Basmati beginnings

It has been cultivated for hundreds of years in India and Pakistan, but the Himalayan foothills are said to produce the best basmati.

It’s a long grain rice with an aromatic, nutty flavour. It has been cultivated for hundreds of years in India and Pakistan, but the Himalayan foothills are said to produce the best basmati. Apparently all things brown were considered to be “unclean” to the white colonials who invaded the East so the husks were removed, giving us the white basmati rice with which we are now familiar. Happily we can now get brown basmati (Tastic has recently added it to their range) which has a lower GI, not to mention extra fibre, vitamins and minerals.

NICE RICE

> A great source of protein, carbohydrate and B vitamins.

> It has a low GI, which provides sustained energy throughout the day.

> It’s low in sodium and cholesterol, and packed with fibre which aids digestion.

DID YOU KNOWY

> Rice is grown and harvested on every continent except Antarctica.

> One seed of rice yields more than 3000 grains. It is the highest yielding cereal grain and can grow in many types of environments and soils, which is why it is grown everywhere, according to the USA Rice Federation www.usarice.com

> 50% of all the world’s rice is eaten within 13km of where it is grown.

> Rice, millet, and sorghum are thought to be the first crops ever cultivated.

> Rice is believed to have been introduced to Japan sometime prior to 100 BC from China or Korea.

> According to Shinto belief, the Emperor of Japan is thought to be the living embodiment of the god of the ripened rice plant, Ninigo-no-mikoto.

> In the late 20th century, the world’s rice crop averaged between 400 million and 475 million tons annually, and was cultivated on an average of about 145 million hectares of land.

> More than a billion people throughout the world are actively involved in the production of rice.

> Brown basmati rice has only had the outer layer removed, leaving the germ and bran layers thus retaining most of the nutritional values especially the B vitamins

SHORT ORDER

Add flavour to rice by adding any of the following to the cooking water — stock powder, spices, bay leaves or sliced garlic cloves.

1. Toss cooked brown basmati rice, halved cherry tomatoes and canned tuna chunks together. Add a handful of torn rocket leaves, chopped spring onion and toss in a simple olive oil and lemon vinaigrette.

2. Make a fresh tomato sauce flavoured with garlic, basil and oregano. Toss roasted vegetables and brown rice into the tomato sauce. Place in a small baking dish, top with crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese and bake.

3. Saute an onion with a dollop of curry paste. Add cooked, shredded chicken and cooked brown basmati rice. Moisten with chutney and lemon juice, and cook to heat. Season, add chopped, fresh coriander and eat as is or spoon onto a roti and serve.

4. Whip up a batch of your favourite Oriental-style vinaigrette, using soya sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon juice, sesame oil and mint. Drizzle over a salad of blanched green beans, julienne carrots, red pepper strips and cucumber. Toss in a handful of bean sprouts, some cooked brown basmati rice and fresh mint and coriander leaves and serve.

5. Add a half cup of raw, rinsed basmati rice to chicken and vegetable soups.

6. Mix cooked basmati rice with a raw egg, chopped herbs and crumbled feta cheese. Bake in a medium oven to set and serve as part of a light lunch with a salad or as a brunch dish with roasted tomatoes.

7. Make a healthy green rice salad (pictured overleaf) — add 5 T (75 ml) freshly chopped, mixed basil, mint and parsley to 3 C (750 ml) cooked brown basmati rice. Stir in 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed, finely grated lemon peel of 1 lemon and 2 shredded cos lettuce. Moisten with 1 T (15 ml) olive oil and 2 T (30 ml) lemon juice and allow to “marinate” for about 30 mins before serving.

8. Whip up an Oriental eggy rice using cooked basmati rice and whatever is lurking in the fridge. Heat peanut or groundnut oil in a wok, scramble beaten eggs until nearly done and set aside. Using the same wok, add things like chopped spring onions, frozen peas, canned corn, leftover shredded chicken, chopped lean pork and/or bean sprouts and stir to heat through. Add cooked basmati rice and egg, flavour with a shake of sesame oil.