Dodda Baira Nellu is a nutritionally dense red rice variety that has been grown in the Bangalore and Kolar districts of Karnataka at least since the 19th century; the historian and archaeologist Benjamin Lewis Rice regarded it as “the common coarse grain of the country” in the Mysore Gazetteer of 1897 [Vol.I: 138]. It is one of those red varieties that is especially versatile, useful as a table rice as also for making sweetmeats.
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Description
THE CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL LIFE OF THIS RICE
Dodda Baira Nellu rice is praised for its drought tolerance, making it an ecologically significant crop in regions with less reliable rainfall. Benjamin Lewis Rice’s 1887 Gazetteer for Mysore lists “Dodda Baira,” “the common coarse grain of the country” alongside other varieties like Gidda Baira, Dodda Kembatti, Sanna Kembatti, Arasina Kembatti, Gutti Sanna, Bili Sanna, Sukhadas [a variety listed also in the Ain-i-Akbari], Punagaraj, Yalakki Bhatta, Putta Bhatta, Toka Nellu, Kari Toka Nellu and Gandhasale. This gives us something of a picture of both cultural interactions in the Deccan and the types of rice valued at the time. Mulbagal sugar and Mulbagal rice were esteemed as the best in the district (Kolar).
Rice notes that seasons for rice cultivation in Kolar were two: Karthika and Vaishaka. The method of sowing dry seed is called puledi or dry seed – Dodda Baira was sown this way only for the Karthika crop, corresponding perhaps to early Samba, and possibly indicating the hardiness of the paddy type [1897, vol. 1: 138]. Hayavadana Rao’s Mysore Gazetteer of 1929 repeats this reference and elaborates:
The “Puniji” or “dry” cultivation of paddy called also “Barabatta” is done mostly in the districts of Bangalore and Kolar for the Karthike or the rainy season of paddy under tanks. The variety usually grown in this way is the “Dodda Baira.” The cultivation is as follows: — The land is ploughed twice or thrice in the early rains till about June. when the ground is moist after a rain, with moisture enough for a seed bed, the seed grain is sown broadcast and harrowed in with the wooden “halube.” The crops receive no attention for two months, when irrigation is commenced. After the first flooding the “hahibe” is again drawn over the standing crop in the soft mud, the field is then hand-weeded, and the flooding is continued as in the case of the ordinary paddy cultivation till harvest. [vol.III, 1929: 101].
Also known as Dodda Baira Nellu, Doddabairanellu, Dodda Byre Nellu.
NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
- Dodda Baira Nellu is valued for its hardiness in the fields and for its nutritional and medicinal value. It is a well-known traditional medicinal rice, a preferred rice choice among elders who used to consume this rice regularly in their younger days.
- Sahaja Samrudha Organic Producer Company lists this rice along with other medicinal landraces in a 2011 phytochemical profile, cited in Paul 2013. A screenshot is reproduced below. Sahaja also recommends the consumption of this rice to those suffering from high blood pressure, chest pain and heart diseases.
Krishnappa, a local farmer in Mandya tells us the following:
- this rice can be used for controlling acidity (yedhe uri).
- Digestive issues like diarrhea can be eased with a curd rice made from this rice because of the comfort it offers after consumption.
CULINARY USES
- The rice has a soft, sweetish and chewy texture. Combined with its nutritional density it has a number of different uses.
- Sweets are made from this rice, most notably Nippattu and Athrasa/Athirasa are popular choices among home cooks. ‘Kajjaya’ may also prepared by pounding the rice and adding jaggery.
- As a table rice, pairing with rasam or curd would make for a balanced meal—curd rice is quite unique in taste and a common remedy for diarrhea.
- Additionally, this rice is known for its ability to keep hunger at bay. Thanks to its fibrous content and its filling nature, makes it a perfect choice for physical labour, says Krishnappa, a farmer in Mandya.
WHO GROWS THIS RICE & WHERE CAN I BUY?
- In Mandya: Krishnappa (Farmer), +91 9902647906
- Other Possible Sources
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
- Prasad, Seema. 2013. Return of the Desi Rice. LEISA India, June
- Rao, C. Hayavadana. 1929. Gazetteer of Mysore Volume 3: Economic Bangalore: Government Press.
- Rice, Benjamin Lewis. 1897. Gazetteer of Mysore Volume 1, Westminister: Archibald Constable and Company.
- Rice, Benjamin Lewis. 1897. Gazetteer of Mysore Volume 2, Westminister: Archibald Constable and Company.
- Sahaja Seed Catalogue, 2023
- Paul, Anupam. 2013. Folk Rice Biodiversity: Cultivation and Culture. Proceedings of National seminar on Recent advances in rice genomics and biotechnology, Organised by Department of Biotechnology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, March 23-24, 2013
Additional information
| Region of Origin | South |
|---|---|
| Grain Shape | short bold |
| Grain Colour | Red |
| Fragrance | Nonscented |
