More than a grain of truth in the rice bowl

From an auspicious offering to god, to the first solid food fed to children, rice is not just a staple but a cultural mainstay, writes Ranjita Biswas

Goddess Parvati, worshipped for the well-being of a household, is also known as Annapurna. Anna means rice and thus the grain is placed at the centre to ensure the health and wealth of a family. Scientists have shown that paddy, a grass variety, originated in India thousands of years ago before spreading to different parts of Asia. With 65 per cent of Indians consuming the crop, it is only next to China where rice is the main food item.

India also has an astonishing variety of rice stalks — from sticky bora rice of Assam, black rice of Manipur to fine-grained Basmati rice of the North. Matta rice or brown rice is favoured by tribals in central India. Now that urbanites have become health conscious, many have switched over to brown rice discarding the polished variety. Quick on the uptake to gauge the trend, manufacturers have launched packaged brown rice which you will find on shelves of food stores these days. If the potato is called the most versatile vegetable which can be cooked in a multitude of ways, as a grain, rice can easily borrow the sobriquet. Kitchens across India turn out a bewildering platter of rice dishes, each embellished with local flavours. And, we are not even talking about Spain’s Paella with Arroz (rice) the Italian Risotto which is rice-based, or for that matter, South East Asia’s extensive rice-based menu.

Talking about versatility, a whole book could be written on cuisines across India built around rice. In eastern parts of states like Bengal, Assam and Odisha, rice with fish curry is the mainstay. Fish can be cooked in different ways but only when it is mixed with boiled rice does the flavour come alive. Ask any food lover for confirmation! In the tribal belt of the North East, rice holds a prime position for sustenance.

Many tribal groups in this region also make rice beer by letting it ferment in earthen pots buried under the earth. Think of a boringly wet monsoon day. What can perk you up? A khichdi cooked in a combination of rice and pulses — moong or masoor, of course, fried fish — if hilsa all the better — potato fritters, fried pieces of aubergine, papad are almost a must in Bengali households when khichdi is served with generous spoons of pure ghee. In the north too, khichdi is a well-loved concoction.

Bisi bele bath of Karnataka is perhaps its southern counterpart with rice and lentils and combined with ghee, tamarind, curry leaves, nutmeg, and vegetables. Panta bhaat in Bengal or poita bhaat (bhaat stands for boiled rice) is a favourite with farmers who go out to work in the field early in the morning. Leftover rice from dinner is kept overnight covered with water. The next morning it is taken with a dash of mustard oil and green chillies. It is believed to keep the body cool during hot summers. Now, this down to earth recipe has even made it to restaurants in towns where it is served with fried small fish, roasted potato, etc. In Bangladesh, it has almost become a ritual now to have panta bhaat on the Nababorsho, the traditional New Year’s Day in April.

From this humble make-do, dash across to the highly sophisticated culinary delight — Biryani. Combined with mutton or chicken, this saffron embellished dish, best cooked dum pukht in handis, is mouth-watering and a meal-by-itself option. There are so many varieties of the biryani too — Lucknowi, Hyderabadi, Sindhi, etc. Then there is the signature Kolkata biryani with boiled eggs and big chunks of potato added to it. It is said that when the British took over Oudh and moved its king Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta (as the British India capital was called then) he found it difficult to afford only mutton biryanis to feed his large entourage. So to give volume he advised the head cook to add potato. Kashmir’s Yakhni pulao is another rice dish to savour with melt-in-the-mouth mutton pieces. Parsi brown rice with dhansak curry is another wow combination that any foodie will vouchsafe.