Cardamom black rice pudding – don’t let the dark hue fool you this creamy black rice pudding with a hint of cardamom is packed with essential vitamins.

A few weeks ago I was browsing through my Twitter feed and came across a rather intriguing foodie picture from a fellow tweeter. It was the type of culinary picture that just instantly catches your attention at first glance, unforgettable would be the best description.

While I don’t recall the recipe that was directly linked to the picture I know one thing for sure is that it contained black rice. Coming from a Caribbean background black rice is an anomaly, almost a alien concept, but the foodie within me sparked my curiosity further. Although I was already aware of the existence of black rice I never thought about creating some cardamom black rice pudding.

The origins of black rice

I grew up on brown and white rice so black rice wasn’t even on the cards, this rice with a dark/purplish hue derives from Asia.

It was once know as forbidden rice as it was only eaten by Chinese royalty, over time things have changed and you’ll find many Asian countries consuming black rice quickly made it’s way to the western hemisphere.

I found a reasonable sized bag at my local health store. If you cannot source it locally Amazon will most likely be the best place to purchase it from.

The health benefits of black rice

The good thing about black rice is that is it totally gluten free (the binding protein agent found in barley, wheat and rye). Rather its deep hue attributes to it’s high levels of antioxidants which are responsible for fighting free radicals that can cause cancer.

The protein levels in black rice is astronomical in comparison to white, brown, and even wild rice. That’s something to really take note of it you’re serious about your protein consumption because black rice is a great option.

Along side the antioxidant properties it’s also anti inflammatory, detoxifies the body via the expelling toxins from the liver and is full of fiber and vitamin E.

Tips for cooking the best cardamom black rice pudding

I cannot tote this rice enough, but need to leave some room to discuss this cardamom black rice pudding recipe to hand.

Now the secret to creating the right texture for black pudding is to cook the rice first with water and then add your coconut milk.

Unlike white rice – brown, black and wild rice all contain the hull and bran which is an added nutrient and also extends the cooking time.

I tested this cardamom black rice pudding recipe with my mother several times because she is the queen at making rice pudding. If get the pass from mom then it’s safe to share with you guys.

The secret to creating a good recipe pudding is in the softness of the rice, don’t just dump all of ingredients into the pot and leave it to simmer…NEVER do that!

Rice with the hull and bran intact needs a bit of TLC, what I mean is that a large volume of water is needed in order for the rice to soften, by adding the coconut milk towards the early stages of cooking would result in a loss of flavour from having to constantly replenish the pot with water.

How much water is need to make cardamom black rice pudding?

How much water is needed really depends, we can start out with a baseline (see the recipe guidelines) and top up accordingly. The main thing is to keep the rice moist with a suffice amount of water and once the rice is cooked through then add your coconut milk, cardamom and sweetener to taste.

I found the rice softened around 40 minutes into cooking and only then did I stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes.

For best results the rice should be left to soak overnight, this will increase the softness even further.

Cardamom black rice pudding can be eaten for breakfast or after dinner, there’s no set rule so don’t be swayed by the name.

Where to purchase good quality black rice

More pudding recipes

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Chocolate chia pudding

Quinoa pudding

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