RICE: THE FLAVOUR OF INDIA

MY MOTHERINLAW IS A TRADITIONAL TAMILIAN AND RICE IS HER STAPLE FOOD. SHE LOVES ENTERTAINING GUESTS AND SO THERE IS ALWAYS SOME, IF NOT UNUSUAL, VARIETY OF RICE ON THE TABLE. HERE ARE TWO OF HER RECIPES

Being born and brought up along the west coast of the country, I have been accustomed to eating both rice and wheat as a child. The grain I ate did not matter as long it was tasty.

As a student of marketing, I was forced to leave my pampered childhood and forge an existence of my own outside India. It was here that I missed the small luxuries of a cook and a maid. But it also gave me something I never had earlier, a newfound sense of independence! And guess where I found it first! In cooking rice!

Rice is a staple to most of us in India and cooking it is a piece of cake! The ease of cooking it came to my rescue after long working days, especially since there is no cutting, chopping and cleaning involved. When I was young, my grandmother filled my head with stories of rice shooting up my blood sugar and being rich in carbs. However, recent studies show that rice is a lot healthier. In fact, today, there is a whole rage of gluten free products, and rice is perfect! Nowadays, cakes are being baked with rice flour instead of refined wheat flour, which is much healthier. Half a cup of rice has 120 calories, which is actually the same as that of a slice of bread or chapatti. However, rice is a lot more filling and has a better satiety value than the other grains, so half a cup can keep you going.

Rice is the staple food in many Asian countries like China, Japan and India. A grain of rice comes from a special seed called Oryza Sativa, which requires large amounts of water and is thus grown where there is a sufficient quantity of rain. The nice thing about rice is that it is versatile and any other herb or seed that you cook in it, infuses it to give it a distinct flavour and fragrance.

The varieties of rice are innumerable! Wild rice, brown rice, black rice, red rice, and the list is endless. There are also so many varieties of dishes that can be made with rice like biryanis, khichdis, pulaos, puddings, kheers, noodles, sushis, risottos and a lot more. These of course, do require more effort.

However, if cumbersome cooking isn’t up your alley, boiled rice with chutney, Schezwan sauce, pickle or some moolagapoo dip is equally delicious too! It is no wonder that when you are invited to someone’s house for a meal, there is a high possibility that you will find at least one, if not two dishes that contain rice.