Superfoods like regular nuts, grains, or fruits fit right into everyday life. But some of them are special because they do more than just give you nutrients; they also help heal you.One such hidden gem in Navara rice. There is evidence of this rice being used for Ayurvedic treatments as far back over 2500 years.
With a taste described as slightly sweet and astringent, its healing properties can be enhanced with various pairings and preparations to suit the requirement. For example, boiled Navara is a good weaning food for infants, particularly those with low weight. Broth made by adding Navara rice to meat is recommended to pregnant women as it increases the weight of the fetus.
Cooked with milk and herbs, it can treat internal wounds. Navara rice bran oil is used for a wide range of aches and painful conditions like cervical spondylosis, low backache, paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis. Ayurvedic doctors effectively use Navara rice paste, lepanam, to treat psoriasis. The paste is also an excellent remedy for skin lesions. Rice gruel made of Navara is considered beneficial in preventing various diseases and is also considered a safe food for diabetics and navara rice ia superfood for babies.
Navara Rice Recipes
1. Navara Rice Baby Food Recipe
Navara rice powder – 2 or 3 spoon (15gm)
Jaggery Syrup – 1 tsp
Milk -100ml
Method:
- Combine the Navara rice powder with water, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Stir in milk and jaggery syrup until well incorporated.
- When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and keep cooking until it reaches a semi-solid consistency.
2. Navara Rice Powder
It's recommended to purchase whole navara rice and grind it into powder at home. Many brands add cheap white rice powder as fillers to their navara rice powders. For the best quality, always opt for the best organic navara rice, make your own navara rice powder for both you and baby. It is easy to make Navara rice powder from Whole Navara rice.
250g Navara rice
Method:
- Let the rice sit in water for 30 minutes.
- After soaking, fully drain the water.
- To dry the rice, lightly heat it for a few minutes or leave it out in the sun to dry.
- Powder dried rice and store the navara rice powder for everyday use.
3. Medicinal Navara Paalkanji Recipe
50 gms of Navara rice
500 ml of water
250 ml of milk (pure cow milk)
Sugar or Rock sugar candy as per the taste
Method:
- Rinse the Navara rice thoroughly in fresh water 2-3 times, then set it aside after draining.
- Bring water to a boil in either an earthen pot or a standard rice cooking pan.
- Add the rice to the boiling water.
- Turn down the heat to a low to medium setting and let the rice simmer.
- Once the rice is tender, gently add the milk and let it simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Sweeten with either some sugar or white rock candy to taste.
- For an enhanced rich flavor, consider adding cashew nuts, raisins, and cardamom as desired.
- Your Navara rice paalkanji is now ready to be enjoyed hot.
4. Navara Rice Payasam
Navara Rice- 1/2cup
Water - 2 and 1/2 cups
Whole Milk- 3 cups
Cardamom- 3 to 4 (or use 1/2 tsp cardamom powder)
Palm Candy/Panam Kalkandam or sugar- 3/4cup(or to taste,see notes)
Ghee- 1tsp
Method:
First, thoroughly rinse the rice. Soaking the rice in water for approximately 30 minutes beforehand can help shorten its cooking time. Combine the rice with water in a pressure cooker and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's fully cooked. After cooking, open the cooker and use a ladle to lightly mash the rice.
Next, mix in the milk and cardamom. Then, add panam kalkandam (palm sugar candy) or regular sugar, stirring well to combine. Pour in the ghee and continue cooking on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the payasam (dessert) thickens a bit. Remember to stir constantly to prevent it from burning. Once done, turn off the heat. Serve the payasam warm.
