Vegan Chocolate Black Rice Payasam Recipe

Chocolate Black Rice Payasam for Chocolate Day on 7 July! Upgrade to food that truly loves you back.

Whole Food Plant Based Chocolate Black Rice Payasam Recipe

Course: Dessert in Course 3 (Grain Dishes) at Lunch & Dinner Meals; Chocolate Recipe
Cuisine: Continental Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Black Rice / Forbidden Rice
1/2 cup Date Syrup
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp Cashews
1/4 cup Almonds soaked
1/4 cup Raisins
Water as required

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak black rice at least for 30 minutes. Cook with 1 cup of water with a partially closed lid. Check on it once in a while an adjust water if required. Do not allow to boil over or get burnt.
2. Meanwhile, grind cashews into a smooth paste, along with date syrup. Once ground to a paste, mix in cocoa powder to make chocolate mixture.
3. Once black rice is cooked, remove from stove and mix in chocolate mixture.
4. Wait until it cools down completely. Garnish with soaked almonds and raisins. Serve Fresh!

Plant Based Chef Pro Tips for Best Chocolate Black Rice Payasam Recipe

1. Add cinnamon and cloves for a greater range of flavor.
2. Cooking black rice in a mud pot is easier than a steel vessel, as it gets cooked evenly.
3. While partially covering the boiling black rice with a plate for chocolate black rice payasam recipe, it is wise to pour some water on the plate. If the plate remains cool, the boiling mixture will not boil over!

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Chocolate Black Rice Payasam Recipe

1. Why not honey, sugar or jaggery? Sugar and Jaggery are processed foods. Although jaggery is healthier than brown sugar, which, in turn, is healthier than white sugar, all forms of processed foods are unhealthy when compared to whole plant foods. Honey is healthwise as good as jaggery, which isn't saying much. In addition to not being very healthy, honey production kills millions of bees every year, affecting our environment adversely. The best sweetener alternative is a whole fruit or dry fruit. The easiest method of using these is date syrup, as it does not involve peeling or chopping.
2. Why whole grains? Whole grains are healthier than refined grains such as white rice, refined flours, maida, rava, etc., as the bran layer is intact, with all its vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Whole grains have been found to be protective against a whole range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and lifestyle-related cancers.
3. Why cool grains? When cooked grains are allowed to cool on the counter or in the fridge, the starch crystallises to form resistant starch. This can be eaten by our good gut bacteria and also reduces the glycemic index (the rate at which glucose is absorbed), making the whole grain even healthier. For the same reason, parboiled whole grains can be used as well.
4. Why not dairy? Dairy products have been found to be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, asthma, PCOS, and heart disease. We can still enjoy our milk, cream, and butter though - as long as they are made from whole plant foods!
5. Why nuts instead of oil? Whole foods are healthier than processed foods. When nuts are pressed and oil is extracted, fiber and phytonutrients are lost, along with many other nutrients. Therefore, whole nuts are much healthier than oils, whether cold-pressed or refined. In addition, they provide the oil content we need to absorb fat-soluble phytonutrients from other whole plant foods! This may be why nuts are used to garnish nearly every traditional Indian dish!