SONIYA Black Rice Whole Grain Pack of 1000 gm | Soniya Women SHG, Nandurbar

Black rice in a 1 kg pack, from Soniya Women SHG in Nandurbar district.

What it is

Black rice is a whole-grain rice: the dark purple-black bran layer is left on the grain. It has a nutty taste and a chewy bite, and it turns the cooking water, and anything cooked with it, purple.

How to cook it

Black rice is slower to cook than white rice. Rinse it, soak for a few hours or overnight, then cook with about 1 cup of rice to 2½–3 cups of water until tender. Cook it on its own rather than mixed into a pot of white rice, unless you want everything purple. Many families use it for kheer or as a side dish rather than as everyday rice.

Storage

Because the bran is left on, whole-grain rice keeps for a shorter time than white rice once opened. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and finish it within a couple of months.