Mappillai Samba Rice – 500g

The name says it plainly: mappillai samba was the rice fed to the bridegroom, and the old story has grooms lifting a stone to prove their strength after a season of eating it. It is one of the best known traditional rices in Tamil Nadu and among the easiest to find a use for.

The grain is red and firm, rich in iron and magnesium, and it holds its shape well. It works as plain rice, but it is at its best as kanji, and it makes an unusually good idli and dosa batter when ground with a little urad.

Can be cooked as plain rice, kanji, puttu or pongal. Soak for about two hours before cooking.

Natural farming rice, bought directly from the farmer and only lightly processed so the bran stays on. Traditional rice needs more water and longer cooking than polished rice.