Bengal’s long-standing love affair with “Khichuri” is not a secret to the rest of the world. The vibrant Bengali culture allows its practitioners to have khichuri at all times of the year. But nothing beats the sentimental value of a bong enjoying a plateful of steaming “khichuri” on a rainy day. The feeling is so deeply ingrained into the hearts that scores of Bengali’s irrespective of their age associate the extensive monsoon season with this traditional preparation. Different grey moods of nature during the monsoon season, be it a copious downpour, a slight drizzle or the incessant stifling balminess may turn poetic when coupled with this perfect comfort food, from a Bengali’s perspective.

Khichuri at a glance

The quintessential Bengali khichuri is a preparation made from fragrant Gobindabhog rice, nutty roasted moong dal, vegetables, spices, and ghee. The recipe for khichuri is not set in stone. It can be made plain or rich and runny or thick according to one’s taste. The ingredients can also be swapped and played with based on ease and availability.

The main ingredient: Rice

Khichuri shines in its simplicity. The rice used in “Khichuri” takes a front and centre seat in its preparation. The rice forms the backbone of the preparation and offers it the desired porridge-like texture. Gobindabhog rice which is short-grained and aromatic sticky rice is considered ideal for making khichuri. But the use of other varieties of rice is not unheard of.

Steamed rice, parboiled rice, and even half-boiled rice can be thrown in together with the rest of the essential ingredients to make khichuri suitable for wistful rainy days.

Types of Khichuri

Bengal’s obsession with their tried and tested khichuri recipe is everlasting. Lately, many new-generation Bengalis are seen branching out into the various other preparations of khichuri, that the different geographical or cultural zones of India have to offer. To cite a few examples, one has to mention-

• The ‘Pongal’ hailing from Tamil Nadu in the down south.
• ‘Keema Khichdi’ originated from the kitchens of Hyderabad’s grand Nizams
• The well-loved “Gujarati Khichdi”
• Karnataka’s own ‘Bisi Bele Bhath’
• The “Bihari Khichdi” which is a close cousin of the Bengali Khichudi

Food value of Khichuri

Khichuri is a dish packed with important nutrients. Khichuri has about 320 calories with high levels of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fibre. It contains vitamin C, vitamin A, and minerals like potassium, iron, and sodium all of which are beneficial for the body.

Health Benefits

Weight loss

Khichuri is a whole and hearty preparation that reduces cravings for additional calorie intake. This makes it perfect for people battling obesity to lose weight.

Digestive health

Khichuri’s high fibre content contributes to improving gut health. It helps in detoxifying the digestive system thereby ending digestive disorders.

Diabetes-friendly

The Moong dal used in khichuri is known to have a low glycemic index. This controls the blood sugar levels.

Fights Fever

The antioxidants present in khichuri prove helpful in recovering from common illnesses like fever or infections.

A plate of rice is healthier than anything. In the case of reducing obesity, it plays a big role. Rice contains sodium in very low levels like cholesterol and fat. It has a lot of nutrients and also doesnot gives a negative impact on the body of human beings significantly. It contains a good level of fiber which helps a lot in the matter of reducing obesity. Everyone loves this with any side dish like curry, meat, vegetables, etc. Rice also keeps our nervous system healthy because vitamin B runs the nervous system properly and rice provides it to the body.

Good production of energy

Rice contains carbohydrates which act as fuel in our body. After entering into the human body, our body transforms carbohydrates into a good amount of energy. It helps in functioning your brain properly as well. Rice also contains other components like vitamins and minerals which help to increase the metabolic activity for the organs of the body.

Excellent source of protein

People who live a vegan lifestyle should consume high protein rice. It keeps the protein level good in their body. ¼ cup of brown rice contains six grams of protein and it’s five grams in the case of ¼ cup of white rice. Finding high protein food for a vegan is still difficult. Consumption of high protein rice is an ideal supplement for vegetarian foods.

Helps in preventing constipation

High fiber rice is essential for reducing constipation and regulates the digestive system. Rice also helps in the elimination of water from the body. Patients who are suffering from high blood pressure, they find it helpful. It causes frequent urination; it helps the body to get rid of uric acid. So, keep supplying water to the body as it is flushing out more water.

Reduce the risk of cancer

The high fiber properties in rice help in proper digestion and also keep the blood pressure normal. Due to proper digestion, the waste of the body doesnot stays long in the body. This way it keeps the body healthy. So, the waste products doesnot get time to interact with the cells of the body. This way it fights against intestinal and colorectal cancer and prevents it.

Useful for skincare

People can be surprised to know that rice can take care of the skin. Consumption of brown rice can cure many skin problems with its phenolic compounds. It soothes the irritation and also reduces redness on the skin. The antioxidants of rice make the aging process slow and help to prevent wrinkles.

The reason behind choose us?

So, are you thinking about buying high-quality rice to use for cooking purposes? Then, we can assure you that we are the best option for you. We are offering you premium quality rice with high protein, minerals and vitamins and, this can improve your health efficiently. So, we are trying to keep you healthy and satisfy your taste buds.

Bengali New Year is known as Pohela Boishakh as well which denotes the first day of the first month of the Bengali solar datebook. This year, Bengali New Year is on Thursday, 15 April.

Bengalis greet people at this festival by saying “Shubho Nobobarsho” which means “prosperous New Year”. The traditional way to celebrate this blissful occasion is to go to fairs that are organized across West Bengal and Tripura with families.

The traditional way to celebrate Pohela Boishakh is by spending time with your loved ones, visiting fairs, cleaning up one’s houses and getting new clothes. The Bengali Community purchases the Panjika, as the year ends. Panjika is a book that contains all the significant dates for the impending events of the New Year. All the positive events including housewarming and wedding ceremonies are then planned with keeping Panjika in mind. Houses are decorated with rangoli in their courtyards made with a mixture of rice and water (alpona).

Pahela Baishakh celebrations are imperfect without plates of Panta Bhat, which is Bengali style fermented rice served with either fish or Bhorta. For years, Bangalees, on their New Year, have been treating themselves to the conventional delicacies.

Back in the time, families of peasants would keep leftover rice from dinner by sopping it in water to have it as a meal the subsequent day.

But along with conventional values, Panta Bhat has its nutritional benefits as well.

In recent times, a study by the nourishment sector of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (Barc) showed that Panta Bhat has much more nutrients than cooked rice and thus it can be consumed all through the year.

Importance of Rice:

• Universal Staple Food

Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world, rice; wheat and maize collectively unswervingly contribute to more than half of all calories consumed by the total human population. Human consumption accounts for 85% of the entire production of rice.

Rice provides 21% of worldwide human per capita energy and 15% of per capita protein. Though rice protein ranks far above the ground in dietary quality among cereals, protein content is modest. Rice also provides minerals, vitamins, and fiber, Even though all components apart from carbohydrates are abridged by milling.

• Effect on the global economy

Rice is also the most significant crop to millions of small farmers who produce it on millions of hectares all through the region, and to the several landless workers who obtain revenue from working on these farms. In the future, rice production must continue to rise at least as speedily as the population, if not quicker than that.
Asia accounted for 60% of the global population, about 92% of the world’s rice production, and 90% of global rice consumption.

Why choose us?
Being one of the most important cereal crops in the world, it is considered to be the main food for about half the population of the world. We provide the best quality rice for you to binge on, choose us to make your food healthy and rich in quality!

Holi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India. In the Bengali community though, this is known mainly as Dol Jatra, or more generally, Dol. Indeed, people celebrate this festival with colors, entertainment, and mouth-watering delicacies. In this concern, one of the best foods many Bengalis love during this period is Mishti Pulao.

It is a popular vegetarian rice dish that the Bengali Hindus eat with other food items. Not to mention, it is a healthy choice, and a filling but light meal in general. Accordingly, younger children and older people likewise love to have it during Holi. However, this is not a Holi-specific dish; many people try different varieties of this on other occasions.

What is Mishti Pulao?
Pulao is a form of rice food, made of Gobindobhog rice, vegetables, and edible oil. However, in Bengali culture, people prepare this vegetable food item with a hint of sweetness. Surely, it contains vegetables and spices, but the taste of this ‘pulao’ is sweeter than its other varieties.

Other side-dishes and rice dishes for Dol Jatra
To give relief to the taste-buds, Bengali people serve other food preparations with this dish. These include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, like ‘shukto’ and prawn curry respectively. Plus, they enjoy many kinds of sweets during this period as well, like ‘rabdi’ and chutney.

Some of these sweets are made of rice, in its ground form, and milk, with other spices and ingredients. While some people buy them from the shop, others make them freshly in their homes. Another rice dish that many Bengali families try during this period is the Muri-ghonto. This a non-vegetarian traditional Bengali dish that people make during special events. It contains Basmati or Gobindobhog rice cooked with the head of a big fish and many spices.

Cultural significance
The festival of Dol Jatra in Bengali tradition, or Holi in overall Hindu culture, is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Moreover, this festival occurs in other states like Assam and Orissa besides West Bengal.

Besides this reason, Bengalis celebrate this day as the birthday of Vaishnava saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as well. Moreover, they enjoy this festival with colors, good food, and puja. As a matter of fact, Mishti Pulao, and some other dishes, are offered in the puja as ‘bhog’ for the deity.

Nutritional Value
The dish of Mishti Pulao does have good health benefits, and it is easy to eat for many. Of course, there are many variations of this recipe available. But, Bengalis mainly use Gobindobhog rice or other short-grain varieties for the taste and aroma. This rice variety is easily digestible, is rich in good protein, and improves the natural balance in the human body.

They add basic spices like cardamom and cinnamon, low-fat ghee or edible oil, raisins, and nuts like cashew. These are rich in carbohydrates, protein, fibers, and many other minerals. Cashew, in particular, has a high amount of heart-health-improving fats and so does ghee or oil. As for the spices, they are soothing for the stomach, helps heart conditions, enhances digestion, and more.

Why Choose Us?
To prepare and enjoy tasty Bengali Mishti Pulao or other rice dishes during Dol, you need good-quality rice grains. Indeed, we provide the best-quality rice varieties that are good in taste, aroma, and more. Also, you would need different types of rice for different dishes. Luckily, you would find a lot of choices available here.

Do you love rice, or do you have your reasons to avoid eating rice? If you give me a few minutes from your precious time, I will change your opinions about this wonderful food item. So, buckle up as this is not going to be any less than a Roller Coaster Ride.

Why Rice is a wonder food?

As per statistics, the majority of the Indian population consumes rice as their staple diet. People have evolved there cooking skills due to which new rice dishes have been evolving with time. Most of us have the heart to heart connections with rice. Various authentic, delicacies and mouth-watering dishes are made of rice. Cultivated widely in the state of West Bengal, rice is one of the most popular, and nutritious food items. Being a huge consumer as well as producer of rice, the country produces enough amounts to export the grains to other countries even after keeping a sufficient amount in storage.

Nutritional Benefits of Rice:-

Helps in Weight-loss:- Rice is very health-friendly and is fat-less. It is a rich source of carbohydrates that gives you immense energy. Rice is also favored by people who are dieting and are looking to lose their body weight because a little consumption of rice can give you a feeling of fullness resulting in less calorie intake but more energy output and thus creates a win-win situation.

Rich in Protein:- It serves as the building blocks of the body and helps in our mental growth and development.

Rich Source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber:- Rice is loaded with magnesium, phosphorus, and many such nutrients depending upon the variety of rice you consume. It enhances our immunity and helps us to fight many diseases.

Loaded with Anti-Oxidants:- The major property of Rice is the oxidative stability that comes from the antioxidants present in it. It has enormous health benefits and rich in nutritional values. It is also renowned for its anti-aging properties and is highly used by Asian Women to enhance their beauty by using it in various beauty products.

Why You Should Use Pragati Rice?

Finally, we now need to give you a reason so that you consider us to serve you. Don’t worry, we will prove ourselves to be worthy of your trust.

We are among the highest producers of rice in the country, and we take good care of all the food items we provide. We ensure that we do not use any harmful processes while polishing the rice and provide you non-powdered polished rice in all varieties. We also ensure superior quality of the product as well as intactness. We offer you a wide range of raw, boiled, and parboiled rice in different qualities. We tend to stand tall to the expectations of our customers as they trust our services and try to relieve them from the tension of getting the best and nutrient-enriched rice for their families. We believe,” Good rice, Good life” because with us rice can’t ever go wrong.

For the people living in India, a lot of different food items have separate connotations. Some are basic staple dishes for each season, while others are popular for its health benefits. Also, many of such food dishes are popular in particular regions in India and special for their residents. Khichuri Bhog, in essence, is mostly the latter.

Indeed, the Bengali Hindus in West Bengal, and those living in other areas, associate Kichuri Bhog with the festival of Saraswati Puja. During this festival, the ‘Bongs’ eat this vegetarian meal during their midday meal after the puja. It is tasty and filling and is an important meal during this period. Plus, Khichuri Bhog contains a lot of nutritional elements, so it is a healthy option to try even for the non-Bengali.

What is Khichuri Bhog?
In the Bengali language, the word ‘bhog’ denotes enjoyment. And for the Bengali, that is what this dish signifies and is an important part of this festival. The cooks prepare this dish in large quantities, slowly over 3-4 hours, and then serve it hot with other accompaniments. The ‘khichuri’ is made of lentils and rice and served with vegetable medleys like ‘labra’ and ‘chhyachra’. Other dishes include ‘phulkopi’ (cauliflower), ‘kancha kola’ (green banana), potato, and brinjal fries. Plus, the Bhog also includes papad, sweets, and chutney of various kinds. Non-vegetarian items are strictly excluded from this meal.

Cultural importance
As mentioned earlier, the Khichuri Bhog is a vegetarian dish that the Bengali Hindus eat during Saraswati Puja. During this festival, they celebrate the Goddess of Knowledge, Maa Saraswati. The festival stretches for 2-3 days in West Bengal, though the puja occurs only on one day. The citizens celebrate this period with music and dancing, while many offer their books to the Goddess for Her blessing.

Plus, in some communities, little children start learning to write during this puja. In other Hindu communities, this festival is also called the Basant Panchami. They celebrate this day as it marks the beginning of spring, and people pray for a good harvest.

Nutritional benefits
There is a lot of nutritional value in the entire Khichuri Bhog. Firstly, the lentils and rice is cooked with turmeric powder and salt, and it contains iron, fibre, carbohydrate, proteins, and different minerals. The salt provides sodium, and even those who are sick can eat this food easily. This does not contain high levels of fat and is light for the stomach.

Also, all the items are cooked with edible oils that are high in good fatty acids. The dishes other than ‘khichuri’ are full of healthy vegetables that contain rich nutrient content. These include minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, fibre, and antioxidants. While the sweets do have a high amount of sugar content, the overall ‘bhog’ is very healthy.

Why choose us?
To prepare a good Khichuri Bhog during Saraswati Puja, you need to use the best ingredients. In this concern, choosing our premium-quality rice grains would help you. They contain a lot of healthy nutritional elements and are safe for a person’s health. Furthermore, we offer many types of such products, and you can choose one that you need.

The cuisine of West Bengal, in essence, is as distinct and rich as the province itself. It has always been pretty sublime, transcendent (regarding taste), and mouth-watering as well. However, after arriving here during the 1600s’, the Nawabs have added a little bit of spicy and fiery flavours in it. Aside from it, you will also get a little bit of European aroma in the Bengali cookery. Anyways, no matter what you are cooking to turn your meal into an extravagant venture, rice would always be an integral part to it. But, which recipe of the same would be suitable for your main dish? Here are three different options, which can help you to find your zeal and make your tastebuds content.

1. Bengali Vegetable Fried Rice
Also known as Bengali Ghee Bhaat, the Bengali Vegetable Fried Rice offers an awe-striking balance between sweet and spicy. With regards to flavour, it usually tastes a little bit sugary. However, if you want to try out something new, then you can add chilli in it to make things subtly spicier. This particular rice is recipe is not cholesterol-rich at all. Nonetheless, you can make it even healthier by adding some more chops of vegetables in it.
Suits Perfectly With: Doi Murgi, Chilli Chicken, Chicken Chap, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, and Mutton Rezala.

2. Basanti Pulao
In essence, Basanti Pulao is a conventional Bengali recipe, which is usually prepared during Puja and any other special occasions. It features a bright yellow hue (due to the usage of turmeric) and generally emits a milder fragrance. If you wish to add a touch of royalty in it, then you can also include cashew and raisins in it. Traditionally, most people tend to prepare this dish with gobindhobhog chaal (one of the common types of small grain rice). But, you can use Basmati rice for the same reason as well.
Suits Perfectly With: Mutton Kosha, Chicken Stew, Ilish Paturi, and Traditional Chicken Curry.

3. Sada Pulao
Unlike Basanti Pulao, Sada Pulao is an easy yet lip-smacking one-pot meal option for the traditional Bengalis. It usually does not require hours of preparation and, thus, can be prepared within only a few minutes. Another remarkable aspect of Sada Pulao is that it can be pretty versatile, as it goes well with both non-veg and veg dishes. Normally, this dish does not really feature an extravagant outlook to it. But, you can use a small amount of coconut milk to change its flavour and make it look more enriched. You may also add some seasonal vegetables in it to boost its healthy capabilities.
Suits Perfectly With: Mooli Sag Bhaji, Matar Paneer, Chicken Curry/Stew, Bengali Lamb Curry, and Chana Daal.

Why Choose Us?
The taste of the previously-mentioned recipe will only be able to soothe your heart if you do use Pragati Rice. Our products are made from premium-quality grain and go through multiple checks as well to ensure and maintain its standard. There are no chemicals added in it at all. So, it will not affect or harm your health in any way.

Winter is here and it’s the new harvest time in India. Throughout the country, this period of time is celebrated as harvest festival. Be it Lohri, be it Pongal or Poush–Sankranti in West Bengal! For us living in Bengal, winter or Poush-Sankranti remains incomplete without Pithe or Puli, the widely loved deserts! Pithe is made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which is shaped and filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Puli happens to be a variation of the same.

Let’s have a look at some of the Pithe & Puli variations that are worth trying!

Patishapta – Patishapta is one of the most popular pithe. It is basically a thin pancake made with rice flour and sooji, stuffed with a caramelized mixture of jaggery and grated coconut. The pancake can also be filled with khoya and sugar instead of jaggery and grated coconut.

Dudh Puli – Puli is a steamed sweet made with rice flour coating and a filling made of jaggery and coconut. It can either be served as steamed puli itself or it can be dunk in thickened sweet milk and served in form of dudh puli. Sugar can be used to sweeten the milk and the filling; however traditionally dudh puli is made with fresh jaggery.

Gokul Pithe – Gokul Pithe is a fried pithe unlike the steamed ones, and is soaked in sugar syrup. It has a jaggery and coconut filling and is generally so soft that it melts in mouth with every bite. These pithes are basically sweet fried dumplings soaked in thick hot sugar syrup.

Chakli Pithe – Chakli Pithe is a super thin pancake that is enjoyed with hot jaggery syrup. There is another thin and tiny version of this pithe called soru chakli which is made of kheer.

Ranga aloo Pithe – Ranga Aloo Pithe is made with sweet potatoes which are first boiled, then mashed with spices. The mashed sweet potatoes are given shape, stuffed with coconut and jaggery then deep fried. The deep fried pithes are dunked in sugar syrup and served.

Try out these pithes & pulis and enjoy winter with your family and friends!

When it comes to food, there are very few cultures that get emotional about their food, we Bengalis are one of them. While the world taunts Bengalis for our love for fish and rice, rice has grown to be something much more than a comfort food or staple dish. From breakfast to dinner, we have curated unique recipes that use rice in a different way to relish the taste buds. Even Bengali traditions, festivals and holy ceremonies have a consecrated use of rice.

Cultural Importance
West Bengal can described as the rice-bowl that stretches from the coast of China to Japan. It supplies premium quality rice to other states and meets the rice demand of the country. Durga Puja, the biggest festival in Bengal involves ‘Bhog’ or rice dishes along with other dishes cooked with love and offered to the Goddess ‘’Durga’’. Raw rice is used in the festivities and to welcome the Goddess. Another incarnation of ‘Durga’ is Goddess ‘Annapurna’, who represents the giver of rice or paddy. Every year, the month of November marks the celebration of ‘Nobanno’ when the new harvest is welcomed by the rural Bengal and is celebrated by offering the new rice to Goddess ‘’Lakshmi’’, rurally known as ‘’Nobanno Lakshmi’’. ‘’Dhan’’ commonly called paddy or unhusked rice find its use during Lakshmi puja or during weddings and represents flourishments .

Variations
On the basis of the dehusking process of the paddy, rice in Bengal is of two types- Seddo or boiled rice and Atap or sun-dried rice. Depending on the cuisine, the type of rice also differs. Be it the aromatic Gobindobhog or the daily-use Bashkathi, from the long grain Basmati to the unique Kalabhat, Bengal precedents the world when it comes to recipes that involve rice. From starters to desserts, Bengali cuisine uses rice in an inexplicable way. While Fish-Fry is one of the most traditional and popular starters that uses rice flour as a main binding agent, ‘’Payesh’’, one of the most sanctified and holy dishes that is a preparation of Gobindobhog rice in creamy condensed milk. ‘’Poush-Parbon’’ is the celebration of newly cultivated ‘’Date Jaggery’’ that involves making dumplings of rice flour with Jaggery. Thus, the life of a Bengali revolves around rice.

Nutritional Value
Along with cultural importance, rice is a nutritious food that makes it fit for everyday consumption. The nutrients content of rice are discussed below:
1. Carbohydrate: Rice is rich in carbohydrate, making up to 80% of its body weight. Carbohydrate helps in providing energy to the body as well as the organs to carry out necessary functions.
2. Proteins: Cooked rice also contains a protein that is the building blocks of the body.
3. Fibre: being a rich source of carbohydrate, rice contains fibre which aids good digestion and excretion.
4. Minerals: White rice is rich in minerals like Manganese, Niacin and Magnesium, that helps in promoting bone health and reducing inflammation.

Why choose Pragati Rice?
Pragati rice is thoroughly selected from premium quality grains and then brought to your plate. Our products undergo multiple quality checks that ensure its standard. It is cultivated naturally using zero artificial chemicals or fertilizers and it’s good for health.

Rice is the best with the number of nutrients and certainly the most popular staple food all over the globe. It is the most consumed food by people all over the world. It is an overwhelming dietary energy hotspot for around 17 nations in the Pacific and Asia. Rice offers 20% of the globe’s dietary energy supply. The majority of individuals search for the best quality of rice. If you are also amongst them, then you have arrived at the perfect spot. Celebrate this Diwali with Pragati rice by celebrating festive dines with your family members and neighbors with our rice. We work hard and harvest with love to bring you the best quality rice from our farm to your home.

“Our objective is to facilitate you with a healthy lifestyle”

The occasion Diwali, generally known as the celebration of fireworks, golden-lit electric lamps, lights, or ghee-loaded wicked candles light up doors, streets, and entryways to represent the victory of light over obscurity and goodness over malevolence. There are regional contrasts in how the occasion is celebrated, food-wise, and otherwise, and the style and breadth of food exhibit the expanse of how the food culture praises this national occasion. Diwali is a festival where we prepare a lot of sweets and savories and distribute them to our near and dear ones.
So, let’s prepare your favorite Diwali recipes such as rice pudding, chakli, kheer, murukku, rice dhokla, zafrani chawal or sweet zarda rice, seetabhog and various other snacks with our rice that we all relish eating on Diwali.

“Better at service and quality”

Being one of the largest producers of rice, we get every kind of rice like Gobindobhog, Baskati, Miniket, Nshanka and premium quality boiled rice’s, etc. We offer the best quality of rice where our manufacturing unit is furnished with modern hardware and a lot of accentuation is put on workforce quality at the moderate value range. Because of this outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic we abide by strict guidelines and clean practices to offer safety to our workforce and Consumers. As of this Pandemic situation we people prefer to stay home and cook. So, preferring our rice one and all can avail of the best experience in cooking their favorite rice recipes with us.

“All kinds of rice brought for you”

The health benefits of our rice are immeasurable where this rice is a whole grain meaning, it contains a large amount of fiber. This is because the whole grain contains all three components: Bran, Germ, and Endosperm. So, there is no doubt that our rice is rich in nutrients. Most of the people in West Bengal prefer our rice. So, let us make your “DIWALI” more delicious and delightful with our super quality ’’Pragati Rice’’.

Pragati Rice wishes you to have a safe and happy Diwali!!!!!!!