Cooking of Tambado Ukde SheetHa/ Red Boiled Rice and Pejja (Porridge).

"Red Boiled Rice/ Tambdo Ukde Tandla sheetha/ Urpel Ari/ LaL Mota Chawal" ... Cooking of Red Boiled Rice using Pressure Cooker method … my easy way out for decades now … Cooking red boiled rice/ ukde sheetha is considered laborious and time consuming, but I use a faster method and get perfectly cooked rice using pressure cooker … anybody can follow this simple method, cook and enjoy hot red ukda boiled rice with a spicy Veg/ Non. Veg Curries … I am sure people from Southern Parts of India/ Mangloreans/ Keralites and many more who will try this out will surely agree with me ... Totally Yummilicious ....

"Ukde SheetHa/ Red Boiled Rice" some like it, some like it not, the reasons vary. It can be the sweet taste, texture, thickness, color, availability and above all the excuse usually is it is laborious and time consuming and the most healthiest rice is shunned aside. Can we still ignore the health benefits of red rice, now that even nutritionist have begun to endorse it ??? while all the time our ancestors vouched for it, can we?? If you want to relish it, but are not sure how to, then check out this easy method of "Cooking Red Boiled Ukda Rice Red Boiled Rice/ Tambde Ukde Tandla sheetha/ Urpel Ari/ LaL Mota Chawal" using Pressure Cooker method and reap in the goodness and health benefits of this nature's gift to mankind. No more excuses, I have been following this method for over 4 decades now and so can you. Enjoy them with spicy gravy dishes for best taste and if you are a Non-Vegetarian and love fish curries, this is the rice to go for, it's tastes fantastic.

** Mention Rice and Indians come to mind instantly to people all round the world. That is because we Indians are by and large rice eaters especially in the Southern parts of India. We love our rice with a spicy curry very much. Rice is the staple food in many regions of India and every Indian have their own method of preparing the same. Both white and red rice are available throughout the country, the difference being the method of polishing the rice. While white rice is more common all round India, in south Indian it is red rice, that too mostly red boiled rice/ ukada rice that is famous and eaten the most. Recent health researchers have proved that red unpolished rice is better than white polished rice. It has much more fiber, minerals and nutrients than normal polished white rice.

** People having their roots in Southern Parts of India be it from Karnataka, Chennai, Kerala and even from southern parts of Maharashtra have developed a taste for boiled rice since childhood as rice is grown by large in fields there and is available in shops. Red boiled rice itself has its own way of preparation from plantation to husking, parboiling, and then making it available to customers. I will not run into the details of how red boiled rice is processed as I have limited knowledge of it. Also I am sure it is available in websites with lots of information. Moreover, this post is only about “Cooking of Ukde SheetHa/ Red Boiled Rice”. I would only like to write here about how I particularly prepare red boiled rice using pressure cooker and it is very easy. Anybody can follow this simple method rather than the age-old laborious and time-consuming methods.

** Red boiled rice needs time for cooking the traditional way. I used to watch mom boil it for quite some time and then place it in insulated box, which had a layer of dried straw for an hour or so. The insulation helped in further cooking of trice. The procedure was time consuming and it really put me off, though I loved the rice. I had no intention of spending so much time nor gas/ fuel on it. Mumbai's fast life style did not give me that much time to go about it. Recently I came across insulated stainless steel pot. I went ahead and purchased it thinking my work would be diminished, but somehow once again I was neither comfortable nor satisfied with the lengthy procedure.

** Finally, I went ahead with my own method and after a few trials and errors finally managed to get perfectly cooked red boiled rice the way I loved it. This is a simple method where you have just to use pressure cooker and the rice gets ready evenly and beautifully, with each grain well cooked and separate. I am giving all those interested with a collage of detailed step by step method of the same. Please do try out this method, if you like red boiled ukda rice. You will be happy that it does not take much time and also the result is simply awesome. Remember to use a large sized pressure cooker.

** Sharing my perfect method for "Cooking of Tambado Ukde SheetHa/ Red Boiled Rice and Pejja (Porridge)" ... my own style ....

** Wash 1 cup of red boiled ukda rice in plenty of water. Put the washed rice in pressure cooker and add in about 2 liters of water. Now tighten the pressure cooker lid, put it on medium heat, and bring to about 2-3 whistles. Now lower the heat and let cook of 5-10 minutes. In between if you find the cooker hissing too much, that means there is excess pressure in cooker. You may just tap the cooker for a few whistles to be blown or raise the heat to medium and the cooker on its own blows the whistle.

** However, do be absolutely careful and stay away from the cooker. You have to be well versed with the ways of your cooker. As every cooker behaves funny at times. Once the 5-10 minutes have passed, just straight away off the gas and let the cooker stand as it is for 15-20 minutes or so before you open it to check the rice. 90% of the time, it will have definitely been cooked. But sometimes if the rice used for cooking is too old it may not, in such case just put back the cooker on gas, tighten the lid and cook to 1-2 whistles, let rest, remove the lid when the steam has fallen on its own. It’s done.

** When you are able to remove pressure cooker lid, gently do so. Now tilt the cooker and just drain off the excess water at the top of the cooked rice. Now cover the cooker with a fitting plate and tighten it with some clips so that the plate does not slip away. Now keep the cooker in slanted position on a bowl as shown in the picture for all the excess water to get drained off. Keep this carefully in same position for about 15-20 mins. The excess water will all pass off and you will have lovely soft, just rightly cooked rice ready to be served. Looks difficult but it is easy ones you get a hang of it.

** "Cooking of Tambado Ukde SheetHa/ Red Boiled Rice and Pejja (Porridge)" is done and ready to served. You may serve the rice with any dish of your choice though it tastes best served with spicy curry dishes. I must mention here that at the forefront you may not get to like this rice very much as it tastes and looks different from normal white rice. However, do remember that thin white rice that looks snow white and beautiful is all looks and hollow within, meaning its just nothing but starch devoid nutrients. 

** One really needs to slowly develop a taste for this rice, as it is a bit sweeter than the normal plain white rice. Also since being thicker in texture it does not appeal to many a people’s taste buds. But habits are always formed bit by bit, slowly and regularly and then there is no looking back. Considering the immense health benefits this rice provides one should make efforts to slowly adapt this healthy rice into their daily family diet and build a healthier and fitter generation in coming years.

** "Ukde SheetHa Pejja/ Red Boiled Rice Porridge/ Kuchalakki Ganji Oota" is nothing but the same cooked a little more to soft and mushy consistency, same as normal rice porridge. For preparing the pejja/ porridge/ gani just do not strain the cooked excess water and further cook it for another 2-3 whistles or place the same in hot pot (insulated box) to cook the rice further to soft consistency. 

** Note : The cooking time be it for rice or porridge, actually depends upon the quality of the rice and its storage life too. Each one differs from the other, so until you prepare the rice/ pejja once it is difficult to give the correct timings, but with practice you will learn to cook it perfectly, so do not worry and do give it a try. 

** Important Tip : Remember to always serve "Ukde SheetHa Pejja/ Red Boiled Rice Porridge/ Kuchalakki Ganji Oota" with a generous serving of fresh homemade cow's ghee/ toop/ clarified butter, for added health benefits. Ayurveda gives a lot of importance to ghee that is obtained from cow's milk, as it is loaded with good nutrients and so did our ancestors. You can add on some pickle, happala kismuri, fish fry, gojju, bajji, bhaji or any other side dish of your choice to be served. I have shared plenty combo in blog to which I am sharing a common link below, do browse through for information. 

https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/search?q=pejja