Rice eating.

India
August 28, 2009 5:36am CST
Hi, I am from South India, Chennai to be exact. You must all be aware, that we are all rice eaters, and we have rice for both lunch and dinner. In the morning we have breakfast, Idly and Dosa- which again contains rice, the only difference is, it is made up of paste. We usually have a sauce (Sambar) made from lentils which we mix with the rice, then follow it up by mixing with tamarind water(Rasam) and finally we mix it with curd. This is the basic food of all the south Indians. How many of you are rice eaters here and how do you consume rice? Your responses.
4 people like this
24 responses
@cannibal (650)
• India
28 Aug 09
I see, so you're a Chennai'ite. I've a pal from your city who, like a typical Southy relishes on rice in every single meal of his. His favorite these days is Chinese fried rice; and not to mention Sambar rice. I always wonder how he doesn't get tired of eating rice. However, I'm an avid rice-eater too. I'm a vegetarian now, (almost) but I recall I used to gorge on Chicken Biryani every single time I could, when I used to consume meat. And even now, I relish Sambar-rice, Varan/Aamti-rice, (Varan/Aamti are typical Maharashtrian varieties of dal) Veg. Biryani, Masala Rice, (Another Maharashtrian delicacy) mint rice, Khichdi-curd, all Chinese varieties of rice etc. with ease. I especially love the Sambar (hot and spicy) my mum makes. Also, in my childhood I had been on a vacation to South India, and I remember how much I'd enjoyed Idlies, Dosas and Uthappams along with those really tasty red chilly chutnies, among others. Slurp!! I haven't yet tasted Rasam, but my Southy friends swear by its taste. I'll have some soon! It is also said that fermented rice, i.e. the one used as the paste in Idlies, Dosas et al are beneficial to your brains! In short, being a total foodie, I love rice as much as I do other foods!
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
To be frank, even I do not know the reason behind the banana leaves, the only reason I can presume is hygiene, because once we use it, we discard it. My grandmother used to say, that if one takes his food in a banana leaf, it is delicious. Well she was right, but the reasons, I do not know.
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
Thanks for the response cannibal. I have always wanted to know what the Maharashtrians take every day. I was under the impression that vada pau and pau bhaji are your staple foods. Just like you relish our Idly and Dosas, I also relish your pav bhajis, and whenever I come to Mumbai, I make it a point to go to the pau bhaji stall at Flora fountain and have it there. You must certainly taste, rasam. I love rasam and as long as rasam is there, I do not even care, if other things like sambar or curd are not available. Rasam with papad and potatoes is a good combination.
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@cannibal (650)
• India
28 Aug 09
The staple diet of a Maharashtrian would be: Pohe (Rice flakes) for breakfast) Simple to make but really delicious. Pithle/Zhunka Bhakari and onion: This is generally consumed by countryside Maharashtrians. Pithle is spicened up gram flour with the tadka. Bhakari can be a jowar or bajra pancake, like we have chapaties. Steamed Rice Sabji (for an urban Maharashtrian) Dal Curry in different flavors. Feast- Puran Poli. It is too sweet. (I personally quite dislike it) Pav-Bhaji... Yummy anytime. Vada-pav is what I have a least twice a week. I must also add, that when I'd come to Tamil Nadu, and got a hand at the idlies it was served on banana leaves. I reckon that added to the taste; but I'm clueless how actually!
1 person likes this
@russso (1693)
• Philippines
28 Aug 09
I'm from the Philippines and we're a rice-eating nation.Ü Rice is a staple on the dining table. For most Filipino families, a meal isn't a meal without rice. However, because of changes in our lifestyles, there are a lot of Filipinos who are on a no-rice diet and I'm one of 'em. I have not been eating rice for 5 months now. My brother and my mother don't eat rice too. The most that I would consume would be 1 cup a day.
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
It seems that Indians and people from Philippines are a great rice eating nations. I just wonder why you should not eat rice everyday. I know doctors do not recommend rice, but 1 or 2 cups of rice a day, is not going to hurt. I have seen people, who had a heart by pass surgery, taking rice everyday. Thanks for the response.
1 person likes this
@russso (1693)
• Philippines
1 Sep 09
One thing that I would like to say is that rice is sooo good. I'm just a little strict with my diet right now because of my Hypothyroidism so I'm still trying to find the best diet that would be right for me. Eventually, I will have to put the rice back in because I understand that my body needs carbs for energy and I need 'em to be happy.Ü
@23uday (2997)
• India
28 Aug 09
Hi friend, I am from south india from hyderbad.I am a rice eater for lunch and dinner time. Eating rice is good to health.In south india rice is a tradition food. I will eat along rice with curries,veg biryani,hyderbad biryani,chicken biryani, lemon rice,jeera rice,tomato rice like that different types of rice we can taste it. so enjoy a rice eaters always with different taste of rice made. have a great day.
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
Thanks for the response Uday. Chennai and Hyderabad have almost the same tastes. The only difference is the extra spice in your food and of course the famous Hyderabad biriyani. Even though the two states are different, our cultures remains almost the same.
1 person likes this
@jazzsue58 (2666)
28 Aug 09
We eat rice a lot in our family. I often use it in place of pasta or potatoes. Years ago, I worked with an Indian guy whose mum was a brilliant cook. He used to bring in these little savoury snacks. They were square cubes of compressed, cold rice mixed with spices and fresh herbs. I've never tasted anything like them! They were wonderful! He was only young, so used to get a ribbing from the other lads (not racist, they were engineers - all the new lads got it) When he chatted to his mum on the phone, they'd yell "Hey mum, tell him to bring in some more of those rice cakes!" One day, ma came to work with him - and a bucket load of those rice squares. She said: "NOW will you leave my son's lunch alone?! He's starving when he gets in at night!" Halycon days.
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@jazzsue58 (2666)
28 Aug 09
By the way - if you know what that snack was called, or how to make them. I know it's breaking MyLot guidelines to send in recipes, but ...
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• India
28 Aug 09
Thanks for the response jazzsue58. Can you tell me, from which part of India, your friend was from. Since India is a huge country, there are different ways of making rice preparations in different ways. Usually we have a item known as IDLY, where the rice is made up to a paste and herbs and spices are added and then they are steamed.This is one of the most famous snack which everybody loves in India. But usually it is round in shape. Anyhow I will try to find out if any square snacks are made of rice and try to send you the receipe. If possible try to find out the name of the snack, it will make things easier.
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
We too have rice for lunch with sambhar or rasam and curd. Since we have lived in different parts of India i also make vegetable pulao, ghee rice, sweet rice or called meetha pulao and also variety rice. We do not eat rice in the night instead eat chappathis with sabji. The staple food of Indians is rice and it is also grown in plenty in our country. Happy mylotting.
• India
29 Aug 09
Of course now days, most of the urban folks who are very health concious have started to take chappathis with sabji in the night. Thanks for the response.
@patofgold23 (5069)
• Philippines
28 Aug 09
I have rice on every single meal... I crave for it coz I have been used to it alllll my life!!!!
1 person likes this
• India
29 Aug 09
Ah, once again a rice love from Philippines. One of these days, I must know more about your country. It seems both Philippines and India share a lot of common things. Thanks for the response.
@coolcat123 (4387)
• India
30 Aug 09
i love south indian food, my mouth is watering with the names of those dishes. i am a rice eater, i eat rice only in the after noon, while i eat chapati in the morning and in the evening too. i love rice but have to eat chapati bcoz its lighter than rice, i cannot digest rice when eaten at night. chapati is easier to eat and dry too.
• India
31 Aug 09
Of course, now days, most of the people in India have switched over to eating chappathi in the night times, of course in South India, we still take idly, dosa or Pooris in the morning instead of chapathis. Thanks for the response.
• United States
30 Aug 09
I'm in America. I do like some rice, but I don't care for plain, white rice or plain brown rice. I like rice that has seasoning packets with it. The only exception is Jasmine rice. I love Jasmine rice, but even with that we add butter and garlic salt!
• India
30 Aug 09
Naturally nobody takes plain rice, and we Indians have white rice, in which we mix our sauces which are known as sambar made of lentils, rasam, made of tamarind and of course curd with pickles.It seems in USA, they sell rice with seasoning packets, whereas in India, we buy plain raw rice and cook it. I have not heard of Jasmine rice. Can you tell me more about Jasmine rice.
• United States
3 Sep 09
I really don't know that much about it. I'm in the U.S. and we buy it in a "quick to cook" form and it's called Jasmine rice. It just has a nice, light flavor that we all love. Even my kids, who never liked rice before, will ask for this one.
@indahfth (11161)
• Indonesia
29 Aug 09
I eat every day with rice. The main food in my country is rice. Our place of rice is often served with a variety of ways.
• India
30 Aug 09
It seems a lot of Asian countries ear rice. This is news to me that Indonesians are also rice eaters. Thanks for the response.
@med889 (5941)
28 Aug 09
I do not eat rice everyday however whenever I get the opportunity to have rice with some really tasty curry like the Indians prepare then only I will have rice with my hand as I have already did this experience at my friend's place who is an Indian.
• India
28 Aug 09
That is wonderful med889. If you have to relish rice, you have to take it in your hand.Thanks for giving me this information, which I have missed while starting the discussion. Yes the Indian curries, goes really well with the rice. Another tip, I would like to mention is, take rice in a banana or plantain leaf instead of the usual plate. The rice tastes much better. Thanks for responding.
1 person likes this
@ledydien (85)
• Indonesia
30 Aug 09
I am from Indonesia, here... Rice is a must! Indonesian peoples usually said that, "if we haven't eat rice, than we have not eat yet...". We usually eat rice three times a day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... sometimes even if we cook noodles, we still eat it with rice... We eat rice with everything we want...
• India
30 Aug 09
Yesterday, I had a lot of filliponos responding to this discussion, and today lots of people from Indonesia are responding, that they love rice. I think all of us share the same culture, that is why our feeding habits are the same. Thanks for the response.
@yogambal_64 (1014)
• India
28 Aug 09
I am a rice eater too, I consume rice in the form of fried rice, pulav, other mixed rice variety like lemon rice , coconut rice, tamarind rice and so many other varities besides having it with sambhar, rasam, curd etc.
1 person likes this
• India
28 Aug 09
Thanks for the response yogambal. Just read the response before your response. Can you find out what is the snack that this particular English gent is asking. I do not think it is Idly, because he says it is square in shape. If you find out, let me know, thank you.
1 person likes this
@olepmis (840)
• Philippines
30 Aug 09
Am from the Philippines, a rice eating country. We eat rice 3x/day or 5x/day because we eat rice in between meals or merienda but in the form of a soup.
• India
31 Aug 09
This is something new to me. So you also have rice soup. Can you let me know how you make your rice soup.Thanks for the response.
@olepmis (840)
• Philippines
31 Aug 09
I prepare rice soup by sauting with garlic, ginger, onions, 250 grams of chicken meat, salt and msg, 2 cups of cooked rice and water. It is more nutritious if you add young or green onion leaves and fried garlic when it is done.
• India
29 Aug 09
Hi dear friend. I am basically from Bangalore... I agree with your article.. basically we do eat rice at least twice a day.. it is the been a regular food for us. without we cant even live for a day. we do prepare lots of things with rice like normal white rice with sambar. Biryani, Pulav, Ghee rice, puliyogara, vaangibath, rice bath, curd rice, lemon rice , all those stuff.. everything tastes good which we prepare out of rice.
• India
29 Aug 09
Hey ajay, first of all let me welcome you to Mylot. I see that this is your first response to the discussion, and I am very happy that your first post was for my discussion. Best of luck and Happy mylotting. Thanks for the valuable response.
• India
29 Aug 09
Thanks dude... can u give me a frnd request
• Malaysia
29 Aug 09
hi ramesh ... the best rice of all is "banana leaf rice" .. there is a Cheetti temple near my house, every "Kartigai" they will serve lunch .. vegetarian, and it is the best meal of all ... yummy ! yummy ! yummy ! i like most is ... Rice + Rasam + Chicken Varuval when my mother used to make, sambar + long beans masala + pumkin - i used to call it "kalyana sapadu" u make me miss my mothers cooking dear
• India
29 Aug 09
Believe it or not, it is 3.30p.m. in India, and I have not yet taken my lunch. After looking at your discussion, "Rice+Rasam+Chicken varuval,",I have started to get hungry. Of course no chicken, today, because it is a Saturday and we do not take non-veg on Saturdays. So I am going straight to have my lunch.
@kawalnarang (1095)
• Trinidad And Tobago
29 Aug 09
Whatever u eat is good for you as long as u can digest it,,many people are running far from rice now,, I do look for the idly ,vada, dausa,etc ,as I reach Delhi,,
• India
30 Aug 09
You are forgetting that Idly and dosa are also made from the same rice only.Further, for dosa and vada are both fried in oil, which is much more dangerous than rice. So compared with these, plain rice is better. Thanks for responding.
@simonelee (2715)
• China
29 Aug 09
Im an active person so, definately rice is a great source of carbohydrates. I love rice and I'm born to eat rice and i can't survive without it. Rice is the only thing that can satisfy my stomach. I'm slim but i can consume three cups of rice.
• India
29 Aug 09
Once you get used to rice, it is very difficult to kick off the habit and you feel tired when you do not take rice. Thanks for the response.
@joezon50 (378)
• Hong Kong
29 Aug 09
Yes we also rice eater,we like it most even for lunch time too.With some different food and some vegetables if posible for balance diet too.But we need to eat less rice more food so we dont get fat,do you think so?Thank's my firend.
• India
30 Aug 09
If you are going to eat two to three small cups of rice every day, you are not going to be fat. So go ahead and have 2 to 3 cups of rice everyday. Thanks for the response.
@sunny68 (1327)
• India
29 Aug 09
rice definitely is a staple diet all around the world. here in north india also no meal is complete without rice. once in a day is an absolute must. however, biryani (both vegetarian and non vegetarian) is very popular here and second comes with rajma (beans) with pickles.
• India
29 Aug 09
I came to know that rajma is a delicacy in the north. I do not like much of rajma. Of course I love biryani, both veg and non veg. Thanks for the response.
• China
29 Aug 09
Well, I'm also an absolute rice eater, I have rice twice a day, and I could not live without rice,I'm kind of used to having rice while not to other food, like power or bread. So I guess I need rice to make up for my energy and keep my life in my whole life time.
• India
29 Aug 09
Once again a rice loving Chinese. It seems, Indians, Chinese and the filliponos love their rice. Thanks for the response.