Wild Rice Porridge

Recipe from Dwayne Jarman

Adapted by Kevin Noble Maillard

Updated May 20, 2024

Wild Rice Porridge — Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(19)
Notes: Read community notes

Wild rice, known as manoomin in the Anishinaabemowin language, has been central to the identity and history of Indigenous people in the Upper Midwest and Central Canada for thousands of years. Directly translated as the “good berry,” the sacred manoomin is found in tall green grasses of low-lying lakes and streams, where ricers of all ages use sticks to knock kernels from the grass stalks into the bed of a canoe. This recipe is adapted from Dwayne Jarman, a traditional ricer in Michigan and enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. For his son’s birthday every year, he makes a delightful breakfast porridge of hand-harvested manoomin simmered in cream and topped with dried fruit and nuts. A touch of maple syrup and plumped berries balance the nutty flavor of the rice with explosions of warm sweetness. You’re urged to seek out manoomin for this recipe (see Tip), but you could substitute store-bought, commercially cultivated wild rice if preferred. —Kevin Noble Maillard

Featured in: How Wild Rice Forecasts Climate Change

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1cup manoomin (wild rice); see Tip
¼teaspoon sea salt
2cups whole cream, milk or nondairy milk, plus more for serving
½cup dried blueberries, cherries or raspberries, plus more for serving
1tablespoon maple syrup
1teaspoon vanilla
Fresh blueberries, cherries or raspberries (optional)
Toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place manoomin in a medium skillet and cover with cold water. Using your hands, gently swish the rice in the pan to rid the kernels of any debris and impurities. Drain and rinse, keeping the rice in the skillet, until the water appears clear.
Step 2
Cover the rice with 4 cups of water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring gently. Once the water is bubbling, immediately cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. It is done when the grains burst open. (For commercially cultivated wild rice, simmer for 45 minutes.)
Step 3
Drain the excess water from the rice in a colander or fine-mesh strainer. Add milk, dried fruit, syrup and vanilla to the same skillet, followed by the strained rice. Stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, so the rice is barely bubbling. Cover loosely and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more time for extra thickness.
Step 4
Remove from heat and scoop into bowls. Top with additional milk, if desired, and fresh berries and toasted nuts.

Tip

There is a significant difference between natural, hand-harvested manoomin and the commercially cultivated wild rice found on supermarket shelves. Both are classified as wild rice, but their methods of production differ greatly. A culturally significant food traditionally produced in Indigenous communities, natural manoomin is sold online by Indigenous sellers on Etsy, and Red Lake Nation Foods offers a variety of wild rices. The commercially cultivated rice sold in supermarkets is harvested by machines in controlled paddy environments. Natural manoomin, richer in flavor and softer in texture, is light brown in color and boils in about 15 minutes. Commercially cultivated wild rice is darker and chewier and can take at least 45 minutes to boil. Check the packaging of your rice for recommended boiling times.

Ratings

4 out of 5

19 user ratings

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Tannie B1 week ago

Very nice! I purchased the wild rice on Etsy, as suggested, and used whole milk, Trader Joe’s dried tart cherries, and fresh sweet cherries as the topping. The rice has a lovely nutty flavor and cooked up easily.

Hungry Guy3 weeks ago

why wouldn't I just wash the rice in a strainer under the faucet per usual as opposed to the more involved process of step 1?

MNMom1 month ago

This is essentially the same recipe as Mahnomin Porridge served at Hell's Kitchen restaurant in Minnesota, home to the Red Lake Nation. Unless you're allergic to nuts, adding some type of nut is recommended. They use hazelnuts but I've used pecans as well. I like the porridge a little sweeter so add the maple syrup to taste. It refrigerates and reheats well so make a double batch and have it for breakfast for the next several days.

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