Forbidden Black Rice Pudding

I was emailed this recipe from The New York Times, and reading over the ingredients, I wondered how something with so many wonderful, healthful components could ever turn out wrong. The mixing of ingredients like honey, blueberries, and coconut milk were sure to create a delicately sweet flavor that would be a perfect accompaniment to the blooming daffodils we have here right now on San Juan Island.

When I had some friend over for dinner last week, I made this rice pudding early in the morning, so that it would set, and also so that I had time to whip up a batch of brownies in case the recipe didn’t turn out like I’d hoped. And I was definitely skeptical; this isn’t the prettiest dish, and it came out more watery than I expected. When I make it again, I might experiment with the liquid amounts. But despite its consistency, the pudding turned a Springy purple-blue, and it was well-received by everyone who sampled it. My expectations of it were met. And I have quite a bit of the Forbidden rice (or Chinese black rice) leftover, so I can try this recipe again and again. Despite its name, the rice was fairly easy for me to find – I picked it up at the grocery store along with rice and coconut milks.


Forbidden Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
½ cup Forbidden rice (Chinese black rice)
1 cup water
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup rice milk
1 cup unsweetened low-fat coconut milk
¼ cup mild honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1. Combine the rice, water and salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
2. Add the milk, coconut milk and honey to the rice, and stir together. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, for five to 10 minutes, until creamy. Add the vanilla and blueberries, and continue to simmer for another five minutes.
3. Scrape into a bowl or into individual serving dishes. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving.