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.

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

Description

Have you ever had purple sticky rice before? If not, you’re in for a fun treat! Today, I’m going to show you how to make purple sticky rice, a beautiful and tasty glutinous Thai rice. You only need 3 ingredients to make purple sticky rice. White and black stick rice and water.

Ingredients

Scale

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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Instructions

Combine both rice in a medium-sized bowl. Add the water, 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 it soak for at least 5 hours. Longer is ideal.
Drain the dark 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 violet hue!
Fill the bottom of your steamer with enough water to boil your rice for 20-25 minutes. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the rice at all, or it will turn 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 the steaming process. 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. 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. 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!

Notes

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 out the sticky rice into smaller Ziplock bags to keep in the refrigerator but be sure to let the rice cool off to almost room temperature before storing it in plastic to prevent the leaching of toxic chemicals into your rice.

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 20
Category: easy
Method: steam
Cuisine: Thai