Why You Must Add Wild Rice To Your Diet?
Image Credit: Wild rice salad, Image Source: seriouseats.com

Don't just go by the name of rice and fret, assuming it is another way of ingesting carbohydrates in your body. Wild rice is a nutrient-dense, traditional food equal to pastured meats but has been completely storable for many years without refrigeration or freezing. Wild rice is also known as water oats, manoomin, Canada rice, and Indian rice. It is the grain that can be harvested from any of the four species of grasses that make up the genus Zizania. People in China and North America harvested and consumed the grain in the past. China consumes less of it than other regions, where the plant's stem is prepared as a vegetable. Although they are close cousins, wild rice and domesticated rice (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) do not have a common ancestor. Wild-rice grains have a soft-core grain with a subtle vegetal flavour and a chewy outer shell.

Wild rice represents a good source of vitamins and minerals. A 1-cup serving yields 134 mg phosphorus, 166 mg potassium and 52 mg magnesium. On the vitamin side, wild rice contributes B vitamins to the diet, including 2.1 mg niacin, B3, .14 mg riboflavin, B3 and .08 mg thiamin, B1. It additionally provides 43 mg folate, B9 and 16.7 mg choline, a B-complex vitamin.

Here are some reasons for you to consider adding it to your diet!

Digestive benefits

Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, cramping, and excessive gas are all eliminated by the fibre in wild rice. It has also been demonstrated to help treat more severe gastrointestinal disorders such as colorectal cancer, gastric ulcers, and haemorrhoids.

Raw wild rice, Image Source: ubuy.co.in

Upping defense mechanism

One of the best and most natural ways to boost immunity is by consuming a diet rich in vitamin C. Wild rice has a significant amount. Vitamin C stimulates white blood cell production, i.e., the body's first line of defense against foreign agents, pathogens, and microbes.

Aids in weight loss

Wild rice can help those attempting to lose weight and prevent obesity as a low-calorie and gluten-free food. Unlike white rice, which can bulk up your diet and, at times, overeating leads to weight gain, wild rice has a different effect, preventing overeating due to its high fibre and nutrient content.

Cardiac care

Wild rice doesn't contain sodium; thus, it supports lowering blood pressure. It has a lot of fibre, believed to remove "bad" cholesterol from the heart. As a result, it lessens the likelihood of atherosclerosis.

Cooking wild rice:

Wild rice is a tough seed that absorbs water slowly. It can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to thoroughly cook and no longer be crunchy. Since the cooking time can vary, many prefer to cook wild rice in ample water, like pasta.

You may also like to cook a big batch at once and freeze the rest for later meals. The frozen rice can be reheated briefly in the microwave before use, or you can add it right into a soup pot. Avoid commercially grown wild rice brands as it would do you no good.

It tastes earthy and nutty and can replace rice, pasta, or potatoes. Some people blend it with other grains or rice. As an alternative, you may use wild rice in a wide range of recipes, including salads, soups, casseroles, and even desserts.

Ingredients

  • 160 grams wild rice
  • 700 ml water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

  1. Use cold water to rinse the wild rice
  2. Transfer it to a pot with salt and water
  3. Using high heat, bring it to a boil
  4.  Cover the pan
  5. Let it cook on simmer
  6. Cook in a covered pot for 40–60 minutes to allow the water to absorb
  7. When the wild rice splits open and curls, it has finished cooking

Before serving, strain the rice and fluff it with a fork.