Thai Black Rice with Coconut Cream

Thai Black Rice with Coconut Cream is a Hipcooks favorite dessert — but it is so yummy and healthy, we also love it as a warm breakfast. Healthy “husk-on” black rice is topped with luscious coconut cream and sweetened with our favorite vanilla bean paste. Just that touch of sweetness is the perfect amount!

Thai black rice

Thai black rice is also called black sticky rice or forbidden rice. It is whole-grain rice that, when fully cooked, still has a bit of “crunch” to it because of the husk. It has a beautiful purplish-black color, a nutty flavor, and a sticky pudding-like texture.

It’s an easy steam for the win!

Cooking black rice is easy, but it is not like cooking conventional rice. You first need to soak it in water for at least a few hours, or overnight for those of you preparing this for breakfast. This softens the rice. Rather than cooking it in water, cook it above water: steam it! It steams quite quickly: in 20 -30 minutes, it is done. A silicone steamer like ours is the best tool: it fits into just about any pot, and the silicone handles stay heat-free and easy to grab.

Vanilla Bean Paste takes it over the top

Vanilla Bean Paste will take your Thai Black Rice with Coconut Cream to new heights. This is the real deal: the inside of a vanilla bean pod, suspended in simple syrup. Use this for cookies, cocktails, French toast, ice cream, & anything else you can dream up.

Thai Black Rice with Coconut Cream

Print Recipe

 : serves 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes plus soaking time Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain Thai black rice (also called sweet black rice or Forbidden rice)
14 ounces coconut cream, plus extra for garnish 
⅓ cup brown sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
a pinch of ground cardamom, if desired
½ cup almond flakes, freshly toasted 

Instructions

Soak the rice in plenty of water overnight. Drain, and then place it in the steaming basket of a rice cooker and steam for about 40-45 minutes. No rice cooker? No problem! You can also cook the rice in a steamer, covered, above an inch or two of low-simmering water. (Find the best steamer here at Hipcooks.)

When the rice is tender, turn it out over a large bowl. Add the coconut cream, sugar, salt, vanilla and cardamom. Taste and refine. 

Serve topped with coconut cream and almond flakes.