Karuppu Kavuni: the story of the forbidden rice

Of all the grains we work with, none stops people in their tracks like Karuppu Kavuni. Dry, the grains are a deep violet-black; cooked, they turn glossy and naturally creamy, staining the water a royal purple.

The "forbidden rice" name comes from old stories that the grain was reserved for nobility — ordinary families were said to be barred from growing it. Whatever the truth of the legend, the rice remained rare and precious in the Tamil country, appearing at temples and festivals rather than everyday tables.

Modern kitchens love it for different reasons. The dark bran is rich in anthocyanins — the same antioxidant family found in berries — along with fibre that keeps its glycemic index low. It is dessert rice that behaves itself.

Our favourite ways to cook it: the payasam mix, where jaggery and cardamom meet that natural creaminess, and the poha mix, where the dark flakes make a striking, nutty breakfast in ten minutes.

Like all our grains, our Karuppu Kavuni is organically grown in Tamil Nadu, traditionally soaked, and milled in small batches in Chennai. No preservatives, ever — just the forbidden rice, finally allowed everywhere.