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Guangxi five-colour sticky rice
Wǔsè nuòmǐ fàn (五色糯米饭): glutinous rice dyed red, yellow, purple, black and white with plants
The Zhuang people of Guangxi steam this rainbow rice for Sānyuèsān, the festival on the third day of the third lunar month, and for weddings and tomb-sweeping. In the villages the colours come from local leaves and flowers; at home, turmeric, beetroot, blue pea flowers and black rice give the same effect without any artificial dye. It's eaten plain, sprinkled with sugar or with savoury dishes. Soak the rice for 6 hours or overnight. Chef's tip: soak each colour in its own bowl and keep them apart in the steamer, so the colours stay clear.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the rice
- 14 oz white glutinous (sticky) ricedivided into 4 portions of 100 g
- 3 ½ oz black glutinous rice
For the colours
- 1 tsp ground turmericfor yellow
- 1 small raw beetrootgrated, for red
- 15 dried blue pea flowerssold as butterfly pea flowers; for blue-purple
- 1 tsp lemon juiceturns the blue to purple
- 3 ¼ cups hot waterdivided
To serve
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Make three colour waters, each with 200 ml of 2 ½ cups hot water: stir 1 tsp ground turmeric into one; steep 1 small raw beetroot in the second for 15 minutes, then strain; steep 15 dried blue pea flowers in the third for 10 minutes, strain and add 1 tsp lemon juice, which turns it violet.
15 minStep 2: Put one 100 g portion of 14 oz white glutinous (sticky) rice in each colour water. Cover the fourth portion and 3 ½ oz black glutinous rice with plain water (use the rest of ¾ cup hot water topped up with cold). Soak all five for 6 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Drain each bowl separately. Line a large steamer with a damp cloth and lay the rice in five separate heaps, with folds of cloth between them so they don't touch.
Step 4: Steam over a high heat for 35–40 minutes, topping up the boiling water halfway. The rice is done when the grains are translucent and chewy all the way through, with no hard white centre. Common mistake: letting the water run dry, which scorches the pan and leaves the top layer raw.
40 minStep 5: Pile the colours side by side on a plate. Serve warm with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling, or as a side with savoury dishes. Leftovers can be re-steamed for 10 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guangxi five-colour sticky rice take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of black glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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