Poongar

Description

THE CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL LIFE OF THIS RICE

The kar season or the rainy months generally coincide with the south west monsoon—a rainy time in parts of Tamil Nadu, fit for short-duration crops, including specific rice types. The term “kar” is sometimes used interchangeably with Kuruvai and Sornavari, though where each exactly falls may be a matter of regional variation, and these periods may overlap rather than coincide—kar being 60-90 days and Sornavari 120-125 days. Sornavari is also called also known as the chittirai pattam, a Kharif cropping season in Tamil Nadu that begins in April or May and ends in August or September. Whatever the time-frames or names, this period is mainly suitable for short duration crops. Farmers may choose longer duration crops for other periods, in combination with kar rices in the subsequent season. For example, Anuratha et al. report (2025: 333-4) that Ottadaiyan is a 200 days duration crop grown along with Poongar [100 according to CIKS (2019) or 120-130 days] or Soorakuruvai [a 150 days duration crop], the latter crop is harvested first and the next is harvested after an interval of 50 days. “Pattam paathhu payiru pottaa, nashtam avaadu,” is a common belief: watching the season and deciding what to plant in this way means there won’t be losses.

TNAU describes the poongkar crop thus: that it is tall, drought-resistant early duration red rice variety suitable for coastal sandy soil, grown in Raghunathapuram village at Ramnad district, and that if the crop fails in the month of “Puratasi” (September), Poongkar is sown in the month of “Karthigai” (October) and it is harvested in Thai (January) but the yield is commensurately lower.

What is interesting for us to note is that kar rices are generally grouped in terms of their character and quality in ways that rices from other planting seasons are not; they all have a common tanmay or character, in spite of individual grain variations. They all carry the suffix “kar” in their names, making them easy to identify: Chitraikar, Chinkinikar, Kappakar, Kullakar, Karuthakar, Kuruvikar, Perungar, Vellaikar etc. All are thought of as generally strength-giving, iron-rich, nutritious rices. In this case, the naming convention is an easy guide to understanding season, medicinal and nutritional quality in broad strokes, and also cooking uses.

Poongar is not to be confused with Vellai Poongar, which is a different landrace, and a shorter duration crop.

Other names for this rice: Poongkaar

NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

• The medicinal notes of the Siddha compilation, Pathartha Gunapadam or Padartha Guna Chintamani note that Kar arisi or Kar rices are in general strength-imparting—which may mean that they are nutritious or simply sweeter and energy-giving or both (cf. Sathya 2013: 225)
• Poongar is a high protein (close to 12%) and high crude fibre grain (Anuratha et al. 2025, Prasad et al. 2021) when compared to 60 other native Tamil Nadu rices.
• It has low phenolic content (and therefore low anti-oxidant potential) compared to Mapillai Samba and Njavara (Anuratha et al. 2025: 328)
• Poongar is most commonly thought to be a “women’s rice,” consumed by women after puberty and believed to avert ailments associated with the female reproductive system.
• Sala et al. reference the Siddha compilation Padhaartha Gunapadal’s listing of the medicinal properties of some native rices, but seem to have compiled their entry on Poongar from that as well as modern scientific and folk sources (2024: 38): “Poongar rice is found to contain Zinc, Magnesium, and Molybdenum, which is essential for everyday well-being. Apart from the abovementioned minerals, it also contains Iron, which is essential for good blood count and heart health. It is wonderful rice for women hormonal problems and boosts the immune system. It is recommended for pregnant women and lactating mothers. When consumed regularly the pregnant ladies will give birth to healthy baby.”

CULINARY USES

• Kar rices are generally “rougher” types, possibly because these are the varieties grown in drought-prone and sandy areas which have none of the rich nourishments of delta regions. They are therefore rarely used as table rices, though this is changing now as eaters seek their health benefits and find them available in semi-/polished forms.
• This rice’s nutritional value being in its bran, it is best consumed as a whole grain. Hand-pounded poongar is also a good choice.
• Rough-tough exteriors notwithstanding, the poongar semi-polished grains are themselves more slender than other kar varieties and soften easily on cooking.
• Jency et al. (2024) offer these notes of description:
  • Poongar is itself chalky grain and a low amylose rice, sticky and waxy on cooking – consumer preferences are for higher amylose uniform and translucent grains
  • Reduced resistance of the grain to forces exerted during milling decreases the amount of edible rice left behind [possibly this is why many kar rices are consumed without much milling, as whole grains].
  • Low to intermediate alkali spread value means that the grain itself will not take long to cook – but if it is consumed in whole grain form, it may also need pre-soaking to reduce cooking times.
• If it is to be used as a table rice, it must be soaked for at least 4-6 hours to allow it to get soft on cooking.
• In general, however, poongar (as with most other kar rices) is better suited for used in “home processed” foods like idli, dosai, kozhukattai or idiyappam rather than being consumed directly as table rice
• Kar arisi/kar rice aval or flattened/beaten rice is sold in farmer’s markets and makes a delicious uppma or poha.

WHO GROWS THIS RICE & WHERE CAN I BUY?

The sources that will likely have the best Poongar:

1. Biobasics [sources rice from trusted growers in various regions in India, based in Coimbatore]
2. Spirit of the Earth [sells the rice they grow in their seed conservation project and rice farm in Manjakkudi, near Kumbakkonam]
3. OFM/Organic Farmers’ Market [sources heritage rices from trusted farmers and sells via Chennai outlets; see their rice list here]
4. Sempulam [a group of farmers, scientists, and researchers with an organic food store based in Chennai]
5. Vivasayee’s Life [a farmer collective using a single platform to market direct-to-consumer]
6. Goodness Farm [run by a food technologist, and drawing other organic farmers together, committed to sustainable farming, and producing nutritious and ethically sourced foods]

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

1. Anuratha, A., V. Krishnan S. Arulselvi, M. Chitra, S. Shibi. M. Sangeetha, P. Ahiladevi, and G. Ravi. 2025. “Exploring traditional paddy varieties: preserving a legacy of health, culture, and biodiversity–a review.” APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 23(1):325-342
2. Jency, Poornima & Ramasamy, Sangeetha. (2024). STUDY ON COOKING QUALITIES AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES IN SELECTED TRADITIONAL RICE VARIETIES OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA Plant Archives Journal homepage: http://www.plantarchives.org. Plant Archives. 24. 1075-1082. 10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2024.v24.no.1.149.
3. Prasad, Theertha, S. Banumathy, D. Sassikumar, J. Ramalingam and M. Ilamaran. 2021. “Grain Nutritional Traits Analysis in Native Rice Landraces of Tamil Nadu.” Biological Forum– An International Journal 13(1): 572-577
4. Sala, M., R. Chandrika, K.S. Usharani, P. Manju, K. Sasikumar, and R. Nandhikumar 2024. NUTRIENT DIVERSITY AND THERAPEUTIC USE OF TRADITIONAL LANDRACES: A REVIEW Plant Archives Journal homepage: http://www.plantarchives.org. 24. 36-40. 10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2024.v24.no.2.004.
5. Sathya, A. 2013. “Are the Indian Rice Landraces a Heritage of Biodiversity to Reminisce their Past or to Reinvent for Future?” Asian Agri-History Vol. 17, No. 3, 221–232