Rice

Rice

A simple food that is consumed all over India is rice. Rice is a staple food and good source of carbohydrate. There are many varieties of rice and the nutritional value differs. In India, mostly people feed rice as the first food for the infants. Rice is considered equivalent to God. There are innumerable sweet and savoury dishes prepared with rice and fondly consumed.

A brown rice called as manavari arsi (rice) is part of Tamilnadu's (state in India) culture and cooked especially on the occasion of Pongal (harvest festival). It is slightly pinkish in colour and has a sticky texture. It has high content of fiber and iron.

In Assam and Bengal (states of India), eat sticky rice which resembles the rice consumed in Japan and China. It is very healthy and filling. A good bowl of rice with vegetable of fish stew tastes delicious and keeps one full for a longtime. 

In Kerala, thick pearl like rice is preferred. It has a bubble-like texture to it and goes very well with plethora of gravies prepared with the coconut milk. 

Rice is a great source of energy. It helps in performing hard physical work if taken in right quantity.

If the cooked rice is fermented overnight and consumed as a first meal of the day, it builds stamina, fills one with probiotics and essential nutrients.

Rice is mostly consumed with varieties of pulses, making it indispensable in a balanced diet. It can be easily digested. Even small babies can consume the mashed rice with ease.

If one consumes rice at night, it can even help in a good night sleep. Especially, for someone who has midnight cravings or suffers from insomnia. A humble serving of rice can satiate hunger and gives contentment. 

Pongal is a rice dish prepared in combination of yellow lentils as both sweet and Savoury dish. For sweet, jaggery, milk, cardamom, ghee (clarified butter) is added and garnished with ghee roasted dry fruits. For the spicy one, pepper corns, cumin, curry leaves and green chilies are added for flavor. It is served with chutney and sambhar. For sides, black gram vada is prepared. Doesn't it seem scrumptious and delicious. So are the nutritional benefits. People jokingly say, don't eat too much of Pongal or you'll be drowsy all day. Jokes apart, a good meal power packed with all the goodness takes you towards health and happiness.

Though recent diets do no recommend rice considering the fact that excessive consumption might lead to obesity. When consumed in moderation, there is no better food supplement than rice.

 - Saranya