So, everybody knows India is the land of rice and curry. The
fluffy snow white grains of rice seamlessly take on the flavors of curry to
create a taste explosion in your mouth. But, there’s another lesser know
variety of rice which rarely gets its due in the spotlight. Black rice, also
known as purple rice or forbidden rice, is an Eastern/N. Eastern Indian specialty.
It is mostly grown in Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand, but, commonly eaten in
Manipur because of its medicinal value.
The medicinal value of black rice comes from the nutrients
it is loaded with. This variety of rice contains more B and E, niacin, calcium,
magnesium, iron and zinc as compared to regular rice. Consequently black rice
has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-angiogenesic effects.
Called ‘chakhao poireiton’ in the local language, Manipuris
serve black rice pudding at feasts and celebrations. The raw grains of the rice
are a matte black color but once cooked the rice turns purple. The cooked rice
is slightly sticky and nutty in taste.
It is interesting to know that black rice is also consumed
in China. The name ‘Forbidden rice’ originates from China where this rice was
served only to royalty and the common people were forbidden to eat it. The Manipuri
variety of rice is more aromatic, but apart from that, Chinese black rice and
the Manipuri chakhao are same in every other way.
Black rice is a great alternative for those who are looking
for a low GI variety of rice or are trying to watch their weight.
For a first time black rice eater, it might be a good idea
to taste it in pudding form first to get a feel of what it is like. You can
move on to the more commonplace way of eating it later!
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