Forbidden Black Rice Salad

“Once forbidden, now reclaimed. This isn’t royalty—it’s resurrection.”

Forbidden Black Rice Salad

Black rice—nutty, deep, almost smoky—forms the heart of this salad. We throw brightness at it: citrus, herbs, scallions, a flicker of chili. It eats like a memory, like something older than menus and colonizers and fusion food trends.

Ingredients

  • cup black rice, rinsed
  • 2¼ cups water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 scallions, charred whole then sliced
  • 1 orange, segmented
  • Zest + juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup chopped Thai basil or mint
  • 1 small red chili, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts or cashews, crushed
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey or palm sugar
  • Salt + pepper, to taste

How The Alchemy Happens

  1. Cook black rice in water with salt—bring to a boil, then simmer covered 30–35 min until tender and glossy. Let cool.
  2. Char scallions on open flame or hot dry skillet until blistered. Slice thin.
  3. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, zest, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey.
  4. Toss rice with scallions, orange segments, chili, herbs, and dressing.
  5. Top with coconut flakes and crushed nuts before serving.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“The color of ashes. The taste of memory. The feel of something stolen, returned.”