Poongar/Women’s Rice Flakes Kesari

In the second edition of the theme-Indigenous/traditional rice varieties of Tamil Nadu, we are going to celebrate and honour Poongar rice, which is adorned with the name, Women’s rice in English.

Last week, we took a journey on Karuppu Kavuni Rice aka Black rice and we prepared Healthy, soft and spongy idlis along with Restaurant style Tomato Red Chutney. This week, it’s going to be Poongar Rice, which is a traditional unpolished red rice variety of Tamil Nadu. It’s similar in its appearance to other traditional rice varieties of Tamil Nadu, like Mappilai Samba, Karunguruvai, Kullakar rices. It’s available in the market as hand-pounded, boiled and raw. These varies in their way of processing and milling.

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As the name proclaims, it’s an apt rice for woman of all ages. Among the 150 revived traditional rice varieties of Tamil Nadu, Poongar rice benefits the women of all age categories.

Why it’s so special or celebrated for women’s health????

Poongar rice is so rich in micronutrients like iron, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B12, compared to other red rice varieties. Our descendants believed that these nutrients are highly recommended for women, right from her puberty stage to prenatal and postnatal to  lactating phase and till her menopause period.  Women needs to handle a lot of hormonal changes during these phases. Especially, with today’s lifestyle and genetically modified diet, it’s taking a toll on their health. They face adverse hormonal imbalances like early puberty, conditions like PCOS/PCOD, Infertility, thyroid and various uterus related issues. Though modern science has solutions for these ailments through procedures and medications, I strongly believe in my ideology of “Food as medicine”. To ward off these challenges for your loved ones,  it’s better they take the right step of consuming right food at right stage. Now this Poongar Rice comes as a life saver, when consumed from their puberty stage, it provides all the essential nutrients, regulate their harmonal functions and boost their immune system.

It also, helps to cure celiac diseases, lower diabetes,  obesity,  reduces cholesterol and manages heart diseases.

Thus, it became a front runner in the urban choice of organic foods and became an integral part of their day-to-day diet.

To give a comprehensive study on its benefits, let me run through it individually.

1. Improves Haemoglobin – as described early, Iron is the most vital nutrient required for women at all phases of her life. This rice helps to increase the haemoglobin count effectively.
2. Regulates hormonal functions– a women with PCOS/PCOD will create insulin resistance in their body. This will lead to diabetic conditions if they consume regular diet. Its highly advisable for them to switch over to a low carb diet with more fiber and less glycaemic index. This Poongar rice indirectly aids to curb PCOS/PCOD condition by its low carb, less glycaemic index and rich fibre content.
3. Enhances stamina– this rice has a magical touch on the hormones and improves the stamina and immune system of the pregnant women. If it is consistently consumed by the expecting mother, it aids to boost their stamina and promotes vaginal delivery smoothly.
4. Aids Natural Lactation– this rice is considered to be one of the best lactogenic foods available in nature. It helps in increased milk secretion and improves the stamina of the lactating mother by supplementing the required dose of Vitamins and micronutrients  during breastfeeding.
5. Controls Diabetes– generally a Diabetic patient is recommended to take less carbohydrates in their diet. They are discouraged to consume rice as it’s the main culprit in increasing the blood glucose level. This is a heart-breaking news for the persons whose staple food is rice. Here, comes this woman’s rice, which satisfies both the patient and the doctor. It’s  an excellent alternative for the rice eaters who couldn’t skip eating rice, and simultaneously it’ll not spike your sugar as it has low glycaemic index.
6. Abundant source of anti-oxidants– Ferulic acid, Coumaric acid and Anthocyanins are loaded in this rice abundantly as anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants play a crucial role in eliminating the free radicals in the body, which is the root cause of developing cancer cells in the system. Consuming this rice helps in removing free radicals and flush out these toxins from the body, thus saving the internal organs from getting damaged. As a good detoxifier, this rice in a nutshell improves your well-being.
7. Gluten-free food-this rice is a good source of gluten free diet. A person who’s intolerant to gluten, will have abdominal pain, bloated stomach or gas, fatigue, diarrhoea or constipation. Since, it is gluten-free and rich in dietary fiber, it eradicates all these symptoms and promotes healthy digestive system. People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and suffering from constipation can take this rice on regular basis.
8. Lowers Cholesterol and risk of Heart diseases– proanthocyanins, present in this Poongar rice helps in eliminating the bad cholesterol from the system. Excessive “Bad Cholesterol (LDL)” which tends to accumulate in the blood vessels, block the blood circulation leading to heart attacks. Consuming this rice, helps to lower the bad cholesterol levels in your body, thus safeguarding your heart, and also prevents in keeping you obese.
9. Rich source of Minerals– when compared to today’s rice varieties available in market, Poongar rice is loaded with more nutrients and minerals. It’s rich  in essential trace minerals like Zinc, Manganese, Iron, Magnesium,  Phosphorous and Molybdenum which strengthens the body and regulates metabolism.

Now let’s get into the recipe, I can sense how intrigued you are to know the food, I’m going to prepare with this traditional rice. I chose to make a sweet with this rice, as it’s the best way  to introduce and inculcate the habit of eating healthy traditional rice in children’s diet.  Poongar rice naturally has a nutty flavor. This factor eased me to try this recipe with this rice. Aval Kesari, is the sweet I planned to post for this week. Generally, it is prepared with normal white rice flakes available in the market.  But, I chose to do this with Poongar Rice Flakes. To brief about, Aval Kesari, it’s  a sweet pudding made with simple ingredients like Rice flakes, sugar, ghee and few flavouring agents. It’s an alternative recipe for Kesari/Kesaribath which is traditionally prepared with Rava/Semolina. This sweet is made during Navratri, Krishna Jayanthi festivals. It’s most celebrated sweet in South Indian households for its simplicity in ingredients and preparation. It can be prepared in a jiffy, so handy while you have unexpected guests at home.

Here, I used my mom’s way of preparation. She soak the flakes for sometime, once it puffs up, sauté in little ghee, add sugar, flavouring and garnishing ingredients, Ta-da, your instant  Aval Kesari is ready at your table for serving. It’s way too easy, can be prepared by a newbie as well. Many recipes,  would ask for dry roasting and pulsing the rice flakes into a coarse texture. Later, they add water or milk to cook it, then add sugar and other ingredients to make this Aval Kesari.  My mom’s recipe cut down the workload and make it  a modest method. You just leave it for soaking and parallelly look after your other work/chores. Once it’s ready, it can be prepared in a flash. This Kesari has a completely different texture compared to the ground one. You can feel the texture of rice, still smooth and silky. It can be compared to rice kheer, but in condensed form. Taste is so divine that you need to experience it.  

I made a healthy twist by replacing the white rice flakes with this traditional rice variety, Poongar Rice and included dates to boost it’s health benefits. Let’s jump into the preparation.

Measure 1/2 cup of Poongar Rice Flakes in a wide bowl.

Wash the Poongar Rice Flakes thoroughly 2-3 times till the dirts are removed. Put your hands in and mix it, every time you wash. Drain the water completely.

And add fresh water measuring half cup and let it soak for 1 hour or till the water gets absorbed completely.

Meanwhile, add few strands of Saffron in 1 tbsp hot milk. Press and squeeze the Saffron strands hardly to infuse the colour into the milk. Select soft dates, chop it and keep it aside. If you wish to add the mixed nuts powder, dry roast few Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Cashews, grind it with little sugar and saffron. You can keep it as optional or you can replace it with broken nuts and garnish the sweet. If you are completely ignoring it, then substitute with 1  tbsp of sugar.

After the given time, rice flakes would have bloomed and puffed up.   Also, water would have been completely absorbed.

Do the texture test, by squishing a kernel between your fingers. It should be soft and easily smashable (refer notes).

Run through a fork to disturb the flakes and separate it from each other. Take a masher or simply use your hand to smash it completely.

Keep it aside.

Heat a pan or kadai, with 1 tbsp ghee, add the crushed poongar rice flakes, sauté it for couple of minutes.

Then add, 2 big soft, chopped dates.

Add ¼ tsp cardamom powder.

Then add the saffron (few strands) mixed in 1 tbsp hot milk.

Add ¼ cup sugar.

Now add a pinch of salt.

Add 1 tbsp mixed nuts powder.

Combine everything into a single mass. It’ll take roughly take 2-3 minutes in medium flame, for the sugar and dates to melt and combine well.

Finally add a tsp of ghee, mix well and switch off the flame.

Garnish with broken cashews.

Soft, smooth, silky Poongar Rice Aval Kesari/ Woman’s Rice Pudding is ready to relish.

Each scoop will be a heavenly delight, though the ingredient and preparation sound simple, it’s taste and flavour are divine and unrivalled. Nutty, sweet flavour of the Poongar rice elevates and lifts the Aval Kesari to a sublime experience.

Recipe card

Preparation time: 3 minutes (excluding 1 hour of soaking)

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Sweets

Serves: 4

Author: Manimala

Ingredients:

Poongar Arisi/Woman’s Rice – ½ cup (70 gm)

Sugar – ¼ cup

Soft Dates – 2 big chopped (roughly 50 gm)

Mixed Nuts powder with kesar and sugar – 1 tbsp (optional)

Ghee – 1 tbsp + ½ tbsp

Few strands of saffron mixed in 1 tbsp hot milk

Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – a pinch

For garnish – few cashews.

Instructions:

1. Wash the Poongar Rice Flakes thoroughly 2-3 times till the dirts are removed. Put your hands in and mix it, everytime you wash.
2. Drain the water completely and add fresh water measuring half cup and let it soak for 1 hour or till the water gets absorbed completely.
3. Meanwhile, add few strands of Saffron in 1 tbsp hot milk. Press and squeeze the Saffron strands hardly to infuse the colour into the milk.
4. Select soft dates, chop it and keep it aside.
5. If you wish to add the mixed nuts powder, dry roast few Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Cashews, grind it with little sugar and saffron. You can keep it as optional or you can replace it with broken nuts and garnish the sweet. If you are completely ignoring it, then substitute with 1  tbsp of sugar.
6. After the given time, rice flakes would have bloomed and puffed up.   Also, water would have been completely absorbed.
7. Do the texture test, by squishing a kernel between your fingers. It should be soft and easily smashable (refer notes).
8. Run through a fork to disturb the flakes and separate it from each other.
9. Take a masher or simply use your hand to smash it completely. Keep it aside.
10. Heat a pan or kadai, with 1 tbsp ghee, add the crushed Poongar rice flakes, sauté it for couple of minutes.
11. Then add, 2 big soft, chopped dates, ¼ tsp cardamom powder, few strands of saffron mixed in 1 tbsp hot milk, ¼ cup sugar, pinch of salt, 1 tbsp mixed nuts powder.
12. Combine everything into a single mass. It’ll take roughly take 2-3 minutes in medium flame, for the sugar and dates to melt and combine well.
13. Finally add a tsp of ghee, mix well and switch off the flame.
14. Garnish with broken cashews.
15. Soft, smooth, silky Poongar Rice Aval Kesari/ Woman’s Rice Pudding is ready to relish. Each scoop will be a heavenly delight, though the ingredient and preparation sound simple, it’s taste and flavour are divine and unrivalled. Nutty, sweet flavour of the Poongar rice elevates and lifts the Aval Kesari to a sublime experience.

Notes:

• Feel free to use red rice flakes or other traditional rice flake varieties or  white rice flakes in the place of Poongar rice, if it’s unavailable to you.   You’ll get more or less the same results.
• If you are replacing with red rice or white rice flakes, use less water and less soaking time. It’ll take not more than 10-15 minutes as they are thin flakes compared to traditional rice flakes varieties.  If you are trying with other traditional rice flake varieties follow the same water quantity and soaking time as Poongar rice.
• Take a wide bowl for soaking, this helps even soaking of the kernels. If the bowl is narrow, it leads to uneven soaking of kernels.
• After soaking Poongar rice for 1 hour, check the texture. If it’s squishable, start making the Kesari. If it’s not soft and still grainy, water has also been completely absorbed, sprinkle some more water and extend the soaking time.
• It all depends upon the quality of rice flakes you get. To do a sampling test, take a tbsp of rice flakes and soak it with an equal amount of water and check if it works. Soaking time for this quantity will be less compared to 1 hour soaking time, required for ½ cup flakes. Once, you’ll get a hands-on experience with the water quantity and soaking time,  rest is breezy.
• As mentioned early, if you are skipping mixed nuts powder, substitute with 1 tbsp sugar along with the ¼ cup of sugar, already added.
• Similarly, if you are skipping dates, then increase one more tbsp of sugar.  
• It doesn’t require any added colour, as Poongar rice, naturally imparts a nice golden-brown colour to the dish.
• The whole process of cooking takes hardly 4-5 minutes. That long soaking time, ensures flakes are soft and edible and it just needs few minutes of cooking.
• It has a shelf life of 3-4 days in refrigerator.
• Apart from this sweet, you can also make savoury preparations with these flakes.