coconut black rice deliciousness

This deliciousness is breakfast! I could happily call it dessert. I don't want to oversell it but man, this is goo-ood. I am a hot-cereal-for-breakfast girl and silly as it may seem to some I really, loyally love my favorite bowl of oats, fruits, and seeds. I love it so much that I am a bit sad every morning when I get to the last bite. So it was with a ridiculous amount of trepidation that I decided this week to (drum roll) try something or two new. The motivation for branching out is simply my conviction that there are so many wonderfully healthy foods out there and every one offers something unique. If I only eat the same-old same-old, day in and day out I will certainly miss out on much that is good for me, to say nothing of the eventual boredom. There is also the theory that constant exposure to the same things creates allergies or sensitivities. (And how sad would I be if I could never have my favorite bowl of oats?!) That is how I arrived here, today, with this bowl of totally healthy awesomeness.  

Black rice - aka Forbidden Rice (which really means you gotta have it) -  is a natural source of the antioxidants anthocyanins. The same purple pigments found in blueberries, acai, and purple corn, etc. But in black rice you get the goodness without the sugar. The taste is slightly nutty and totally yummy. Black rice is a beautiful, deep purple when cooked with a soft, chewy texture. Top it with kiwi, mango, pistachios, and chopped dried young coconut along with a good slug of coconut milk. Then bliss out.

You could use regular dried coconut if you can't find or don't have the dried young coconut but I have to say the taste and texture the young coconut is well worth the effort to get. I used Philippine Brand Dried Young Coconut (Costco almost always carries it) but there are other brands out there, probably need to be sourced from a foreign foods store.

The rice cooks in about 30 minutes so if you are planning this for breakfast keep that in mind. The spices in it are wonderful to smell as you shower and dress. It reheats very well so one could always prepare the rice part in the evening and finish it with the toppings in the morning. Just fyi - I like it at room temperature. Actually, I like it at any temperature. And I was sad when it was all gone. Can't wait for next time.

coconut black rice

(tweaked, Alive magazine - Feb 2012)

makes enough for 2

1  1/4 cups water

1/2 cup black rice

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

generous 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 kiwi, skinned and diced

1/2 mango, diced

1/4 cup chopped dried young coconut

1/4 cup pistachios

coconut milk to taste

Combine the water, rice, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a 1 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed - about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes. 

Divide between two bowls, add the toppings and a good slug of coconut milk (once again - the kind you find in the dairy case. I like "So Delicious" brand, original flavour.)

Double this amount if you want to make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a few days - or if you have more mouths to feed.