What do you do with your unfinished takeout rice? Or if you have just a few tablespoons of unfinished rice from dinner and do not feel like keeping it in the fridge? Most people would just bin the unfinished rice. But wait, don’t throw the unfinished rice just yet!  You can squeeze out a lot more nutrients and health benefits from the unfinished rice by soaking it overnight and it’s scientifically proven.

Source : berrychik.com

For centuries, it has been a practice to consume overnight soaked rice in many South Indian families. Having known the health benefits of the soaked rice, the practice of consuming this dish for breakfast continued for generations.  However, due to globalization and increased wealth, this healthy breakfast has been replaced with modernized / processed breakfast foods like cereals, pancakes, bread, cakes, deli meat, just to name a few.

Soaked rice / fermented rice is rich in B6, B12 vitamins and is a source of beneficial gut-friendly bacteria which helps in digestion and boosts immunity. In a study, the given samples of normal cooked rice and overnight soaked cooked rice are tested for carbohydrate, crude protein, fat/oil and fibre content. The rice which was overnight soaked cooked rice was found to have more nutrient content than unsoaked cooked rice. There is an increase in energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre content and minerals.

Soaked overnight cooked rice used to be a pauper’s food, unfit to be offered to guests, and reserved to be given off to the house maid. At a time when refrigerators were uncommon, soaked rice was an inevitable item. Every night, some water would be poured over leftover rice and would be kept aside till the next day. This would get slightly fermented overnight and nutritionally rich with gut-friendly bacteria. In this modern day and age, this practice is almost nonexistent as every house is equipped with a refrigerator.

Source: vidhyashomecooking.com

Fermented rice provides immense health benefits such as:

1.  provides energy
2.  provides beneficial guts-friendly bacteria in abundance
3.  helps with allergies and skin related problems
4.  may prevent stomach ulcers and other digestive issues
5.  provides rich source of vitamin B12 for vegans
6.  prevents constipation
7.  may help alleviate blood pressure

Fermented rice can be eaten plain or added with yoghurt, buttermilk, raw onions, chopped cilantro and spring onions, tomatoes or just about any condiments as you would for rice congee. I like to pair my fermented rice with fried shallots, pepper and a dash of organic soy sauce.