How to Cook Seeraga Samba Rice?
Seeraga Samba Rice is very commonly known as Biriyani Rice these days. Most of us might not be aware of its health benefits, variants. I wanted to highlight that this humble traditional rice variant has much more than just flavour and taste. Hence here comes today’s post How to Cook Seeraga Samba Rice?.
What is Seeraga Samba Rice?
Seeraga Samba rice is a traditional aromatic long-duration paddy crop from TamilNadu. The name comes from its resemblance to seeragam/jeera/cumin seeds. Samba Season is when the crop is grown and hence “Seeraga Samba” is its name. There are also some references which denote the nature of the rice to the name. “உடம்பை சீராக ஆக்கும் அரிசி சீரக சம்பா “.
Health Benefits of Seeraga Samba Rice:
- The major reason behind the usage of seeraga samba rice with Biriyani is because of the presence of ß-Sitosterol which helps in pulling out the cholesterol with them. This ß-Sitosterol inhibits the cholesterol absorption and flushes out of the body.
- Here is an ancient poem which talks about seeraga samba rice and states that the rice is great in curing gastric related diseases and has a great taste.
சீரகச்சம் பாவரிசி தின்னச் சுவையாகும்
பேரகத்து வாதமெல்லாம் பேருங்காண் – வாருலகில்
உண்டவுட னேபசியும் உண்டாகும் பொய்யலவே
வண்டருறை பூங்குழலே ! வாழ்த்து.
– அகத்தியர் குணபாடம்.
- The higher amylose content is related to the lower glycemic index which makes it suitable for consumption by diabetic people too.
- The rice has the capacity to streamline the circulatory system and regulate appetite.
- The antioxidants present in this seeraga samba can boost the nervous system functioning.
- The rice is known to prevent colon cancer and breast cancer, relieve fatigue and help in anti-ageing and good health.
- These benefits can be reaped only when you choose unpolished seeraga samba rice. Do not opt for the pure white variants which would have lost all the goodness.
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How to Cook Seeraga Samba Rice?
Be it biryani or a pulav you would look forward to getting perfect individual grains which are totally non-sticky. This post is going to perfect steps to cook seeraga samba rice in the pressure cooker. There is a post about making biriyani (technically a vegetable pulav) with seeraga samba rice already. Check seeraga samba vegetable biriyani here.
You can find carrot pulav made with seeraga samba rice below. Here are the steps and the measurements
Ingredients:
- Seeraga Samba Rice-1 cup
- Coconut Milk/Water-1 1/4 cup
- Ghee-1 tbsp
- Clove-2
- Bay Leaf-1
If you add coconut milk ensure it is half cup thick milk and rest is thin milk.
Procedure:
- If you store the rice in the refrigerator please keep it outside overnight.
- Wash and rinse the rice well(minimum thrice) and soak for 20 minutes.
- Drain the water completely.
- In a pressure cooker add ghee and saute cloves and bay leaf.
- Now add the rice and coconut milk.
- Give a quick mix and cook for one whistle in high flame.
- Let the pressure get released completely.
- Transfer to a wide bowl, let it cool and fluff with a fork gently.
- Now you can add salt and mix with any of your pulav bases or even use in dum biriyani recipes.
I followed the recipe of carrot baath and made the same with seeraga samba rice
Notes:
Why is my rice mushy?
- Excess water
- Stirring it hard
- Not rinsing enough
Why is my rice not separated as individual grains?
- Trying to release pressure before it settles by itself.
- Using the fork to fluff before it cools down.
- Soaking for a long time.
- The first whistle would have taken a long time.
- Excess water
Can all the traditional rice varieties be cooked in cooker the same way?
No. Each rice needs a unique soaking and cooking time in the pressure cooker.
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Disclaimer:
I am not a qualified doctor/nutritionist/medical practitioner. The information is not equivalent to medical expert advice. The information is based on the reading and research I do and the references are shared above. Thank you
References:
nammalavar.co.in
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250175527_A_high_yielding_seeragasamba_rice_culture_VG_09006_and_its_medicinal_properties