Introduction
Basmati rice has had a latest entrant in its family - Pusa 1121
Basmati. The Pusa 1121 variety of rice is essentially a derived one, which was
evolved over a long process of hybridization by breeding varieties of rice.
Padma Shri, Vijay Pal Singh and his student Ashok Kumar Sarial are the proud
developers of this variety.
Extraordinary Grain Length
Pusa 1121 Basmati rice is famous throughout the world for its
extraordinary kernel length. It is the longest known basmati grain in the world
and has a greater grain elongation percentage than any other variety of Basmati. Best Rice Exporter From India The grains of this variety of Basmati can be as long as 8.2
millimeters or 0.32 inches and its grain elongation ratio that is the ratio of
the length of its cooked rice kernel to its non cooked length is 2 to 2.5.
In
fact due to its great grain length it has also got an honorary mention in the
Limca Book of World Record. As compared to any other variety of Basmati rice,
Pusa 1121 gives 30% more volume.
Joy for the Farmers
The unmatched excellence of the Pusa 1121 Basmati rice has
revolutionised the domestic as well as the global market. Developed in the
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), this grain was released for
commercial cultivation in the Kharif season of the year 2003, but it was only
since 2007 that the crop became 1121 Steam Basmati Rice widespread among the farmers. Pusa 1121 rice
being photo - insensitive, matures early and is very high yielding.
Where
normal traditional basmati yields 9-10 quintals of paddy per acre, Pusa 1121
yields matures early to yield 19-20 quintals of paddy per acre. These better
yields have greatly enhanced the returns for the farmers, encouraging them to
integrate this variety in their crop cycle, which resultantly has boosted the
consistent and regular supply of the rice in the global markets.
Varieties and Culinary Uses
Pusa 1121 Basmati rice has four basic varieties:
Sella/
Parboiled Rice - The grains undergo the process of parboiling, which basically
includes steaming the grain in their Indian Basmati Rice husks and then drying them. This process
drives the nutrients in the bran into the grain, making the rice more nutritious.
This process gives the grains a yellowish tinge.
Golden Sella
/ Parboiled Rice - This is the genetically modified variety of rice, enhanced to
produce great amounts of Vitamin A and other minerals and is also parboiled.
Steam Rice - In this process
the grains undergo the process of steaming and drying. Although the process is
a bit similar to Original Basmati Rice that of parboiling, in this process the grains retain their
white colour.
Raw / White
Rice - This is
the normal raw white rice.
1121 Pusa Basmati has found its way to the hearts of many cooks. On cooking it comes out to be elongated, non sticky and lightly fluffy. Its long grains, fragrant aroma and subtly sweet taste have made it a key ingredient in dishes of many cuisines.
