Dr Kavita Saharia, my FB and blog friend from Guwahati, in North East India, did a wonderful post on the Red Rice of Manipur. Treated as food and medicine , and cultivated in small rain fed scattered areas, this high-fibre unmilled rice contains more vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than our routine common white rice.
Read her entire post here :
http://
Just reminded me of one more amazing entity from Manipur .......
and inspired a poem :-)
So many
presumed prosperous,
Bossy Basmatis and
Keen Kolums,
fighting it out
across the country,
smeared in pulaos,
flavoured in biryanis,
and being fussed over
and decorated
as they shamelessly laze
in stubborn payasams.
Sometimes,
some boiled transparent types
even join in
for griddle activities,
in the company of Udad,
All these folks,
completely oblivious
to Chak-hao,
the Mary Kom of Rice.
Like her,
from Manipur;
like her,
hardy, strong, and full of health;
like her,
always needed for her kids,
like her ,
fearing none,
and like her,
loved by all !
The tough, dark rice,
soaked in water
bashfully turning a dark burgundy;
then tentatively
warming and cooking
to meet the advancing
milk and sugar folks,
coming to meet her.
A meeting of minds,
a great mixing,
and she turns a blushing pink,
as milk and sugar
shower her with compliments
amidst a spray of
slivers of nuts.
Like Mary Kom,
the star of Manipur,
a lovely, sturdy, healthy,
role model,
for the young Kheers of india.....
presumed prosperous,
Bossy Basmatis and
Keen Kolums,
fighting it out
across the country,
smeared in pulaos,
flavoured in biryanis,
and being fussed over
and decorated
as they shamelessly laze
in stubborn payasams.
Sometimes,
some boiled transparent types
even join in
for griddle activities,
in the company of Udad,
All these folks,
completely oblivious
to Chak-hao,
the Mary Kom of Rice.
Like her,
from Manipur;
like her,
hardy, strong, and full of health;
like her,
always needed for her kids,
like her ,
fearing none,
and like her,
loved by all !
The tough, dark rice,
soaked in water
bashfully turning a dark burgundy;
then tentatively
warming and cooking
to meet the advancing
milk and sugar folks,
coming to meet her.
A meeting of minds,
a great mixing,
and she turns a blushing pink,
as milk and sugar
shower her with compliments
amidst a spray of
slivers of nuts.
Like Mary Kom,
the star of Manipur,
a lovely, sturdy, healthy,
role model,
for the young Kheers of india.....
Oh I so want these varieties of rice and other traditional grains to be cultivated widely and marketed well so it reaches us. We don't want Arborio and Texmati.
ReplyDeleteLovely message as usual.