Winter in the southern parts of India might not be so cold as the northern winters, but even we get to feel a chill in those months. The usual humidity is less in the air and you can easily feel and see that on a human skin that the climate has changed. I feel, as European who grew up in the mountains, that the climate changes are less in the subcontinent then those we experience in Europe, but for some reason the weather affects us in Goa more. Everybody ends up at the chemist buying some cough syrups and the doctors must be making a great amount of money treating our colds and fevers. So when you are sick in India, what do you eat to get healthy again?
My mother in law cooks us always a plain rice pot called kanji in India (pez in Konkani). It tastes of pretty much nothing. Anyway when you experience a cold you don’t taste and smell much so pleasuring your taste buds is out. The essential value of kanji rice are the high amounts of nutrients which are vital for the recovery of a human body and an other plus point, it is easy to digest. But kanji is not only for the sick, it is still prepared in local homes in Goa every day. These people have a strong immune system and get rarely sick Mostly Goan brown rice is used for a traditional kanji, some people have their own fields and some (like us) have to buy it in the market. It’s a very inexpensive Food, pretty much anybody can afford a kg or two.
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Brown rice is a million times healthier then white polished rice. Why is that?
I found that image on wikipedia which will help to understand everything easier. I thought it to be useful, credits for the image and legend go to wikipedia and the author who released it into the public domain.
| Type | Part | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Rice with chaff | (1) | Chaff | |
| B | Brown rice | (2) | Bran | |
| C | Rice with germ | (3) | Bran residue | |
| D | White rice with slight bran residue | (4) | Cereal germ | |
| E | Musenmai* (Japanese:無洗米) | (5) | Endosperm |
* Musenmai:Polished and ready to boil rice, literally, non-wash rice
In this image you can see that white rice is missing on Bran and Cereal Germ, compared to the brown rice. So the grain looses a portion of its nutritional value. Bran is rich in Dietary Fiber and essential fatty acids and contains a good amount of starch, protein, minerals and vitamins. It contains further Antioxidants which prevents cancer and heart diseases.
Because of the process of milling and removing layers of the grain, some important nutrients get destroyed such as Vitamin B1, B3 and Iron. Vitamin B1 (Thyamin) for once is important for the human nerve system and heart. One Syndrome for example caused by Thyamin deficiency is called Beri Beri.
But brown rice has its disadvantages too. The bran and germ are rich in oils and so the cereal gets rancid very quickly. I have observed that ordinary cooked brown rice can be kept maximum 24 hours. That’s why the cereal industry removes those parts to convert it to white rice so that it can be stored for longer periods. More info about brown rice here…
Well, anytime you are sick or when you just feel like having a plain comforting rice dish, then you can easily cook some kanji. The kanji can be served too, instead of normal rice, with fish and Vegetable bhaji for a Indian taste experience. Researching around the web, I discovered that kanji is well known all over Asia, just that it is called and prepared in different ways in each culture. In China it is called zhou, in Indonesia bubur, in Japan Okayu and in Sri Lanka Kola Kanda. So many people preparing and eating it shows its dietary value. Maybe we should more incorporate our ancestors special dish in our daily diet.
- 1 cup Brown Goan rice (or any other brown rice)
- 5 cups water
- salt
- Rinse the rice and remove any small gravels and other unwanted stuff. Add it to a pot with the water and keep on high heat till you see it bubbling. Return the heat to low, salt it and keep it simmering for 30 minutes. Don't drain the water, that's very important!
I wanted to thank my friends for the wonderful guest posts of the past weeks. Interesting, creative recipe Ideas were shared here at Masala Herb and not only that my friends helped me out when I needed them the most. Thank you all, I appreciate all what you have done for me. For those who missed all the delicious foodie posts, please take a look around and if you like the recipe don’t forget to leave a comment or share it in your preferred social network. Thank you! =)
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You've done it again, Helene! Marion wants brown rice for dinner. She's feeling a bit under the weather today.
Thanks for sharing…
Beautiful photos (as always) and I enjoyed your diagram a lot! Bravo!
@louise @frieda glad u liked it. =) thanks girls! have a nice weekend
I haven't related to any food post more than yours . Kanji is a staple in Kerala, usually reserved for dinners. It is had with a little clarified butter, and a roasted pappad.
My daughter loves this stuff so much that I make it atleast once a week with brown rice.
Hope you feel well soon.
@Anita thank u, =)! Its simple food but also comfort food. I love this stuff more nowadays since we have our own home. your daughter has good taste, by the way! 😉
Helene, Happy New Year!
What a wise diagram you posted! I enjoyed reading and knowing the new ingredient. I do eat brown rice with skins on. This particular rice your mother-in-law cooks for you sounds delicious and high in fiber! Thank you for sharing your experience here.
very comforting one
Aarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
That little wikipedia animated image is so cool! This is such interesting information. I do eat both white and brown rice, and to leave the water makes sense to hold everything in. I wouldn't be able to melt my cheese on it though…that's my favorite!;)
Been such a long time since I had kanji. Those photos are so beautiful 🙂
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
i eat kanji whenever i'm sick and it helps a lot ! i have to admit i dont eat it otherwise. useful post 🙂
@Yuri happy new year to u too! =)thank u and I am glad u liked it. =D
@Aarthi thanks for passing by and leaving a comment
@Courtney isnt it? 😉 cheese on rice? O.o
@Kiran Good to remind u then of its existence. XD thank u dear!
@Thepickyeater I agree it helps u recover quickly. thank u =)
Really educational post about rice! I learned that diagram long time ago…but can't remember a thing. xD We eat similar rice when we are sick (we call it Okayu). Looks delicious and I love your outdoor photo shoot session!
@Nami I came across the japanice version of this dish while researching a bit online. I had learned that diagram in college too but had forgotten till I found this one at wiki. I thought so u d like the style. =)
Great post about rice, love the diagram! I'm still trying to get my husband and two boys to eat more brown rice, I love it, but it's been harder convincing them 🙂 Great pics like always!
pl. suggest some condiments or additions to the brown rice kanji,this is tooplain or uninteresting on reading before trying. how do i make it more palatable, more tasty. thank you for some ideas.
LOL. The kanji here is more intended to nourish one when sick but if you want you can add some Garam Masala to it just for some flavor. Of course there are other ways to make it more delicious. You could add precooked chicken bits or already boiled veggies such as carrot, cauliflower green peas pieces. Hope that helps!
We are from Tamilnadu. My mother used to make it when I got sick. We add a few pods of garlic and a pinch of cumin, right along with the rice. It’s also given sometimes during pregnancy and often post child birth.
There is one more variation made with oats. Oats and vegetables ( beans, carrot, peas and cabbage finely chopped) are cooked along with some salt and once cooked, add buttermilk, coriander leaves (optional) and served warm.
Priya, thank you for sharing your regional way for making kanji rice! =)
Yes! We call it pez too. I live in Mumbai but my mother was born in Mangalore and there they incorporate pez in their regular diet. Normally kids and others would consume pez as an 11 am meal to fill the gap between breakfast and lunch. Now we make pez at home when we catch a cold or fever. One actually feels better after eating this. You get that good feeling even when you are ill. Pez and Lonche (Pickle) go well.
This dish is simple most comforting food ever…along with uppu thuppada anna (hot steaming rice mixed with salt & ghee 🙂 . I make a few additions to this dish. Had it bf everyday while holidaying in Bali. Just fry up some chopped/minced garlic, green chillies & little turmeric & pour over the ganji just before serving..& voila ! One dish contains everything one needs during those days of flu or cold or fever !