Korean Black Rice Coconut Smoothie
Quick answer
This smoothie is built on cooked black rice, blended with coconut milk, banana, and ice into a thick, grain-forward drink.
What makes this special
- Cooked black rice provides a chewy, starchy texture and deep purple color in this smoothie.
- Black rice anthocyanins give a deep purple impossible in other grain smoothies
- Coconut milk fat wraps around the coarse black rice grain for creaminess
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rinse 70g black rice under cold water several times until the water runs mostly clear.
- 2 Put the soaked rice and 250ml water in a small pot over low heat.
- 3 Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the grains look plump and no hard center remains when pressed.
This smoothie is built on cooked black rice, blended with coconut milk, banana, and ice into a thick, grain-forward drink. The black rice is cooked and cooled before blending, which gives it a chewy, starchy quality that thickens the smoothie from within and contributes a toasty grain flavor that fruit-based smoothies do not have. Anthocyanin pigments in the black rice bran stain the drink a deep purple. Coconut milk brings its fat content to bear on the coarser grain particles, smoothing the texture into something creamy and uniform. Banana adds natural sweetness and a binding thickness that allows the smoothie to come together without added sugar from the start. Date syrup deepens the sweetness further, and blending with ice brings the drink to a cold temperature while loosening the consistency. Toasted coconut chips scattered over the finished smoothie provide a layer of crunch that contrasts with the thick, smooth body below and reinforces the coconut flavor throughout.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Rinse 70g black rice under cold water several times until the water runs mostly clear.
Soak it for 20 minutes, then drain it in a fine mesh sieve for about 3 minutes so extra water does not thin the smoothie.
- 2Control
Put the soaked rice and 250ml water in a small pot over low heat.
When it begins to simmer, stir once across the bottom so the starch does not settle and stick before the grains soften.
- 3Heat
Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the grains look plump and no hard center remains when pressed.
Spread the rice out and cool it completely, because warm starch can clump and make blending uneven.
- 4Step
Add the cooled rice, 260ml coconut milk, one peeled banana, and 20g date syrup to the blender.
Keep the coconut milk near the bottom so the blades catch liquid first and the rice blends more evenly.
- 5Step
Add 120g ice and blend on high for about 45 seconds.
Stop when the color is evenly deep purple and the texture is thick but smooth. If it feels gritty, blend in 10 second bursts.
- 6Finish
If the smoothie is too thick to pour, add up to 30ml more coconut milk and blend briefly.
Pour it into chilled glasses, top with 10g toasted coconut chips, and serve while cold and thick.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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