How to Cook Purple Rice in Rice Cooker

Have you ever been to a Korean restaurant and noticed they serve purple rice instead of plain white rice? Surprisingly, that vibrant color doesn’t come from purple rice. It is actually a mix of white and black rice! Not only does it look beautiful, but it also offers more nutritional benefits than regular white rice. Learn how to easily make purple rice in a rice cooker and add a colorful and nutritious touch to your meals.

Why You’ll Love This Purple Rice

• Aesthetic: The natural purple color makes any meal look more vibrant
• Easy to make in a rice cooker: Just rinse, soak, and cook.
• More nutritious than white rice: The addition of black rice adds fiber, antioxidants, and extra nutrients.
• Perfect for everyday meals: It pairs well with everything from stir-fries to grilled meats and vegetables.
• Great way to switch things up: If you’re tired of plain white rice, this is an easy upgrade with more of a nutty flavor.
• Soft with a slightly chewy texture: You get the fluffiness of white rice with a subtle chew from the black rice and barley.
• Meal prep friendly: Make a batch ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week.

Ingredients

• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1/4 cup black rice
• 3 tbsp barley

Click on the images for the direct link to the ingredients/tools I used:

How to Cook Purple Rice in Rice Cooker Instructions

Add the short-grain rice, black rice, and barley to the rice cooker pot.

Rinse and drain thoroughly.

Add 1 3/4 cups of water and let soak for 30 minutes.

Cook using the white rice setting.

Once finished, fluff the rice gently.

Enjoy!

Ingredient Substitutions

Barley –> Quinoa, brown rice

Add in mixed grains for more texture and variety.

Purple Rice Storage Tips

Let the purple rice cool. Store the purple rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Add a splash of water before reheating in the microwave.

Freezer: Portion out the rice and freeze it in a freezer-safe bag. Reheat from frozen in the microwave.

If you enjoyed this how to make purple rice post, you might also like my rice cooker Hainanese chicken recipe.

Rice Cooker Hainanese Chicken

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