Long back I had shared a plain brinji recipe with coconut milk. Most of the small grain biryani rice varietals currently available tend to be polished rice versions without the nutrients found in brown rice.Brinji rice is a very popular rice variety in small hotels in Chennai. The traditional Malabari biryanis in the Kozhikode region use a similar small grain varietal that packs great flavours - Seeraga Sala rice (also known as Kaima rice) that's grown in Kerala and also outside the state but used almost exclusively in Malabar region. The rice is usually cultivated in the Samba season (typically August to January). The rice takes its name from Jeera (Seeragam in Tamil) because the small (much smaller than other rice varieties) ovular grains share an uncanny resemblance to jeera (cumin seeds). Seeraga Samba rice is the quintessential ingredient in the Dingidul-style biryani it's also used in the Ambur - my favourite style of biryani, in Tamil Nadu (although Basmati rice is widely used too). If you are looking at making a big change in your diet, brown rice is a compelling substitution option.Īside from Hyderabad, South India's biryani cities have one key ingredient in common - small grain rice. This variety works best for rice along with sambar or rasam and can also be used for idli/dosa batter as well. It takes slightly longer to cook - the hand pounded brown rice version I use typically takes 15 minutes to pressure cook (the cooking time for white rice is about 10 minutes). The rice's low glycemic index makes it more suitable for diabetics. It makes no difference in calorific values but makes a huge difference in key nutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, niacin and vitamin B6. The key difference is that only the outer shell of the paddy is removed, leaving the bran intact. That one meal experience was all it took for me to make the permanent switch from white to brown rice. The morsels were slightly larger and chewier, almost reminiscent of Arborio rice used in an Italian risotto. We dined at his staff canteen it was the first time I sampled what the locals call Kai Kuthal Arisi (hand pounded rice). Polished versions unfortunately take away some of the key nutrients inherent in rice.Ī few years ago I visited a school mate's large textile unit in Arupukottai near Madurai. Tamil Nadu's best known version is Ponni rice and there's Sona Masuri that is quite popular in Andhra Pradesh. Polished rice cooks quicker and also complements most of the traditional rice accompaniments - from rasam to sambar, better. Most old timers remember how white rice quickly overtook unpolished rice varieties because of its perceived quality and also of its 'neutral' taste.

It's tough to imagine that the ubiquitous polished rice that most people just call 'white rice' is a fairly modern phenomenon. Many of these might be available at your local supermarket or organic store: 5 Types of Rice - the Different South Indian Varieties We put the spotlight on some of the best known rice varietals from South India - white, brown, red and even black. It's not just Tamil Nadu, the organic and health food waves have seen quite a few traditional rice varieties reappear on shelves across South India. Some experts peg that number at four lakh rice varietals that have shrunk to the few that we see at the supermarket. It's one of the few types of rice that have survived at a time when mass production rapidly phased out thousands of rice in a state that has prided itself on its rice growing history and traditions. One of the essential nutrients to help these prospective grooms was the Mapillai Samba, an unpolished rice varietal rich in minerals and nutrients. Not long ago prospective grooms had to lift this heavy stone in their village to impress the women folk - a 'swayamvara' of sorts. I spotted one in a tiny village in a region in Tamil Nadu's rice bowl - The Cauvery Delta near Thanjavur. Many villages in Tamil Nadu still have a bridegroom's stone (Mapillai Kallu).

Jeera samba rice