When January rolls around, I desperately seek warmth and color, two things that are very much missing when I step outside into the grey cold. This applies to all aspects of my life, but especially in the food I eat. I want a hot mug of lemon ginger tea, a toasty bowl of oatmeal loaded with berries, a filet of pink-orange air fryer salmon slick with a miso glaze.
My most aspirational warm and colorful winter dish? Purple rice. A popular dish in many Asian countries, purple rice is a type of rice known for the its deep purple color. The deep hue comes from the rice’s high amount of anthocyanin, the antioxidant pigment also found in blueberries and blackberries.
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I always mean to buy purple rice but my kitchen is small so I don’t have space for a lot of things, let alone another bag of rice. That got me on a search to find ways to dress up white rice in a way that is colorful, flavorful and nourishing with the ingredients I have in my kitchen.
Thanks to TikTok content creator @mamalindacooks, I found the perfect trick—just add a Japanese purple sweet potato to your white rice.
Related: How to Make Purple Sweet Potato Casserole
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@mamalindacooks 👀 The secret is … adding a Japanese purple sweet potato, AKA Okinawa sweet potato! Why? 🍚💜🍠 As highlighted in Netflix’s Live to 100, Japanese purple sweet potatoes are a powerful longevity food and a key part of the Okinawan diet. Their purple color comes from anthocyanins, antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties that support heart and brain health. Regular consumption of these antioxidants has been linked to a lower risk of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and certain cancers. This simple addition not only adds a creamy, mildly sweet flavor but also boosts the health benefits of your rice, making it a wholesome choice for the whole family. How? 🍚💜🍠 Simply wash and scrub the Japanese purple sweet potato clean, then add it to the rice cooker with your rice and cook as normal—there’s no need to add extra water. I use the “white rice” or “quick cook” setting on my Zojirushi rice cooker. If you prefer, you can peel the skin off beforehand. Mama’s Tip: Use a small to medium, uniform-width sweet potato for even cooking. It should be soft and easy to mix into the rice. #japanesesweetpotato #okinawafood #purplefood #sweetpotato #sweetpotatoes #rice #ricelover #ricecooker #healthycooking #cookinghacks
♬ Itsumo Nandodemo (Spirited Away) – Aun J-Classic Orchestra
Why You Should Add a Purple Sweet Potato to White Rice
I mean, just look at that color! It’s stunning and the perfect antidote for the winter blahs. If you need more convincing, you only need two ingredients and a rice cooker to make this rice and it just takes a few minutes to cook. What’s more, the purple in the sweet potato also comes from anthocyanins, which means you can enjoy the vibrant color, the good-for-you antioxidants from the potato and the fueling carb combo of rice and potato.
Eat the purple sweet potato rice as a side dish, add a fried egg on top for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or use the vibrant grain to level up your rice bowl. No matter what you choose, you’re set for so many good hearty (and pretty!) winter meals.
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How to Make Purple Sweet Potato Rice
Wash and scrub one small-to-medium size Japanese purple sweet potato. Wash and rinse the rice and add to the bowl of an electric rice cooker. Nestle the sweet potato into the rice and cook using the white rice or quick cook setting on your rice cooker. Once fully cooked, break the potato into smaller pieces right in the rice cooker using a rice paddle or spoon. Stir the potato into the rice and serve.
But who says purple sweet potatoes get to have all the fun? For pink-hued rice, cook the grain with beets or try making a pot of arroz verde, Mexican green rice.
Related: How to Make Carrot Rice
More Great Ways to Upgrade Rice
- The Japanese Way to Make Rice Bowls 10x Better
- How to Make Leftover Rice 10x Better
- The Genius Rice-Cooking Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner
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