Samak rice upma recipe is a vrat special recipe that is prepared mainly during Fasting or festival time. It is a gluten-free, vegan, diabetic-friendly recipe. This samak rice pulao is made with millet, nuts, veggies, and minimal use of spices.
What is Samak Rice?
Samak rice or sama rice is not real rice but is known as Sanwa or barnyard millet which is a gluten-free, fibre-rich, and a nutritious seed. It is a very tiny, round, cream-coloured grain smaller than the actual rice grain. These grains are a little bigger than semolina(suji) but smaller than sago(sabudana).
About SamaK Rice Upma Recipe
Sama Rice upma or Pulao is a perfect wholesome meal alongside curd or chutney. It’s a healthy & super delicious and keeps you full for a longer period. So, it is a great choice during the fasting period.
Vrat ke chawal or sama ke chawal, or samo rice is mostly made during Hindu festivals like Navratri, Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, and Janmashtami as a fasting meal when people don’t consume cereal grains, and also avoid onion and garlic.
Enjoy this one-pot wholesome meal recipe at breakfast, lunch, or dinner with vrat wali coconut chutney and curd on the side. It can also be packed in tiffin for kids as well as adults.
Other Vrat Special Recipes You Would Like to Try
The most popular gluten-free cereals or millets consumes during fasting days in India are Sama or samak rice (barnyard millet), sabudana (sago), Kuttu atta (buckwheat flour), Singhare ka atta (chestnut flour), and Rajgira atta (amaranth flour).
Barnyard millet is filling and nutritious, easy and quick to make, very delicious and a versatile food item for fasting. We can use them to make plain rice, pulao, khichdi, kheer, uttapam, pancakes, and also idli.
It tastes best when freshly made so cook just before you want to eat it. They also become a little dry after cooling. If reheating is required, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water and mix.
Few things that you keep in mind while cooking samak rice. Sama rice cooks very fast (in just a few minutes) so keep an eye while cooking. After getting cooked samo rice is not separated like rice grain but gives a texture like suji upma. Check out the steps below to make a grainy, non-sticky textured samak rice upma. Also try my samak rice kheer and samak rice chilla recipe.
Vrat Wale Rice or Samak Rice Upma Recipe Ingredients
Samo rice- Use freshly milled rice for making this upma or pulao recipe as the old samo rice gives a bitter taste. We don’t store them for long.
Nuts – cashews and peanuts are added to give crunchy bites and enhance the flavour and nutrition of the pulao.
Spices– only salt is added to give a savour flavour but you can also add Black pepper powder, cardamom, and cinnamon stick to make it more flavourful.
Curry leaves– enhance flavour and taste. If you don’t like can skip it.
Paneer– homemade paneer is added to increase the nutrition and taste of the pulao.
Veggies– I have added carrots to give it a colourful look and make it a wholesome meal. You can add other seasonal vegetables of your choice which are allowed to eat during fasting like green peas, potato, tomato etc.
Coriander leaves– to give a nice aroma and add a nice colour to the recipe.
Samak or Sama Rice Benefits
- Good for maintaining normal levels of blood sugar
- Helps in reducing cholesterol levels
- Rich in iron that prevents the risk of anaemia
- Contains fibre, easy to digest, good for preventing a digestive problem
- It is a gluten-free grain, good for people with Celiac disease or with gluten sensitivity.
FAQs
Is sama rice good for weight loss?
Yes, samak rice could be a great food choice for those who want to lose weight as it is low in calories and high in resistant starch and protein. It is easily digestible, keeps you full for a longer time and avoids hunger pangs which ultimately helps in weight loss.
Is sama rice good for diabetics?
Sama or samo rice has a low glycemic index (around 50) which is a good choice for individuals with diabetes. Moreover, it is rich in fibre and helps to control blood sugar levels.
Is samak rice good for health?
Samak Rice has a lot of benefits. It is rich in iron which helps in curing health issues like anaemia. These rice are easy to digest and also prevent many digestive system issues like bloating, constipation, etc.
How to Make Barnyard Millet Pulao-Step by Step Preparation
1.Wash samak rice and soak them for about an hour.
2. After an hour, strain the water from the rice and keep them aside.
3. In a pan heat 1 tbsp ghee on low flame. Add cumin seeds and wait till they crackle. Now add raw peanuts and roast them for about 2-3 minutes or till they become golden and crispy.
4. After that add cashews, raisins, whole green chillies, curry leaves and coconut flakes. Roast them for 1-2 minutes.
5. Now add carrots, soaked rice and salt. Mix and roast them for 30-40 seconds.
6. Finally, add 1 ½ cup water(triple the amount of rice, use the same cup used for measuring rice). Mix well, cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame.
Stir once or twice in between.
7. Switch off the flame when very little water is left and keep it covered for 3-4 minutes.
8. After that transfer it to a serving bowl. Garnish with paneer pieces and green coriander leaves.
9. Enjoy samak rice upma recipe with vrat wali coconut chutney and green coriander chutney.
Serving Suggestions
This samak rice upma recipe that you can consume during any fast or vrat with coconut chutney, coriander chutney and with plain curd, lauki raita or spinach raita on the side. You can also make it on normal days at breakfast, or for a light lunch or dinner.
Tips and Tricks
- Soak rice for at least half an hour before cooking.
- The ratio of rice and water will be 1:3 means if we are taking 1 cup of rice then take 3 cups of water to get a soft non-sticky texture of sama rice upma.
- After cooking leave the pan covered for 3-4 minutes and only then serve. So that any moisture left will be absorbed well and rice becomes non-sticky.
- You can add any seasonal vegetables of your choice or which you can eat during fasting.
- It is gluten-free, with no onion, on garlic vrat special recipe. But if you are making this on other days, you can add or skip them as per your taste. They are perfect for those who are sensitive to gluten.
Recipe Card
Quick Samak Rice Upma Recipe | Healthy Barnyard Millet Pulao
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100gm)samak rice
- 1 ½ cup water to cook rice
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ cup raw peanuts
- 2 tbsp cahesws
- 8-10 raisins
- 3 green chilli
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
- Few curry leaves
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ tsp sendha namak or as per taste
- ¼ cup panner cut into small pieces
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash samak rice and soak them for about an hour.
- After an hour, strain the water from the rice and keep them aside.
- In a pan heat 1 tbsp ghee on low flame. Add cumin seeds and wait till they crackle. Now add raw peanuts and roast them for about 2-3 minutes or till they become golden and crispy.
- After that add cashews, raisins, whole green chillies, curry leaves and coconut flakes. Roast them for 1-2 minutes.
- Now add carrots, soaked rice and salt. Mix and roast them for 30-40 seconds.
- Finally, add 1 ½ cup water(triple the amount of rice, use the same cup used for measuring rice). Mix well, cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame.
- Stir once or twice in between.
- Switch off the flame when very little water is left and keep it covered for 3-4 minutes.
- After that transfer it to a serving bowl. Garnish with paneer pieces and green coriander leaves.
- Enjoy it with vrat wali coconut and green coriander chutney.
Video
Notes
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