Rice lovers are not just in Asia. South of Europe has a long tradition of rice dishes that grow in their geography.
The Italian Risotto and Spanish Paella come to mind.
Some of us have been fortunate enough to eat genuine Risotto or Paella on our travels.
Some of us love to recreate that magic in our homes.
But most of us are told that for that perfect Risotto, for instance, one needs to use the Italian Arborio rice.
So off we go hunting for imported Arborio rice!
Here's the good news. (We knew this for years though.)
India is the land of 100s and 1000s of rices.
And as part of that heritage, we have inherited Mullan Kazhma rice.
Grown organically in Wayanad, Mullan is unique.
How? It is short-grained (unlike the slender Basmati), slightly sticky and has the ability to absorb spices very well.
Its high content of starch lends a creamy texture to it.
And that is exactly why it can replace an Arborio.
It is great for Risotto.
As part of the Kazhma (or Kaima) family of Rices from North Kerala, which have traditionally been used to make the famed Malabar Biriyanis, Mullan Kazhma absorbs spices very well. That makes it great for Biriyanis and Pulao as well. A Mullan payasam is almost always exquisite.
Wait...I forgot to mention that Mullan Kazhma is also a fragrant rice.
So here is a rice offering the best of both worlds (Biriyanis and Payasams from India and Risotto from Italy)!
Talk about the versatility of this rice.
And it helps save our foreign exchange too (at times like these)!!
Experiment with this rice, enjoy it and stay tuned for more such gems from Bio Basics!
