Today, I am adding a new recipe to my collection of whole grain dishes with this Rice Cooker Black Rice recipe. Consider this a sequel to my foolproof recipe for Black Rice on the stove following the quickest method of cooking this ancient grain, Instant Pot Black Rice recipe, which comes together in about thirty minutes.
This Black Rice in Rice Cooker recipe is timeless and easy. Known as the Emperor’s rice in ancient China, the health benefits of black rice are well-known. It contains powerful antioxidant properties, Vitamin E, and fiber that help fight against cardiovascular disease.
Why You Should Make Black Rice in Rice Cooker
- Hands Off: No need to babysit when cooking black rice in a rice cooker. Just get it started and let it do its thing.
- Reliable: You get perfectly cooked black rice every time.
- No Soaking Necessary: You don’t need to soak the black rice, so it is perfect for those times when you did not plan ahead.
- Easy to Include in Your Meal Prep: There aren’t many complicated steps or ingredients. It stores well and pairs with most main dishes.
Ingredients:
This dish comes together with just four simple ingredients: water (or chicken stock or vegetable broth), salt, any type of vegetable oil (or butter), and black rice. Using fewer ingredients allows the black rice taste and naturally nutty flavor to shine through.
What type/brand of black rice should I use?
As I covered in detail in this black rice recipe post, there are currently three main types of Black rice sold in the grocery stores in the United States (affiliate links):
- Heirloom Forbidden Black Rice by Nature’s Earthly Choice
- Black Japonica Rice™and Black Pearl Rice by Lundberg Family Farms
- Thai Black Glutinous Rice or Black Sweet Rice (aka Thai Black Sticky Rice )
I have tested this recipe with every one of these types of black rice and other than the texture (Glutinous rice was a bit more stickier than the others), the cooking ratios were the same.
Water to Black Rice Ratio for Rice Cooker
For those wondering how much water or how much rice you need, the ratio of water to black rice is 1 ¾ to 1.
In other words, for each cup of black rice, you’ll need 1 ¾ cups of water, chicken stock, or vegetable broth. Since it is more universal, I use a standard cup measuring cup rather than the cup that comes with the rice cooker.
How to cook forbidden rice in a rice cooker?
I used my Aroma rice cooker (affiliate link) to cook black rice. Depending on the rice cooker you are using there might be a slight difference in the method so be sure to check your manual before cooking.
- Rinse the Rice: Place black rice in a medium-mesh strainer and wash under cold water until it runs clear.
- Grease the Inner Pot: Cover the rice cooker insert with a tablespoon of vegetable oil (or a tablespoon of butter) to prevent sticking. I use a sheet of paper towel to distribute the oil evenly throughout the insert.
- Combine the Ingredients: Add rinsed black rice, liquid of your choice, and a pinch of salt to the rice cooker. Give it a stir.
- Close the Lid and Select a Setting: Put the lid on and press the brown rice setting (or brown rice mode) on your rice cooker. If your rice cooker does not have that function, just press “cook.”
- Let It Cook: It should take somewhere between 50-60 minutes for it to cook completely.
- Fluff and Serve: Once it is done, open the lid and fluff the cooked rice with a fork before serving.
How Long Does It Take?
The cooking time for black rice in my Aroma Rice Cooker (affiliate link) was about 50-60 minutes. Though the timing might be a bit more or a bit less depending on the brand of rice cooker you are using.
Expert Tips For Success
- Grease the Bottom: Black rice – especially black glutinous rice (Thai Black Sticky Rice) – will stick unless you use some oil.
- Use chicken stock or vegetable broth for cooking liquid: As it is the case with cooking quinoa, bulgur, and wild rice, using chicken stock or vegetable broth immediately elevates the dish and makes it more flavorful. You can use all broth or mix a portion of it with water.
- Drain excess water: During my recipe testings I did not have an instance where I had excess water at the bottom of the rice cooker insert but if that happens to you simply drain the liquid before serving it.
- Don’t Wear White: Black rice stains clothes and hands easily, so be careful when handling it.
FAQs:
Popular recipe website TheKitchn suggests that rinsing black rice before cooking will wash away its nutrients too. However, I found other resources say that giving it a quick rinse removes excess starch and prevents it from having a mushy texture at the end.
I do not rinse black rice if I am cooking it on the stove top or in my pressure cooker. And honestly, mine never turned out mushy.
However, I do rinse it in my rice cooker as the manual recommends doing so. So, I recommend checking your manual to see if it offers specific instructions to cook black rice and follow it accordingly.
The method and water to black rice ratio for cooking black glutinous rice is the same. Mix 1 cup of rinsed black sticky rice with 1 ¾ cups of water (or chicken or vegetable broth), close the lid, and set it to “brown rice” setting.
Yes, because of its dark purple color black rice is also called purple rice or purple forbidden rice.
Black Rice in Rice Cooker Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup black rice
- 1 ¾ cups water, or vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- Place black rice in a medium-mesh strainer and wash under cold running water until it runs clear.
- Grease the rice cooker insert with a tablespoon of vegetable oil to prevent sticking. I use a sheet of paper towel to distribute the oil evenly throughout the insert.
- Place rinsed black rice, liquid of your choice, and salt. Give it a stir.
- Put the lid on and press the brown rice setting on your rice cooker. If your rice cooker does not have that function, then just press “cook”.
- It should take somewhere between 50-60 minutes for it to cook completely.
- Once it is done, open the lid, and fluff it with a fork before serving.
Notes
- The nutrition information below is for 1 cup of cooked black rice.
- Depending on the rice cooker you are using there might be a slight difference in the method so be sure to check your manual before cooking.
- Storage leftover black rice in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
- You can follow the same recipe and water to rice ratio to cook Black Glutinous Rice in the rice cooker.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
