Sweet Red Rice

In my ongoing exploration of the world of rice, I picked up some bhutanese red rice this week. Red rice is supposedly even healthier than brown. The basic recipe, according to the sticker on the bulk bin, was: boil 1 c rice and 1.5 c water, simmer for 20 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes. I felt like experimenting with sort of a sweet rice as a possible breakfast, and just to see what would happen. The rice itself was fairly coarse, somewhat like brown rice, though chewier. It turned the milk a nice red color. The dish overall tasted good and would be good for breakfast in the winter.

Ingredients
1 c bhutanese red rice
1 1/2 c skim milk
coarse-ground cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, butter, olive oil, honey

Directions
melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. add some olive oil. saute the spice for a few minutes. add the milk, increase the heat and bring to a simmer. cover, turn to low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. add the rice, bring to a boil on high. cover, turn to low, and let simmer for 20 minutes. remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. add honey to taste.
Verdict
red rice is really chewy. maybe a bit softer than brown rice, but chewier. I’d like to experiment with congee-style broken rice with red or brown rice, make something more porridge-like. the sweet flavor was good, but would probably be more appetizing for breakfast with a softer stickier type, like sushi rice. I’m looking forward to trying red rice with something savory.