Introduction
Making edible rainbow rice is a fun way to add color and flair to any meal. The rice turns into a vibrant rainbow of colors when cooked, making it visually appealing and perfect for celebrations, parties, or just brightening up a simple weeknight dinner.
The rainbow effect is achieved by coloring regular white rice with natural fruit and vegetable juices. When soaked in the juices, the rice absorbs the colors beautifully. The result is a colorful medley of rice that looks as good as it tastes.
Some quick answers about edible rainbow rice:
– It’s made by soaking white rice in natural fruit and vegetable juices to absorb the colors.
– Common juices used are beet, carrot, spinach, red cabbage, and turmeric.
– The rice maintains its flavor, just with fun rainbow colors.
– It can be used in any dish calling for regular white rice.
– It makes a festive rice salad or starch accompaniment to proteins.
– Kids love the bright colors, so it’s great for school lunches.
– It’s a unique way to brighten up any meal or table spread.
Ingredients Needed
To make rainbow rice, you will need:
– 1 cup uncooked white rice
– 2 cups water
– 1⁄4 cup beet juice (for pink rice)
– 1⁄4 cup carrot juice (for orange rice)
– 1⁄4 cup spinach juice (for green rice)
– 1⁄4 cup red cabbage juice (for purple rice)
– 1⁄4 cup turmeric water (for yellow rice)
Be sure to use only 100% natural juices without any added sugars or preservatives. Extract juices fresh from raw beets, carrots, spinach leaves, red cabbage, and fresh turmeric root.
You can adjust the exact amounts of juice to control the vibrancy of the colors. More juice equals more saturated colors.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for perfect rainbow rice every time:
1. Rinse 1 cup of uncooked white rice under running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch.
2. Divide rice into 5 equal portions of about 1/4 cup each. Place each portion into a bowl.
3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of your chosen juice to each bowl and stir to coat rice. Let soak 10 minutes. The rice will absorb the natural colors.
4. Drain off excess juices from rice by straining through a fine mesh sieve.
5. Place all the colored rice portions into a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
6. Cook the rice uncovered for 15-20 minutes until tender and fluffy.
7. Fluff the rainbow rice with a fork before serving. Add any extra seasonings as desired.
Juice Ideas for Each Color
The juices you select will determine the exact shades of the rainbow. Here are some all-natural juice ideas for each color:
Pink: Beet, raspberry, strawberry, red grape, pomegranate
Orange: Carrot, orange, sweet potato, pumpkin, mango
Yellow: Turmeric, lemon, yellow bell pepper
Green: Spinach, kale, parsley, cucumber, green apple
Blue/Purple: Red cabbage, blueberry, blackberry, purple grape
Get creative mixing and matching to achieve new shades! Just remember to keep the juices 100% natural.
Serving Suggestions
Once cooked, the edible rainbow rice can be served in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are some tasty serving suggestions:
– Stir into chicken or vegetable fried rice
– Fold into burrito bowls
– Top salads, grains bowls or poke bowls
– Layer into parfaits alternating with yogurt and fruit
– Mix into chilled rice pudding
– Form into rice cake balls by shaping moist rice and sticking together
– Use as a bed for curries, stews or grilled meats
– Mold into rainbow-striped sushi
– Toss with vinaigrette as a rice salad
– Add to stuffed peppers, tomatoes or zucchini boats
– Pack into bento box sections for visually appealing lunches
Let the rainbow colors shine by serving rice mounds side-by-side. The vibrance looks amazing next to both vibrant and neutral foods.
Nutrition
Aside from making your meals more colorful and eye-catching, rainbow rice provides the same nutrients as regular rice with no added sugars or preservatives:
| 1 cup cooked rainbow rice | Calories | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 205 | 44g | 4g |
| Brown rice | 216 | 46g | 5g |
As you can see, the rainbow rice nutrition values match close to plain white or brown rice. The juices provide minimal calories and carbs, and barely impact protein.
Rice is an excellent source of energizing carbohydrates and fills you up. The fiber in brown rice gives it a nutritional boost over white.
So you get all the same whole grain goodness, plus a fun twist!
Food Safety Tips
When working with fresh juices and uncooked rice, follow these food safety guidelines:
– Wash all fruits/vegetables thoroughly before juicing
– Use clean utensils and equipment
– Discard any juices that look or smell spoiled
– Don’t keep soaked rainbow rice at room temp over 2 hours
– Cook rice thoroughly until steaming hot
– Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours
– Reheat rice fully to 165°F before re-serving
Proper food handling prevents bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses. Take care when prepping the ingredients and cooking the rice.
Storage
The colored rice can be stored just like regular rice. Here are some storage tips:
– Cooked rainbow rice keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. The colors may fade a bit over time.
– For longer storage, freeze rice in freezer bags up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before re-heating.
– Uncooked rainbow rice can be kept in juices in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Keep refrigerated.
– For longer storage, freeze uncooked soaked rice flat in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw in fridge before cooking.
– Dried packets of rainbow rice mix are now available for grab-and-go convenience. Follow package instructions.
Proper storage keeps the rice safe, retains moisture and extends the vibrancy of the rainbow colors.
Troubleshooting
Having trouble getting vibrant even colors? Here are some troubleshooting tips:
– Soak rice longer – Up to 20 minutes if juices seem pale
– Use more juice – Go up to 1/4 cup juice per 1/4 cup rice
– Try fresh juices – Older juices lose potency
– Use a blender – Pulverizes veggies/fruits to maximize color extraction
– Add a squeeze of lemon – Helps lock in vibrant colors
– Skip rinsing rice – Removes some starch needed to absorb colors
– Cook with a tight lid – Prevents colors from leeching out into water
– Skip oil – Can pull color from rice; just use broth/stock
With some tweaking, you can achieve perfect rainbow rice for a festive meal!
Conclusion
Cooking up a batch of colorful rainbow rice is an easy way to put a fun spin on ordinary rice. By soaking white rice in natural fruit and vegetable juices, you can create a vibrant, eye-catching rainbow medley.
Follow the simple soaking and cooking steps for fluffy, flavorful rice in all the colors of the rainbow. Use the rice in anything from entrees to salads, sides, sushi and more. With its festive colors and appeal for kids and adults alike, edible rainbow rice is sure to brighten up your next meal or occasion.
