Rice is an important part of many people’s diets, particularly in India, for a variety of reasons. The most essential reason is that rice is naturally full and gives the body energy. Aside from that, rice is nutritious and rich in nutrients that meet the body’s daily needs. It’s time to delve deeper into the world of rice and try your favourite dish in a new light! All types of rice have their own flavour, scent, and qualities, and utilised in a range of cuisines. Are you ready to explore the different rice varieties in India? Let’s have a look at the names of rice and their textures!
Different types of Rice Varieties:
1. White Rice
White rice is a starchy grain that is a staple item in the diets of more than half of the world’s population, owing to its adaptability, availability, and ability to adapt to any flavour and spice. It is one of the most famous types of rice in India.
White rice has a chewy, soft texture that lends body to dishes and pairs well with a variety of cuisines. A single dish of white rice has about 53 grams of carbohydrate. Fiber accounts for only a little portion of that carbohydrate. The majority of it is starch, with only a minor bit of sugar.
2. Brown Rice
Brown rice is a husked and unpolished rice that is made by removing the outer shell of the rice kernel, known as the hull. Brown rice’s nutritional content is preserved thanks to this method. It has a chewier texture than white rice and a nutty flavor.
The following are some of the key components found in this rice: Fibers in the diet, Zinc, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium are minerals. Vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin K are only a few of the vitamins available. Flavonoids, proteins, and essential fatty acids are all antioxidants.
3. Basmati Rice
Basmati rice is a variety of rice that is widely used in Indian and South Asian cuisines. It’s noted for its nutty flavor and lovely scent, and comes in both white and brown kinds. Basmati rice is abundant in carbohydrates as well as vitamins such as thiamine, folate, and selenium. The nutritional value of white basmati rice is frequently enhanced, which means that specific nutrients are added during processing to assist increase the nutritional content. It may be easier to satisfy your vitamin and mineral requirements as a result of this. The best Basmati rice in India is undoubtedly India Gate basmati rice.
4. Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is a long grain rice native to Thailand with a delicate floral and buttery aroma, named after the sweet-smelling jasmine flower. Getting the appropriate water to rice ratio is the key to optimal cooking. Typically, for every 1 cup of rice, the package directions ask for 1-1/2 cups water. Many recipes ask for washing the grains before cooking, but it’s not important because jasmine rice has a little sticky texture that clings together even after being rinsed.
5. Mogra Rice
Broken Basmati grains, as well as a distinct Basmati fragrance and texture, characterize it. It’s fantastic for Khichadi and Fried Rice. This uniquely fragrant and savory variety will take care of your inclination and make every meal unforgettable for people who want to incorporate rice into their daily meal intake. It is one of the most flavorful rice varieties in India.
This Basmati rice is grown and harvested in the Himalayan foothills’ northwestern region, providing your body with vital vitamins and nutrients. It’s been matured for at least 1.5 years, giving it more volume, fluffiness, and yield. The rice’s aroma and flavour are additionally enhanced by the maturing process.
6. Bamboo Rice
Bamboo rice is a type of rice made from a dying bamboo stalk. When a bamboo stalk reaches the end of its life cycle, it blossoms into bamboo rice, a unique form of rice seed. It is one of the most unique types of rice. Bamboo rice resembles paddy rice in appearance but tastes more like wheat. Bamboo rice has a somewhat sweet flavour and may be prepared like any other rice. It goes well with almost any other dish we eat.
7. Wild Rice
A bowl of freshly cooked wild rice has a wonderful toasted nuttiness that makes the meal warm and delicious. Wild rice has a satisfying chew as long as the grains aren’t overdone, which adds a fantastic texture to soups and casseroles.
It has a more earthy flavour than white and brown rice, but it isn’t overbearing. The high fibre content lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. To improve heart health, one dish of wild rice should be consumed everyday.
8. Black Rice
Black rice is a unique combination of deliciousness, health, and aesthetics. Purple rice, forbidden rice, and emperor’s rice are some of the other names for this dark-colored rice, which is a deep purple-black.
The anthocyanin pigments give it a rich, nuanced flavour with an unique nuttiness and a hint of sweetness. Amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and other phenolic compounds are abundant in black rice. Black rice is one of the most famous types of rice in India in terms of growing popularity.
9. Red Rice
Red rice is a grainy, long rice type with a crimson hue due to the presence of anthocyanin, a water soluble pigment. Red rice, which comes in complete hull or half hulled forms, has a nutty flavour and is higher in nutritious value than polished rice.
Oryza longistaminata or Oryza punctata are the scientific names for red rice. Red rice, albeit time consuming to prepare, is a powerhouse of antioxidants, zinc, calcium, and iron, all of which are essential for bodily strength.
10. Red Cargo Rice
Red cargo rice is a sort of unpolished rice, meaning it hasn’t been polished and still maintains its core bran layers. Polished rice, on the other hand, has been milled to remove the husk, bran, and germ.
This type of long-grain rice is non-glutinous, which means it does not turn sticky when cooked like glutinous rice. It comes in a variety of colours, from red to purple, and has a chewier texture than white rice. The most noticeable health benefit of red cargo rice is that it includes more fibre than white rice. Fiber-rich grains provide a number of advantages, including improved bowel motions and reduced cholesterol levels.
11. Indrayani Rice
Indrayani rice has a pleasant scent and is sweet-smelling. This rice is grown mostly in Maharashtra’s western area and in parts of Nashik. It has a medium grain size. Because indrayani rice becomes fairly sticky when cooked, you may wish to use a bit less water.
This rice type, which is derived from Ambemohar rice, was developed only a few decades ago. Its distinguishing feature is its pleasant scent, which is not present in any other rice type. It is highly sticky when cooked and is usually used in traditional Maharashtrian recipes, making it one of the most delectable rice varieties in India.
12. Sushi Rice
Sushi rice is usually a Japanese or Californian short-grain or medium-grain variant with a greater starch content than longer grain kinds. As a result, properly rinsing the rice before cooking is quite crucial.
Sushi rice is usually a Japanese or Californian short-grain or medium-grain variant with a greater starch content than longer grain kinds. As a result, properly rinsing the rice before cooking is quite crucial.
13. Purple Thai Rice
The nutty flavour of Sweet Black Thai (Purple) rice is comparable to that of wild rice. Traditional Thai cooks frequently use this rice in sweets, but it may also be used in savoury meals.
Simply soak the rice before steaming or boiling it to perfection. Because this rice has a dark purple hue and bleeds when cooked, it’s preferable to serve it with dark-colored foods.
14. Bomba Rice
When cooked, this Spanish short-grain rice swells in breadth rather than length, as other rice types do. It is one of the greatest rice kinds for making traditional Spanish paella dishes since it can absorb three times its content in liquid.
The grains remain distinct and do not cling together when cooked. Due to the attention required in cultivation and the amount of time it takes to mature, Bomba rice is more costly than other different types of rice.
15. Sticky or Glutinous Rice
Any variety of rice that is high in amylopectin starch and low in amylose starch is known as sticky rice (Oryza sativa glutinosa), also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice. Dextrin and maltose are also abundant in sticky rice.
Sticky rice comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from long grain to short grain, white to purple. Sticky rice grains clump together in a single mass when cooked. Glutinous rice is used in Asian delicacies ranging from Japanese mochi to Thai mango sticky rice, and its particular starch content necessitates a different cooking method than other rice kinds.
16. Arborio Rice
Arborio rice is a short-grain rice species used largely in traditional risotto preparations. Amylopectin, a starch found in rice, is abundant in Arborio rice.
Arborio rice keeps more of its natural starch content since it is milled less than conventional long-grain rice. When rice is cooked, the starch is released, resulting in a rice that is harder, chewier, and creamier than other types of rice. Arborio rice is somewhat more expensive than conventional long-grain white rice.
17. Sona Masuri
Sona has very fine grains and has a low threshability, whereas Masoori has short and fine grains and is a medium tall rice variety. It’s also rather tasty.
When these two types of rice are combined, you obtain a very lovely and palatable rice sona masoori of superior quality. In Indian states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it’s widely utilized and grown. This rice has a pleasant scent and is light in weight.
18. Valencia
Valencia is derived from the Spanish region of Valencia, which is known for its excellent paella. Short grain rice, also known as pearl rice or round rice, absorbs moisture when cooked, resulting in delicate, compact, and moist rice.
Valencian rice is well recognised for its usage in paella, and the name is commonly used interchangeably with paella rice. However, it may be used for a variety of various dishes, including croquettes, desserts, soups, stews, stuffings, and Arroz with Polla (rice with chicken). Although it does not belong to famous rice varieties in India, it is worth a try.
19. Samba
Samba rice has a peculiar flavour that may be characterised as “starchy” or “corny,” and is hence an acquired taste appreciated mostly by locals. The grain is significantly tougher than the other kinds and has a less ‘fluffy’ feel when cooked, making for a more substantial meal with a greater calorie content.
The mallas of India harvest all Samba rice grain locally, and there are various sub-varieties ranging in grain size and price. The most costly sub-variety, Seeraga Samba, has the tiniest grain. It’s about the size of a third of a grain of basmati rice.
20. Rosematta
RoseMatta rice (also known as Palakkadan/Kerala Matta rice, or Kaje Rice) is an indigenous kind of rice grown in Kerala’s Palakkad area. It is renowned for its coarseness as well as its health advantages.
It’s popular in Kerala and coastal Karnataka in India, as well as Sri Lanka, where it’s used for idlies, appams, and plain rice on a regular basis; it’s not brown rice. Red Matta has a strong and earthy flavour that pairs well with lamb, cattle, and game meats, making it one of the most famous rice varieties in India.
You can buy different types of rice varieties from your local retailers available on LoveLocal! Be it for your daily meal, or a special occasion, we have everything you need. Even if you are in a hurry, you can get them delivered to your doorstep and start preparing your dish in no time. The quality of rice is well judged by your trusted local retailer to make sure you get only the best ones delivered to you. So what are you waiting for? Order your favourite rice now from LoveLocal.
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