Multi Coloured Rice

[desertrat]

Now I have my IRON wok, and am working up the courage to condition it, (Thanks To Rudyard Kipling's TV character)..I am also musing what I might cook, if and when I master the omelette.

I thought that fried rice might be within my limited competence, so off to buy some. Must be brown I thought.

However there are many drums of rice with colours like red, purple, bright yellow etc. The grains appear very small.

Is it just dyed like the blue chicks in Chatuchak, or should I get some?

Edited February 23, 2009 by desertrat

[Underbelly]

I believe its healthier then normal plain white rice.

[Anjana]

The colored rice grains are dyed, yes. But with natural ingredients. I think the purple ones are from the Anchan flowers, yellow from turmeric, but I'm not sure about red.

It adds aroma to your rice, but not so much. I wouldn't suggest buying the yellow one because you could add your own little spoon of turmeric into the rice while you cook it and it would give out a better aroma.

However the purple and red one, I can't say. Haven't tried them myself. Is it "healthier"? I don't think so, since this is just to obtain color and a bit of aroma.

If you'd like to experiment, Maboonkrong (มาบุญครอง) brand has these little packets of rice mixed with dried ingredients like vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, etc. That's slightly healthier and tastes better too.

Now if you're going to buy the colored rice anyway, try this:

While it's boiling, add a tablespoon of soy sauce. The grains will absorb the flavor while they're cooking so just do this now. After it's all cooked, let the steam escape for a while then stir in just a bit of garlic oil with a fork. Do NOT use a spoon to stir hot rice around, you'll end up with lumps of wet sticky rice.

This doesn't make the rice all that marvelous or anything, but it surely helps to bring out the flavors and the aroma. Even if you eat this with a simple stir-fry, it's still going to be pretty good!

Enjoy

[SlackJawChef]

The colored rice grains are dyed, yes. But with natural ingredients. I think the purple ones are from the Anchan flowers, yellow from turmeric, but I'm not sure about red.

It adds aroma to your rice, but not so much. I wouldn't suggest buying the yellow one because you could add your own little spoon of turmeric into the rice while you cook it and it would give out a better aroma.

However the purple and red one, I can't say. Haven't tried them myself. Is it "healthier"? I don't think so, since this is just to obtain color and a bit of aroma.

If you'd like to experiment, Maboonkrong (มาบุญครอง) brand has these little packets of rice mixed with dried ingredients like vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, etc. That's slightly healthier and tastes better too.

Now if you're going to buy the colored rice anyway, try this:

While it's boiling, add a tablespoon of soy sauce. The grains will absorb the flavor while they're cooking so just do this now. After it's all cooked, let the steam escape for a while then stir in just a bit of garlic oil with a fork. Do NOT use a spoon to stir hot rice around, you'll end up with lumps of wet sticky rice.

This doesn't make the rice all that marvelous or anything, but it surely helps to bring out the flavors and the aroma. Even if you eat this with a simple stir-fry, it's still going to be pretty good!

Enjoy

I tried these colored rices at a tasting one time... not exactly my cup of tea I could not think of a way that the particular flavors imparted, could enhance any meal.. I believe you are better off as another poster suggested use turmeric for yellow .. cook in tomato juice for a pink/red .... not sure why you would want to eat blue rice... but I guess blueberry's would work .... like wise beetroot for purple ...

I do like the sticky green sweet rice w/ coconut snack you can buy ... but it's probably just food coloring

I have used a green rice that was infused with bamboo extract and that was a fantastic flavor espesualy pared w/ fish.

Good luck ..but try cooking and tasting them plain first before you start using them, so you know what you are dealing with ....

[MiG16]

the red colour could be a type similar to brown rice, (ie. unprocessed), rather than having had colour added to it

its meant to be mor healthy (and supposedly also cheaper). the texture once cooked, is a bit more chewy......

[Lovia]

Multi coloured rice is also used in the ritual "Sen Mae Sue" in our ancient Thai culture. It's suppose to be place at the intersection of the house in a krathong to give it to the child guardian, the "mae sue".

[jhs]

The colored rice grains are dyed, yes. But with natural ingredients. I think the purple ones are from the Anchan flowers, yellow from turmeric, but I'm not sure about red.

Cyanide is natural. So is gravel. I wouldn't necessarily want either of those in my rice, whether from nature or no.

[blue eyes]

Out side of Phi Mai there is the Thailand Rice Growing Institute.They have many paddies of differnet types of rice growing.They are of different type and color.They are not dyed,it grows that way.Just the same as many flowers grow in different colors.

[drayon]

The green rice is usually Pandas Leaf rice. It is not dyed.

[Tim207]

Now I have my IRON wok, and am working up the courage to condition it, (Thanks To Rudyard Kipling's TV character)..I am also musing what I might cook, if and when I master the omelette.

I thought that fried rice might be within my limited competence, so off to buy some. Must be brown I thought.

However there are many drums of rice with colours like red, purple, bright yellow etc. The grains appear very small.

Is it just dyed like the blue chicks in Chatuchak, or should I get some?

It doesn't seem like anyone has answered your question, as I understand it. You seem to be confused as to what kind of rice to buy, no? For plain rice you want to ask for "hom mali". This is the regular white jasmine rice. We have switched to "hom monpu" which is white with some brown kernels. I was told that we switched because this is healthier. Your rice salesman should have both of these as they are common.

As for fried rice, it is not made with a brown colored rice. You make it with left over rice. The color comes from fish sauce and/or soy sauce.

Short grain rice is usually fairly gummy and not good for fried rice.