The Indian Rice Love Story
Love for a filling rice meal is unbeatable, especially if you’re Indian. It’s a no-brainer that a rice meal packed with nutrition such as lentils, vegetables would be the most popular meal among Indians. The history of rice dates back to the British time in India when they were looking for a staple meal that could diminish hunger caused by floods and famines. Turns out, we developed a taste for rice, as new recipes started blooming. Of course, as we got more expertise in rice cultivation, varieties of it started popping throughout India. With numerous varieties shining with different tastes, proportions and nutritional value, rice became the staple meal for Indians owing to its versatility. Today, rice stands culturally rich defining India’s Food aesthetics, its diversified uses, significant taste and of course, its satiating quality. Having numerous varieties of rice for different types of dishes, sometimes it’s hard choosing rice that satisfies your taste buds while keeping your health in check. One such rice that gets its popularity for its blend of taste and nutrition is Sona Mansoori. Today, we break down Sona Mansoori rice benefits and why you might wanna consider it as a replacement for regular rice.
Sona Mansoori Rice
Typically grown in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sona Mansoori is a hybrid variant of Sona and Mansoori. It is a high yielding, medium-sized grain that’s deliciously fluffy and aromatically pleasing. It’s a quite popular grain that is nutrient-dense and available in both white and brown variants. The brown variant of the rice is packed with fibre and serves as a nutritious counterpart of the traditional white type. Sona Mansoori is commonly consumed for popular Indian dishes such as idlis, biryani, sweet Pongal and even Chinese recipes! It is also non-sticky, richly flavorful and serves as bliss for all rice lovers.
The Birth Of Sona Mansoori
As we said earlier, Sona Mansoori is hybrid rice that’s made from selected quality grains of Sona and Mansoori. Sona, a rice variety that has very fine grains and good quality, is mixed for hybridization with Mansoori, a rice variety that has medium grains. The resultant type is a high-quality grain that combines both fineness and medium length. Sona and Mansoori, individually, are very popular rice varieties in India. Unlike its parent, Sona Mansoori has good threshability and is low in starch.
Sona Mansoori Rice Benefits Over White Rice
Sona Mansoori rice is lower in starch content than your regular basmati rice. And it also has a shorter grain length, which makes it perfect for varieties of rice-based recipes that are abundant in India. Sona Mansoori rice benefits from its low calorie and its high-quality protein and carbohydrate content, which makes it highly beneficial for people who are looking to add a healthy diet to their lifestyle. Sona Mansoori in India is considered to be the most important rice, other than basmati rice. In its origin places like Karnataka, it is the most favourite rice variety for its pleasant aroma. Sona Mansoori is also used for the preparation of porridge in Indian festivals. The ‘why’ of this lies in the beautiful aroma that’s innately present in Sona Mansoori.
How tasty Is It?
Sona Mansoori is delicious, innately. Due to its non-sticky nature, it is perfect for all types of dishes (traditional, Chinese, continental etc,) It also has a sweet taste, unlike basmati or any other regular white rice types. The brown variant of the rice is a little more grainy than the white variant, owing to the fibre content. Like all other brown variants, Sona Mansoori, too, takes a little more time to cook.
The Calorie Gap
A standard cup (45gm) of Sona Mansoori uncooked, contains about 160 calories. Although it’s nearly the same as typical long-grain basmati rice, which has about 164 calories per cup, when looked at in the long run, Sona Mansoori benefits rank higher in terms of calories. It is highly sustainable while serving lower calories and much better taste. An average person would require anywhere between 1500 to 2200 calories per day depending on their activity levels. Sona Mansoori would be a perfect choice for your daily average diet. If you’re on a cut, or someone on a weight loss journey and looking for a low-calorie rice source, Sona Mansoori’s brown variant can be a perfect choice.
High-Quality Carbs And Protein
Every grain of Sona Mansoori rice is packed with high-quality carbs that keep you energised throughout the day. A cup of Sona Mansoori uncooked rice contains about 35 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of protein. While the white variant does not have any fibre, the brown variant has dietary fibre, which serves as a suitable option for people dealing with Obesity, Diabetes etc. The Indian diet is specifically designed with high carb content, and completely neglecting carbohydrates wouldn’t be the best choice to keep a diet running. It has a lot of factors such as Climatic conditions, body type, genetics etc. Ensure that you eat enough carbohydrates, in any form (preferably rice) to have a balanced meal.
Other Benefits Of Sona Mansoori Rice
Easy Digestible
Sona Mansoori is easily digestible, making it suitable for all ages. You can also consider eating a rice-based meal for dinner, for it is easily digestible.
Versatile Cooking
Each grain of Sona Mansoori is delicately perfect for cooking under all conditions. It can be cooked traditionally using water by boiling or one can also use a rice cooker to get it done in a matter of minutes. Since it has lower starch, it is also easy to cook.
Low Glycemic Index
Unlike other long-grained rice varieties, Sona Mansoori has a lower glycemic index value of 51, which is perfect for controlling your glucose spike levels. People dealing with Diabetes or any sugar-related ailments can switch to Sona Mansoori as it is a better alternative if you don’t wanna eat wheat-based meals every day.
Low Sodium And Fat
Sona Mansoori has zero fat and low sodium compared to other rice varieties. Due to low sodium, you don’t have to worry about elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In the long run, you can considerably lower your pressure, cholesterol levels by switching to Sona Mansoori rice varieties.
High Nutrient Density
It is a powerhouse of nutrients, housing a lot such as Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Iron and Selenium making it the most healthy hybrid variety of rice.
How To Choose The Perfect Sona Mansoori Rice?
While we may get swarmed by the flood of rice varieties, one should always be mindful about choosing the best brand for rice. Ensure that it is unpolished, organic and free from preservatives. The best Sona Mansoori rice has a good texture and medium-sized grains that are lightweight, fresh to taste. If you’re considering buying for a large hotel, institution or any other bulk needs, Daisy’s Sona Mansoori rice is the premium option in the market.
