McDonald's Singapore Creates Red Rice Porridge After Chef's Visit To Bhutan

Chef Anna Lim has created a red rice porridge as a healthy option for McDonald's Singapore's breakfast menu.

By Karen Lim | AsiaOne

After tasting red rice during a visit to Bhutan, Singaporean chef Anna Lim has now brought it into fast-food chain McDonald's Singapore.

The Red Rice Porridge - cooked with sweet potato, shiitake mushrooms, beancurd, corn and goji berries - will be available permanently on the McDonald's breakfast menu at all outlets from today. 

Ms Lim, who is also known as Souperchef Anna, said she learned about the much-loved staple in the Bhutanese diet and was inspired to create this fusion recipe as a "familiar hawker fave that many Singaporeans enjoy for breakfast".

In 2015, Ms Lim worked with Soup Spoon and Bhutan travel specialist DrukAsia to create three Bhutanese dishes that were sold for a limited period. 

 Organic red rice is grown in the eastern parts of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It is a staple among the locals and is mostly eaten along with their national dish, chilli cheese.

It takes longer to cook than white rice but less time than brown, and contains minerals such as potassium, iron and magnesium. It also has a low Glycemic Load (GL), that breaks down carbohydrates gradually and is gluten-free too.

Red rice is a wholegrain known for its unique colour and nutty flavour. It is a low-fat, low-calorie option, compared to white rice. According to Ms Jaclyn Reutens, a dietician from Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants, red rice has at least 20 per cent more zinc and iron compared to brown rice.

Singapore-based company Bhutan Natural imports red rice to the country on a regular basis.

This article was first published in AsiaOne and has been edited for the Daily Bhutan.