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Bhutanese

Bhutanese red rice

Vegetarian

ཨེའུ་ཆུམ · eue chum

Bhutan's everyday staple: a semi-milled red rice from the Himalayan valleys that cooks quickly into soft, slightly sticky, nutty pink grains.

Bhutanese red rice is a Bhutanese rice dish, ready in about 37 minutes and made with red rice. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
Plate of cooked Bhutanese red rice served with sautéed greens
Photo: Steve / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0
Prep
5 min
Cook
22 min
Rest
10 min
Total
37 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
367

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rinse the rice two or three times until the water is fairly clear.

    • 3 min

  2. Step 2

    Bring the rice, water and salt to a boil, then cover and simmer on low until the water is absorbed.

  3. Step 3

    Leave the pan covered on the counter for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1–2 hours.

About this dish

Origin
Paro valley, Bhutan · Commonly attributedMore food from Bhutan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Side dishes
Cooking method
Boiled, Steamed
Taste
nutty, earthy, mild
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Meal-prep friendly
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

367 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 275 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 84%
  • Fat 8%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy367 kcal133 kcal
Protein7.5 g2.7 g
Carbohydrate76.3 g27.7 g
Net carbohydrate72.7 g26.4 g
Sugars0.7 g0.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.6 g1.3 g
Fat3.2 g1.2 g
Saturated fat0.6 g0.2 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium154 mg56 mg
Salt equivalent0.4 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
250 mg
Calcium
27 mg
Iron
1.3 mg
Magnesium
120 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
23 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Red rice: Raw long-grain brown rice used as a stand-in; red rice (e.g. Bhutanese red rice) is a whole or semi-milled rice with a similar nutrient profile.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Bhutanese red rice is only partly milled, so it cooks much faster than most brown or red rices.

Common mistakes

  • Using the same water and time for other red rices — most need soaking and far longer cooking.

Serve with

  • Serve with ema datshi, kewa datshi or any curry.

Storage

  • Refrigerate cooked rice for up to 1 day.

Reheating

  • Reheat with a splash of water until steaming hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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