Fragrant seeraga samba

Tasty, fragrant, traditional, desi, Indian variety, produce of Cauvery Delta, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. Easily digestable, prevents gastric disorders & increases the appetite.

Merits of Hand-broken Rice:

There are 4 parts in a paddy:

• Husk
• Bran
• Embryo
• Starch

All healthy contents are outside the paddy & less healthy contents are inside the paddy. We are eating the less healthy content and give the healthy contents to cattle’s.

Hand broken rice are generally called as Red /Brown Rice. The skin is removed only to a small extent. Hence the rice will be in brown colour. This is very tastier & chewable. Since this rice is not fully polished, it is healthier. For cooking, this may take little more time than the polished rice.

Hand broken rice contains Selenium which prevents the cancer of colon & intestines. This has got more fiber contents & also anti-oxidants. Hence it will remove the chemicals in colon & intestines, so they will not stay to create cancer of colon & intestines.

Hand broken rice has got Phytonutrients Lignanwhich prevents breast cancer & strengthens the heart. In a research conducted among old ladies, hand broken rice when consumed it increases the Enterolactone & reduces the possibility of breast cancer.

The oil in the Bran in the hand broken rice reduces the cholesterol. This rice will have LDL which is a fiber which reduces the cholesterol.

Since fiber is more in hand broken rice, it reduces the heart problem. The researchers of Temple University have informed that the Blood Pressure will reduce by consuming hand broken rice. Further it impedes the formation of plaques in veins & arteries, thereby reducing chances of coronary heart diseases.

Since hand broken rice has got more fiber, it controls the calories in the food thus it stops the more intake of food. The researchers from Harvard University have found that the fiber is more in hand broken rice; it reduces the weight of the ladies.

The fiber content in the rice helps to digest the food & it stops constipation thus we have a healthier intestinal operation.

The fiber in the hand broken rice controls the sugar level in the blood & cures Type –2 diabetes.

Hand broken rice is rich in magnesium which preserves bone density. A cup of rice contains 21% of the recommended per day magnesium level. Due to Magnesium, bones observe more calcium & other necessary nutrients.

Magnesium rich hand broken rice lessens asthma. Researchers found that hand broken rice decreases the severity of asthma in patients. Moreover selenium in the hand broken rice gives more immunity against asthma.

A research finding is published in a American Magazine related to Liver & Intestine which states that fiber rich hand broken rice reduces formation of Gall bladder stones for ladies.

Hand broken rice contains manganese which is good for healthier neurological system. Manganese is an essential nutrient involved in many chemical processes in the body, including processing of cholesterol, carbohydrates, and protein & produces reproductive hormones.

FOOD or POISON IN YOUR PLATE?

In our country, there are more diabetic patients because of so many reasons. Debates are going on saying it is due to our genes; few say due to climatic conditions; few people say it is due to lack of exercise. The main reason being discussed is our food habit, i.e. consumption of more rice!

In these circumstances…. So many doctors (including diabetes specialist) statement that ‘There is no link between Diabetes & Rice’ has been now proved wrong.

The Glycemic Index (GI) provides a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels (i.e., levels of glucose in the blood) rise after eating a particular type of food. The glycemic index estimates how much each gram of available carbohydrate (total carbohydrate minus fiber) in a food raises a person’s blood glucose level following consumption of the food, relative to consumption of pure glucose. Glucose has a glycemic index of 100.

Food with 70 to 100 are High GI; 55-70 are medium GI; 55 or less are Low GI food.

A high-GI food causes early digestion, early absorption, and more rapid rise in blood glucose levels thus the main cause of Diabetes. A low-GI food digests & absorbs slowly and will release glucose more slowly and steadily. Thus food with 70+ GI is more dangerous & food with less than 50 GI is safe.

Therefore it is necessary to know the level of GI in our day to day food!!!!

In most of the countries, Law has been implemented that the level of GI of the food should be mentioned in the packing.

Notable point is Seeraga samba’s GI is 56, hand broken rice GI is 50 where as short variety ‘Ponni’ rice GI is 75 which is very high.

Samba, Basmati variety rice GI is 56 to 58. Hence South Indians who consume Ponni variety rice suffers from diabetes more in numbers than North Indians who consume Basmati variety rice. People who are adamant that they need only ‘Pooni’ rice should now judge whether it is right or wrong!!!!

There is opinion that to measure the sugar level in our blood, quantity of food should also be considered in addition to GI level of food. Quantifying the food level is called Glycemic Load (GL). In general, in our food, Carbohydrate should be 50%, cholesterol 30%, Protein 20%. But Statistics says the food we consume contains 75% Carbohydrate. It means our food contains more Glucose. Already GI more in addition to that if we increase the level of GL also then is there any surprise that we are prone to diabetes.

The most powerful ‘ American Diabetes Association’ opined that how much intake of Carbohydrate is more important rather than which type of carbohydrate lead to the worldwide suggestion by doctors that there is no direct link between rice & diabetes. Harvard University’s research on people of China, Japan, America & Australia for the past 22 years has proven it wrong.

Recipe with Seeraga Samba

Vegetable Rice

Ingredients:

• Seeraga Samba – 1 Kg
• Ghee – 150 gm
• Desired vegetables – ¼ cup each
• Salt for taste
• Clove, Cardamom & other spices
• Ginger Garlic paste – 8 spoons
• Cashew nut – 15 nos.
• Onion – 3 nos.
• Green chilli – 6 nos.
• Curry leaves

Preparation:

• Soak rice for ½ an hour.
• Cook 1 1kg of rice & keep it aside
• Cook the vegetables in a pan with ghee and add little bit of salt & keep aside
• Heat ghee & sauté ginger garlic paste, chopped onions, cashew, curry leaves, green chilli. Add the cooked vegetables, salt to taste & cooked rice.
• Serve hot

Note:

As salt is used to cook vegetables, take care when you add again with rice. Rice to water ratio is 1:2. Cabbage, Beans, Peas, Carrot, Cauliflower & Capsicum can be used. Generally hand broken rice takes more time to cook than the polished rice. That’s why it should be soaked in water before we cook.

Seeraga Samba Puttu

Ingredients:

• Seeraga Samba rice – 1 cup
• Sugar – ¼ cup
• Ghee – 2 spoons
• Cardamom powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Pinch of salt
• Fried cashews

Preparation:

• Fry seeraga samba rice till it turns red in a pan; grind it in a mixie as nice as rava. Add a pinch of salt & water and mix it well. Steam cook it.
• Mix Sugar & water & boil it to a stage where it comes to a particular stage add the steam cooked rice rava, cardamom powder, ghee, cashews & mix it well.

Guska

Ingredients:

• Seeraga samba rice – 4 cups
• Cooking oil – 1 spoon
• Coconut oil – 2 table spoon
• Ghee – 3 spoons
• Onion – 4 nos.
• Cardamom, clove & other spices powder – ½ spoon
• Mint leaves – ½ cup
• Coriander leaves – ½ cup
• Green chilli – 4 nos.
• Small onion paste – ¼ cup
• Tomato – 8 nos
• Chilli powder – 1 spoon
• Curd – ¼ cup
• Ginger garlic paste – 5 spoon
• Lemon – 2 nos
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Heat ghee/cooking oil/coconut oil in a pan & add chopped onions
• Sauté with ginger garlic paste
• Add coriander leaves & green chillies
• Add small onion paste, chopped tomato, chilli powder, curd & sauté till oil leaves the cooking mixture
• Add water in 1:2 ratios of rice
• Add seeraga samba rice & cook it
• When water starts to absorb add lemon juice.
• Serve hot.