the unsweetened lite coconut milk with unsweetened full fat coconut milk.
Make it More Savory: Just replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock.
Don’t Like Coconut Milk? Replace coconut milk with vegetable stock or chicken stock. Because of the fat and richness of coconut milk, the liquid ratio will change. Based on the brand of organic black rice we used, you’ll need 1 ¾ cups of liquid (i.e., vegetable or chicken stock) for 1 cup of uncooked rice. For best results when substituting liquids, we recommend checking the package instructions for your specific brand.
Don’t Like Ginger (or Garlic)? Just omit the ginger or the garlic from this recipe. It will not have quite as much flavor, but it will still be delicious!
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to rinse your black rice thoroughly, and drain it well before adding to the saucepan.
Forbidden Rice® is a trademark of Lotus Foods.
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