Chinese black rice

Exotic black rice was once served only to Chinese emperors and forbidden to their subjects.  It comes from the northern Chinese province of Zhejiang.

Amanda gave us this bag, and I forgot about it until I ran across a recipe for black rice salad in Fine Cooking magazine. They described it as an "incredibly nutritious rice, high in fiber, antioxidants, iron, vitamins and minerals."  The deep black purple color comes from the bran layer, and of course it isn't milled like white rice.

Honestly, it looked about as appetizing as a pot of charcoal, but I thought of other black foods that are "good for you."  The cooking water turns completely black and the rice absorbs it relatively quickly. After 30 minutes the grains are firm, but not hard. The flavor is slightly sweet with "notes of chocolate" (as the magazine put it.) In fact, delicious and perfect for a special salad.

I sautéed a hot little Serrano pepper with a few vegetables, and then followed the magazine recipe for fat-free dressing:  lime juice, rice vinegar, a touch of fish sauce. Some chopped fresh mint from the garden.

And it was wonderful last night with a chicken cutlet.  Thanks, Amanda!