Brown Rice Delight – Indian Style

 

Fulfilling Meal!

Brown rice, as you all know, is rich in nutrients, esp. as it contains Vitamin D and Magnesium it’s good for bones. (Magnesium is said to build the density of bones.)  It’s also rich in dietary fibre.  As a whole grain it prevents weight gain, it gives a fullness too soon, which helps us refrain from over-eating.

 

 

How to cook Brown Rice?

I tried few types of brown rice, including Brown Basmathi rice, before settling down to 

Organic, 'Harvest Hom Mali Rice’.  It’s perfect in every way.

I found brown basmathi very chunky and less palatable.

Ingredients and Method:

Brown Rice – 1 Cup

Water – 2 Cups

Salt – ½ tsp.

 

Wash and soak brown rice for half-an hour, soaking helps lessen the cooking time, since brown rice take longer time to cook. Almost double or even triple the time we cook normal rice. (There have been times, when I cook without soaking, it takes little longer, but whenever possible I soak for 30 minutes)

Use double the amount of water to rice, if 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, you can use the soaking water to cook, need not drain. If we use more water than this ratio, it will turn out to be something like under-cooked porridge. 

In a pressure cooker, cook for at least 15 to 20 minutes in medium-low heat. Once the pressure is released, you can check for the done-ness and if needed cook again.

 

Accompaniments:

As far as I have tried, more than the usual Sambhar, rasam and curd/yoghurt, brown rice goes well with ‘Puzhi Kuzhambu’ or tamarind based thick gravies. Even the egg gravy/Muttai kuzhambu makes perfect combination. Other suggested curries are Kathirikkai/Brinjal Kuzhambu, Karunaikizhangu/Yam Kuzhambu, Vellapoodu-vengayam/Garlic-Onion Kuzhambu, to name a few.

  

 

Karunaikizhangu/Yam gravy!

Parangikkai/Pumpkin Puzhi Kuahambu!

Muttai/Egg Kuzhambu!

Kathirikkai/Brinjal Kuzhambu!

 

 

You can click the following link, for some of the above mentioned recipes:

 http://singaporechettinadrecipes.blogspot.sg/search/label/Gravy%20Varieties%20for%20Lunch%2FRice

 

Once a while, for a change I cook Brown rice, my elder one started liking it, my younger ones are slowly accommodating.  We need not force the kids; they will acquire the taste in course of time.