Black rice pudding - bubur injin - easy vegan recipe

Bubur Injin is a black rice pudding commonly served for breakfast in Bali and other parts of Indonesia. It's a healthy gluten-free porridge alternative and it's vegan and oil-free, too! This popular Balinese breakfast pudding is made with black glutinous rice, coconut sugar and creamy coconut milk. You can add some mung beans for extra protein if you'd like. Black sticky rice is packed with fibre and antioxidants and has a beautiful striking dark colour. Try this creamy, gooey and decadent Balinese breakfast, you will never want to eat regular porridge ever again! It's very easy to make and requires only a few ingredients. I cook mine on the stove but it can be made in a pressure cooker, too.

Reminiscing Bali

So when I was in Bali on my holidays of a lifetime, I discovered this traditional Indonesian breakfast/dessert. I was introduced to this black sticky rice porridge by a Balinese family I stayed with for the first few dates and I was hooked immediately. And they also served it in literally every vegan cafe I went to. I ended up having a bowl of bubur injin for breakfast for 4 weeks straight! That amazing Balinese black concoction looked so intriguing and it tasted out of this world, too! This delicious black glutinous rice treat is actually oil-free and good for you, and it makes a great healthy breakfast option.

Exotic black rice porridge

This black sticky rice pudding is kind of like a very cool Indonesian version of our boring European porridge.
It's so gooey, rich and creamy, I keep forgetting how simple and healthy this recipe is!
You should be able to get black sticky rice and mung beans in your local Thai or Chinese grocery shop.

Other names of this recipe:

• bubur injin (Balinese name)
• bubur ketan hitam (Indonesian)
• bubur pulut hitam (Malay)
• black rice porridge
• black glutinous rice porridge
• black glutinous rice pudding

It tastes absolutely amazing drowned in full-fat coconut milk and with caramelised bananas on top. Breakfast heaven!

Why you will love this Indonesian recipe:

It's an exotic and exciting porridge alternative. It's vegan and gluten-free. It's a simple recipe that is easy to make and it requires only a few ingredients. It's a healthy, oil-free and nourishing breakfast meal but it tastes like a creamy decadent dessert. Plus it looks extremely intriguing and sexy, like some kind of fancy black magic concoction. It's so gorgeous and photogenic and delicious, too!

Ingredients you'll need to make Indonesian bubur ketam hitam:

• black glutinous rice (soaked overnight)
• mung beans (soaked overnight)
• vanilla essence
• Himalayan salt
• coconut sugar
• full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
• bananas

If you can't get hold of pandan leaves just use vanilla essence instead

Traditionally, bubur injin should be cooked with some pandan leaves, but I've decided to butcher and simplify the recipe, and we're just going to use good old vanilla essence instead. So you don't have to worry too much about obtaining those mysterious pandan leaves. However, if you can get hold of these or at least some pandan leaf extract, that's awesome! Often pandan leaves are sold frozen so have a proper look in the freezer section. Just replace vanilla essence with one pandan leaf tied in a knot and you will get to enjoy 100% authentic Balinese breakfast experience, just the way locals make it.

Black sticky rice

• Black glutinous rice has a deep black colour and usually turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple colour is primarily due to its anthocyanin content, which is higher by weight than in other coloured grains. 
• You should be able to find black sticky rice (black glutinous rice) in most Thai or Chinese supermarkets in the rice section, most likely right next to the white sticky rice (white glutinous rice).
• Requires soaking prior to cooking (at least 5-6 hours). I usually leave it to soak overnight if I plan to enjoy a bowl bubur injin for breakfast the next day.
• Black sticky rice cooking time on the stove is about 50 minutes so if you're pressed for time using a pressure cooker is not a bad idea.
• It's unprocessed rice and because of this, it's high in fibre, anthocyanins (flavonoids that give deep purple colour) and vitamins.
• It has a lovely chewy texture and a distinctive aroma. This is why it works so well in sweet decadent pudding dishes.
• Black rice varieties used to be known as 'forbidden rice' in ancient China as only the upper class could afford to eat it.

How to make bubur injin:

1. Preparation: rinse rice and mung beans at least three times. Leave them mixed in a bowl of water, to soak for the night. They'll be ready to cook in the morning.
2. Boil 8 cups of water, add mung beans, black glutinous rice and Himalayan salt. Cook on a low light for 45 minutes until black glutinous rice breaks and softens. Your black rice pudding should have porridge consistency. Add 1-2 more cups of water if it gets too thick.
3. Add vanilla essence and coconut sugar and mix well with a spoon. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
4. Serve with salted coconut milk (about 1/2 cup per portion) and caramelised bananas on top (one banana per bowl).

For the full ingredient list, exact measurements, complete recipe method, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make caramelised bananas:

1. Slice the banana into thick coins (or into lengthwise strips, if that's your preference).
2. Coat them in coconut sugar.
3. Fry the banana slices (or strips) for 2-3 minutes in s tiny bit of coconut oil and then flip them over. The other side will caramelize quicker, in about a minute.
4. Optional: if you have a decent non-stick pan, you should be able to caramelize your bananas without any oil (if you are monitoring your fat or oil intake).

This Indonesian pudding is:

• 100% vegan (eggless and dairy-free)
• gluten-free
• a Balinese delicacy
• an exotic porridge alternative
• a great vegan breakfast idea
• a healthy breakfast treat
• oil-free
• quick and easy to make
• a simple, fuss-free recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients
• fragrant, sweet and creamy
• very filling
• gooey and decadent
• delicious and satisfying
• to be enjoyed any time of the day, also as a healthy snack
• can be enjoyed hot or cold - both versions are equally delicious

How to serve:

This black glutinous rice porridge can be enjoyed hot or cold. I personally love a bowl of warm bubur injin, straight from the stove. Serve it with a compulsory dollop of creamy, salty coconut milk. Feel free to add more coconut sugar if desired and customize your toppings. I can't imagine a bowl of bubur ketan hitam without caramelised bananas on top, they're just bound to be together 🙂

Toppings:

If for some reason you don't feel like topping your black rice porridge with some caramelised bananas, here are a few different topping options:

• fresh fruit (sliced banana, mango chunks, pineapple chunks or strawberry slices will work very well here)
• toasted coconut flakes
• vegan vanilla ice cream if you want to make this dessert really extra

If you like this Balinese porridge recipe, then I am 100% sure you will also love:

Vegan vermicelli kheer - a traditional Indian vermicelli pudding goes vegan and refined sugar-free. You know when a veganised treat all of sudden becomes a healthy breakfast option? You know what I'm saying?

Blue coconut rice flakes - another great gluten-free porridge alternative made with a dash of blue spirulina powder.

Vegan Mumbai sandwich - fancy something simple yet special for lunch?

Indonesian gado-gado salad - once you try that peanut butter lime dressing there is no going back...

Vietnamese cold vermicelli noodle salad - so fresh and flavourful.

Feel free to leave me a comment or a rating if you try this recipe. I love hearing from you! And if you snapped a photo of your bubur injin, make sure you share it with me on Instagram. Can’t wait to see how it turned out! I’ll share my favourite recreations in my Insta stories!

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