Navara Rice
The Ancient Superfood

Super foods hide in plain sight. It’ll look like any other nut, grain or fruit but there are some outliers that go beyond being nutritional to having healing properties. One such hidden gem in Navara rice. There is evidence of this rice being used for Ayurvedic treatments as far back as 600BCE.

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.

Ingredients
Navara rice powder – 2 or 3 spoon (15gm)
Jaggery Syrup – 1 tsp
Milk -100ml

Method
- Mix navara rice powder with water without lumps.
- Add milk and jaggery syrup and mix them well
- Once the mixture starts boiling, keep the flame on low and continue heating till the mixture becomes semi-solid.

Ingredients
250g Navara rice

Method

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes
Drain the water completely and powder the rice
Dry it by gently heating the powder for a few minutes or drying the powder in sunlight.
Keep aside the rice powder for regular use

Ingredients
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
- Wash the Navara rice in clean water for 2-3 times. Drain the rice and keep it aside.
- Heat some water in an earthen pot or in a rice pan.
- Once the water starts to boil, place the rice in the water.
- Reduce the flame to a low-medium range and cook it for some time.
- When the rice is cooked to a soft state, slowly pour the milk and continue boiling for 2-3 minutes.
- Add some sugar or white rock candy for a sweet taste.
- If needed, you can also include cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom for an improved rich flavour.
- Navara rice paalkanji is ready and serve it hot.

Ingredients
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

- Wash the rice well.( soak rice in water for about 30 minutes to reduce the cooking time).Add the rice along with water and pressure cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until done.Once cooked ,open the lid and gently mash the rice with the ladle.
- Now add the milk and cardamom.Add panam kalkandam or sugar and stir well.
- Add ghee and cook for about 10 minutes over medium flame until payasam turns slightly thick.stir continuously to avoid burning.Switch off the stove. Serve warm.