Navara Rice – Good for Diabetics

Last Updated on February 18, 2024 by Dharani

What is Navara Rice?

If you’re wondering about the healthiest options for rice that too apart from black and brown rice. Then it’s a right time for you to know about Navara Rice (also known as Njavara Rice). Navara Rice is one of the amazing grain plants of the Oryza Group. In English these are popularly known as Red rice.

How to cook Navara Rice:

Cooking Instructions:
• Soak 10-12 hrs atleast
• 1:3 rice and water.
• Wait for 5-6 whistles

Navara Rice Benefits Health/Medicinal:

As mentioned in Vedas, the Navara Rice is a solution for many health-related issues.

On top of that, it is also easy to digest. And that brings me to tell you about some more benefits of Navara Rice and that is that it is a one stop solution for constipation, bloating and diarrhea.

On the other hand, Navara Rice is a proven solution for many skin problems such as:-

• Dull Skin
• Unevenness
• Hyperpigmentation
• Sun Damage and Acne
• Weight gain for young babies
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Piles ( Haemorrhoids)
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Immunity Booster
• Skin diseases, psoriasis, ulcers
• Tuberculosis
• Anemia
• Oligospermia
• Improves Lactation
• Anemia
• Avoids Nervous disorders
• Cirrhosis of liver
• Heals internal Injury

And as we all know that a person with diabetes should strictly stay away from rice, but then again Navara Rice stands out because it is a completely safe food for them. So, now diabetic people would not have to compromise on their love for rice as Navara Rice has come to the rescue.

Navara Rice combined with meat is recommended to pregnant women because it becomes a superfood for them and their babies. Also, for an infant after stopping breastfeeding it becomes necessary to give him/her the right amount of carbs and nutrition’s and Navara Rice in this situation fits best as a wholesome and filling meal for the child.

Navara Rice Cultivation Process

Though Navara rice has been grown in the Palaghat region of Kerala for nearly 20 centuries, the original strain has been hybridized with other red rice varieties. This rice is planted mostly in November and is ready for harvest within 135-150 days.

Let’s understand it’s cultivation process. So, it starts with soaking the seeds for 12 hours in tow sack bags made from jute or hemp.  Then it needs to be sprouted for 3 to 4 days by covering the tow sack bags with hay.

This covering needs to have proper moisture in them and that is done by sprinkling water on them twice or thrice a day.

Now after the sprouting of seeds, they are sown in the same traditional manner in clay soil. Once sown, the seeds require a good amount of manure.

Unlike other kinds of rice, Navara Rice takes less time and water to grow.

Now one thing that should be kept in mind during the flowering stage of the rice plants, is that there is a high chance of pests destroying the field. Now in this condition, one must avoid using chemical fertilizers because they may damage the nutritional values of the rice.

There are a lot of insect repellent plants which can be grown in the rice fields to solve this issue. Some commonly known insect repellent plants are:-

• Tulsi
• Rosemary
• Marigold
• Garlic
• Mint etc.

Organic Navara Rice Nutrition Facts:

Talking about its nutritional values, Navara Rice includes 73% of carbohydrates, 9.5% of protein, 2.3% of fat and 1.4% ash with around 1628 kJ per 100 g of energy.

This proves that Navara Rice is a great combination of various nutrients which makes it a good therapeutic and medicinal grain.

Now, the fact that such a gem is so much underrated in the general markets.

People often think that it is very rarely available in India. Which is a myth.

Navara Rice is massively grown and sold in Kerela. And it is easily available online, so that people from different corners of the country can buy Navara Rice.

Navara Rice Recipes

Although, there are many ways to consume Navara Rice but the most made dish is Navara pan cakes.

• Medicinal Navara Paalkanji( boiled Navara rice with milk)

Ingrediants

Now to make this dish all you need is:-

• 1 cup of Navara Rice
• 1 cup of milk
• 6 cups of water
• 1 tsp of Roasted cumin seeds
• Salt as per your taste
• For garnishing:-
• Grated Coconut

Recipe

1.  Firstly, wash the rice and soak them into the water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. After that add water into the pressure cooker and add the rice into it.
3. Cook for about four whistles and then add milk and stir. Now add roasted cumin seeds and garnish it with grated coconut.

And that’s it. Delicious Navara Paalkanji is ready to bless your body and immune system.

So, when are you planning to buy Navara Rice?