Have you discovered black rice yet? If not, my vegan shabu vegetable medley and creamy roasted sesame sauce are your doorway to its hearty, chewy, delicious taste.
Already a fan of this exceptional whole grain? Great! Then I'll bet you are looking for more ways to enjoy it. It's sensational in my Hawaiian Poke Tower.
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⭐ Why it works
- Black rice has significant health benefits.
- Colorful vegetables cooked tender-crisp provide a stunning contrast.
- Creamy goma dare Japanese sesame sauce is a delectable compliment.
- Savory shabu broth is served in sipping bowls on the side.
🏆 Top tip
Measure water and black rice precisely with the proportions below. Remove from heat when cooked and let sit for 10 minutes covered in its cooking pot before serving.
🥢 Superfood forbidden rice
Black rice is sometimes called forbidden rice. That's because it was once reserved only for the Emperor of China. In fact, stealing it from the royal family was punishable by death.
Were there good reasons back then to covet it? Well, my taste buds say yes. I love the unique aroma and chewy yet tender kernels. It has a subtle, sweet woodsy flavor. Often described as nutty, many people find its complexity superior to brown rice.
The best part is, nutritionally, it knocks whole-grain brown rice out of the park. It's significantly higher in protein and fiber. At the same time, it's lower in carbohydrates and calories. But its purple-black color is the real clue to what makes this once-forbidden grain a superfood.
Those stunning pigments aren't just eye candy on a plate. Interestingly, the color is from anthocyanin, the same potent antioxidant found in blueberries. On average, black rice has six times the inflammation-fighting antioxidants of brown rice.
♨️ How to cook forbidden rice
The secret to perfect stovetop black rice is the right ratio of water to rice. You can have moist, chewy grains every time with the proportions below.
I use U.S. measuring cups, so I have included equivalents in milliliters and grams if your measuring cups are different.
- Bring 2 cups (480 ml) of water to a boil
- Stir in 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (250 grams) of black rice.
- Reduce heat to a slight boil and cook rice with a lid on for 30 minutes.
- Remove rice from heat and let sit covered in the pan for 10 minutes to absorb the remaining water.
📋 Ingredients
Ready for the recipe for Japanese sipping broth and veggies? This plant-based, richly flavored broth replaces meat and fish with wakame seaweed and vegan beef-flavored bouillon.
You can customize veggies with the seasonal fresh produce available in your area. Put together a combination of 6 cups and cook the firmer vegetables in your shabu broth first. Then, add the more tender ones, like snowpeas, at the very end.
🍽 How to serve
Place at the center of the table:
- Black rice in its cooking pot.
- The pot of vegetables simmering in broth.
- Creamy sesame sauce.
- A dish of sliced scallions.
- A ladle and serving utensils.
Provide each guest:
- A plate for their rice and vegetables
- A small soup bowl for sipping broth.
- Individual dipping bowls for the sesame sauce.
- Chopsticks or forks as desired.
Once the table is set, let each guest serve themselves and garnish their finished plates with sliced scallions. It's truly a party once the dipping and sipping begin.
I hope now you are inspired to try this colorful variety of rice. Think how fortunate we are to enjoy the benefits of a healthy grain once reserved only for royalty!
🍚 Related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Black Rice Recipe Vegan
Ingredients
Black Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup plus 3 level tablespoons black rice
Shabu-Shabu Sipping Broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 TB soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 cube "Not Beef" bouillon
- 4 cloves garlic cut in half
- 6 thin slices ginger
- 1 tsp. dried wakame
- 4 whole black peppercorns
Veggies
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1 cup celery sliced
- ½ cup onion sliced
- ½ cup cauliflower florets
- ½ cup red pepper sliced
- 1 cup baby bok choy coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ cups snow peas strings removed
Sesame Sauce
Garnish
- ½ cup scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
Cook black rice
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup plus 3 level tablespoons black rice. Reduce heat, cover with a secure lid, and cook just above a low boil for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes to absorb the last of the water.
Prepare Shabu-Shabu broth
- Bring 4 cups water, 1 TB soy sauce, 1 cube "Not Beef" bouillon, 4 cloves garlic, 6 thin slices ginger, 1 tsp. dried wakame , and 4 whole black peppercorns to a boil. Cook at a light boil for 10 minutes. Strain out seasonings and return broth to pot. When the rice has cooked for 30 minutes, bring the broth back to a boil.
- Add 1 cup carrots and 1 cup celery to boiling broth and cook 2-3 minutes until just beginning to soften. Add ½ cup onion, ½ cup cauliflower, and ½ cup red pepper next. Boil another couple of minutes. Finally, add 1 cup baby bok choy and 1 ½ cups snow peas. Stir and remove from heat immediately. Cover pot with a lid.
Serve
- Place cooked rice, the pot of broth with veggies, 1 cup prepared or homemade goma dare sesame sauce, and a small dish with ½ cup scallions on the table.
- Use a slotted spoon to serve the veggies on top of rice and a ladle to spoon extra broth into side bowls.
Sauce and Garnish
- Divide sauce into individual serving dishes and let each guest dip veggies and garnish meal with scallions to taste.
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