How to Make Purple Sticky Rice

Name: How to make purple sticky rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 cups white sticky/sweet/glutinous rice; 2/3 cup black sticky/sweet/glutinous rice; Water to cover the rice completely, around 10 cups

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Learn how to make purple sticky rice, a very pretty and tasty glutinous Thai rice eaten throughout Southeast Asia. You only need 3 ingredients to make purple sticky rice. White and black stick rice and water. Super easy!

cooked purple rice in a bamboo basket on a table

For more sticky rice recipes, try these delicious recipes, Khao Jee grilled Thai rice patties with eggs, and then make purple sticky rice(combining white and black sticky rice). And also how to make sticky rice without a bamboo basket steamer.

Learn more about the different types of Thai rice and how to use them in this blog post here.

Jump to:

What Makes Thai Sticky Rice Purple?
What is black rice?
The scientific terms for black rice
Ingredients for making purple sticky rice
How to Make Thai Sticky Rice?
Tools Needed for Making Purple Sticky Rice
Tips on How to Store Cooked Purple Sticky Rice
Where to buy sticky rice
Frequently Asked Questions
More Thai Recipes You'll love
How to make purple sticky rice

What Makes Thai Sticky Rice Purple?

Purple sticky rice is made from two types of sticky rice, white and black glutinous rice, combined at a certain ratio to make the perfect purple color. The rice ratio is 2 cups white sticky rice to ⅔ cup glutinous black rice.

To make purple rice, there's usually more white rice than black, and they’re soaked together in water for a few hours allowing the black rice to release its natural violet color. This dyes the white sticky rice, turning the entire bowl of soaked rice into a beautiful shade of purple. The more black rice you use, the deeper the purple color of the rice.

hand holding soaked purple rice grains over a glass bowl

What is black rice?

Black rice is ones of the types of glutinous rice, short or long grain kind, that has a deep purple, almost black grains. It has dark unpolished layer of bran that makes it dark in color. Once cooked, the rice turned a deep shade of purple and has a sticky texture, with a slightly sweet flavor with a touch of nutty flavor as well. If mixed with white sticky rice you can play around with the hues of the rice with the ratios used between the two rice. Recipe below!

Black rice is popular in many Asian cuisines, especially in making desserts like rice pudding, sweet rice cakes (Philippines), and sweet coconut purple rice (Vietnam). Thais have mango sticky rice. Korea has Korean purple rice made from black short-grain rice mixed with white glutenous rice to make purple rice. The Chinese black rice is also the same. Each culture has just a slight variation of the same rice.

In China, it is called forbidden rice or emperor’s rice because it was reserved only for the Chinese emperors and is highly prized due to its extremely healthy benefits that aid in the longevity of the rulers.

The scientific terms for black rice

Black rice has a powerful antioxidant compound called Anthocyanin pigment that gives the rice its dark black and indigo color and holds high anti-inflammation properties. Wikipedia. Black rice is also high in nutrients and fiber, which benefits heart health, regulates bowel health, decreases heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and so much more. It is also a good source of protein than other rice like brown rice, wild rice, jasmine rice, or regular white rice.

Ingredients for making purple sticky rice

Look at this lovely list of simple ingredients for making this beautiful rice. Just 3 ingredients! Water is not included in the image below-check the recipe card for measurements and nutritional information.

white and black sticky rice in a glass bowl

White glutenous rice. Also called Thai sweet rice, sticky rice is long-grained white rice with a sticky texture when cooked. It looks similar to jasmine rice but has slightly thicker grains with a milky-looking color (from the thicker starch).
Black sticky rice. It's black in color, some with a deep violet color and slightly reddish brown grains mixed. See the next section for detailed information on black rice, the crucial ingredient for purple rice.
Water. Used for soaking the two rice together.

How to Make Thai Sticky Rice?

Combine both rice together in a big bowl. Add enough water to cover the rice, and use your clean hands to mix the black and white rice until the rice are evenly combined. Watch the water turn light lavender. It’s magic! (: Let the rice soak for at least 5 hours. Longer is ideal. After a few hours of soaking, your rice will turn dark purple. Do not use hot water. It will make the rice mushy after cooking.
Drain the deep purple water from the rice and rinse in water 2 more times until the water is somewhat clear. See how beautiful the rice is with the shiny violet color!
Fill the bottom of your steamer medium pot with enough cold water to steam your rice for 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of your steamer, you will need a few cups of water to use for steaming. Check to see that the water is not touching the bottom of the rice, or it will make the rice soggy. Wet the cheesecloth, place it in the center of the steamer, and put the drained rice in it.
Wrap the cheesecloth completely around the rice. Place a lid over the cheesecloth, turn the stovetop to high heat, and start steaming. You can use any steaming tool you have. See notes on tools used to steam sticky rice.
After 20-25 minutes, the rice is ready. Remove the covered pot from the stove and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the hot cheesecloth to a rice basket or a medium-sized serving container, spread the rice around evenly, and let it cool for 5-10 more minutes before serving. I usually sprinkle a little salt on it before rolling the rice with my fingers into whopper-sized balls. Use up to 1 teaspoon of salt for the entire batch to season it.

Sample it before serving. Take note of the sweet smell of the rice too—it’s such an aromatic and comforting smell! Enjoy your fun and beautiful purple sticky rice! Serve alone or on the side with a dipping sauce, Thai cold spicy vegetable salads, or Thai grilled dishes.

Step one. Combine both rice together in a big bowl. Add enough water to cover the rice, and use your clean hands to mix the black and white rice until the rice are evenly combined. Watch the water turn light lavender. It’s magic! (: Let the rice soak for at least 5 hours. Longer is ideal. After a few hours of soaking, your rice will turn dark purple. Do not use hot water. It will make the rice mushy after cooking.

Step two. Drain the deep purple water from the rice and rinse in water 2 more times until the water is somewhat clear. See how beautiful the rice is with the shiny violet color!

Step three. Fill the bottom of your steamer medium pot with enough cold water to steam your rice for 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of your steamer, you will need a few cups of water to use for steaming. Check to see that the water is not touching the bottom of the rice, or it will make the rice soggy. Wet the cheesecloth, place it in the center of the steamer, and put the drained rice in it.

Step four. Wrap the cheesecloth completely around the rice. Place a lid over the cheesecloth, turn the stovetop to high heat, and start steaming. You can use any steaming tool you have. See notes on tools used to steam sticky rice.

Step five. After 20-25 minutes, the rice is ready. Remove the covered pot from the stove and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the hot cheesecloth to a rice basket or a medium-sized serving container, spread the rice around evenly, and let it cool for 5-10 more minutes before serving.

Take a test bite before serving. Take note of the sweet smell of the rice too—it’s such an aromatic and comforting smell! Enjoy your fun and beautiful purple sticky rice! Serve alone or on the side with a dipping sauce, Thai cold spicy vegetable salads, or Thai grilled dishes.

I usually sprinkle a little salt on it before rolling the rice with my fingers into whopper-sized balls. Use up to 1 teaspoon of salt for the entire batch to season it.

Enjoy your fun and beautiful purple sticky rice! Serve alone or on the side with a dipping sauce, Thai cold spicy vegetable salads, or Thai grilled dishes.

Tools Needed for Making Purple Sticky Rice

Steamer. You’ll need a steamer for cooking the sweet purple rice. Any type will do. If you don’t have a steamer, use a sieve to place it over a soup pan. Just be sure the sieve is not touching the water in the bottom of the pan, or the rice will get very soggy. Below is the traditional bamboo steamer basket over a thin aluminum pot that steamed sticky rice.
Cheesecloth. You want to use a cheesecloth to wrap the uncooked soaked purple rice before placing it inside a steamer. It will help with easy cleaning up, and it helps the rice cook more evenly with the added wrapper layer.
Bamboo basket set. Make sticky rice the traditional way using the bamboo sticky rice basket set.

Tips on How to Store Cooked Purple Sticky Rice

Use a large pot with a metal colander if you don't have a steamer. Fill the bottom of the pot with water, place rice in the colander, then cover the pot and cook on high heat for 20-25 minutes.
I like to store my cooked sticky rice in a bamboo basket at room temperature. Use it up in a day or two, or it will harden.
You can also store sticky rice in food containers in the fridge for 3 days. The rice will harden, but you can lightly rub some water on the surface of the rice and then microwave it for 1 minute or so before serving again.
You can also portion the sticky rice into smaller Ziplock bags to keep in the refrigerator. However, let the rice cool off to almost room temperature before storing it in plastic to prevent the leaching of toxic chemicals into your rice.
While steaming the rice, never let the water touch the bottom of the steamer. Your rice will turn soft and mushy and unpleasant to eat.

purple sticky rice in a small bamboo basket

Where to buy sticky rice

Find your sticky rice at your local Asian markets. Most stores will have them.
Grab them online at Amazon. Here are the brands I recommend. Three Rings brand, Cock on the mountain top brand, and Three Ladies Santapong brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Purple Sticky Rice Made?

Purple rice is made by combining black sticky rice and white sticky rice. Soak it in water for several hours, drain, and rinse a couple of times before cooking, then steam it in a steamer. You only need 3 ingredients to make purple sticky rice. White and black stick rice and water. Super easy!

Is Purple Sticky Rice the Same as Black Sticky Rice?

Yes, sort of. Purple rice is made from black sticky rice and white sticky rice. This rice is sometimes called black glutinous, sweet, or sticky rice. Look for a small package sold in the Asian market for those labels. They are usually positioned near the white sticky rice.

How Long Does Purple Rice Take to Cook?

Purple sticky rice takes a little longer than white sticky rice because the grains are usually unpolished, and the bran has not been removed like the white rice, making the black rice whole grain rice. The extra layer thickness in the grains requires a longer cooking time. The rice must be soaked in water for at least 5 hours or overnight before steaming it. The rice takes about 20-25 minutes to cook on the stovetop.

Is Purple Rice Healthier Than White Rice?

Yes. Because black glutinous rice is whole grain rice, it is healthier than white rice. Since the bran is left untouched on the black rice, the nutrients haven’t been removed, making the rice a healthier option. Black rice has more iron, protein, and fiber than white rice, making it a perfectly healthy option.

What Does Purple Sticky Rice Taste Like?

Purple sticky rice tastes very similar to regular white sticky rice. Once cooked, the sticky purple rice is slightly more el-dente with a chewy texture and nutty flavor with a subtle sweet flavor.

What is the Purple Sticky Rice Ratio?

You want to correct the rice ratio when making Thai purple sticky rice, or the rice will not cook well. You want to have more white glutinous rice than black rice. Combining the two kinds of rice in water helps extract the violet color from the black rice. The purple color, when released, dyes the white rice making the entire combination purple after a few hours of soaking them together in the water. Since black rice takes longer, you want to use less than white sticky rice.

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