Bubur Ketan Hitam: Indonesian Black Rice Pudding w Coconut Milk
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Bubur Ketan Hitam is a flavorful Indonesian sticky rice pudding made with black glutinous rice, coconut milk, and pure unprocessed palm sugar.
In Malaysia and Singapore, a similar dish is known as Pulut Hitam.
You can eat this creamy porridge either warm or cold, with a generous drizzle of coconut milk on top. It makes for a perfect breakfast, dessert, or bowl of comfort when you need one.
This black rice pudding fits a vegan and vegetarian diet as it contains no animal products. It is also gluten-free because it uses black glutinous rice, which does not contain gluten.
Look for black rice and unrefined palm sugar at your local Asian grocery store. If you can’t find it locally, you can purchase Black Sticky Rice or Pure Palm Sugar on Amazon.
When I was a little girl, one of my aunts always made this for me when I went to her house. She would ask me what I wanted to eat, and I would always say Sticky Black Rice Pudding.
Now that I am grown up, I appreciate it even more that she always made it for me. She gave me a delicious childhood memory, and I now realize this is not a quick two-minute microwave porridge. Although easy, it does take some time and patience.
Soak the black glutinous rice for 6 hours or overnight as it takes a long time to cook. And it would take even longer if you would skip the soaking.
I just finished making a big batch so excuse me while I cuddle up with my bowl of black sticky rice.
Black Rice Pudding (Bubur Ketan Hitam)
Enjoy a bowl of Black Rice Pudding (Bubur Ketan Hitam), a traditional Indonesian dessert or breakfast dish made with black glutinous rice and coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black glutinous rice (ketan hitam)
- 100 g unrefined palm sugar (gula jawa)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 750 ml water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Gently rinse the black rice. Soak in a bowl of water for at least 6 hours to overnight.
- Bring water to a boil, add the rice, then turn the temperature to low. Cover, and let simmer for about 60 minutes. You want the rice to become tender and most of the liquid to be absorbed. Stir from time to time to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk with salt, and let sit at room temperature. A little bit of salt will highlight and balance the sweetness of the rice.
- During the last 15 minutes or so, melt the Gula Jawa sugar in 1/4 cup of boiling water on low heat to make a syrup. Add this sugar syrup to the rice. Stir and let simmer til it’s completely absorbed with the rice.
- Serve the black rice porridge in bowls. Drizzle the salted coconut milk on top. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
You can cook the rice until the liquid reduces to a thicker texture. Additionally, letting the finished porridge sit for a few hours or overnight, will release the starch from the glutinous rice, which will also thicken the overall consistency.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 48Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 328mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated. These figures should be considered estimates.
Did this recipe make you want more?
Here are some of my favorite Indonesian Bubur dessert recipes you can try:
Bubur Sumsum – Coconut Rice Flour Pudding
Bubur Kacang Hijau – Mung Bean Pudding
Bubur Nasi Manis – Sweet Coconut Rice Pudding
