Eating Raw Rice! Who knew!?

When Nida sent me this recipe I couldn't believe it! Eating raw rice? wow! I have to try this. Especially since I LOVE rice. Check it out! W.P

What is that one staple us girls seem to have an obsession with? I know you're thinking of rice. Silky, smooth, soft, chewy, oh so delicious RICE! I am a huge rice fan, but you might be wondering how to incorporate rice into a "Raw Vegan meal" since you're supposed to wash it, soak it and boil it and all those fun things that turn it into this delicious smorgasbord of deliciousness right?

Remember our moms used to soak almonds overnight before giving to us in the mornings before school for improved brain health? Well it turns out soaking and sprouting has some great benefits; it neutralizes Phytic Acid and Enzyme Inhibitors. Phytic acid binds with calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc, making it hard to impossible for you to absorb those nutrients.  It’s also irritating to your digestive system.

“Soaking will also help to diminish some of the fat content and will help convert the dense vegetable protein to simpler amino acids for easier digestion. The more complex carbohydrates in the foods will also start to break down into the simpler glucose molecules” Wendy Rudell, Raw Transformation

“The process of germination not only produces vitamin C, but also changes the composition of grains and seeds in numerous beneficial ways. Sprouting increases vitamin B content, especially B2, B5, and B6. Carotene increases dramatically-sometimes even eightfold.” Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, pg 112

Grains, legumes and meats are generally thought to be acid forming (that doesn’t mean that they are bad, just that they need to be balanced out with alkaline food such as fruits and vegetables. However by sprouting your grains and legumes, you are helping them become a more alkaline forming food and ease the toll on your body :)

I discovered 'sprouted'/raw vegan rice at Khepra's a local raw vegan restaurant we have here. It was love at first sight - as it was with all his other foods, he certainly has a flair! After that I got to wondering how to make it myself. There are of course many ways of making it and my favorite is a creamy sauce. Try this out, its fairly simple and tell me what you think!

And stay tuned because next week im bringing you another kind of "rice"!

Raw Black Wild Rice

8 oz. of black wild rice
2 stalks of celery
1 red pepper
1 cucumber
1 bunch of cilantro
2 avocados
2 tomatoes
2 limes
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

Soak the black wild rice for 24–48 hours, rinsing every 12 hours.
Chop all of the vegetables into small chunks.
Dice the cilantro.
Mix the vegetables in with the rice.
Cut the limes in half and squeeze over the salad.
Add the cilantro, oil, salt, and cumin; mix well and enjoy!

NIDA KAZMI
Twitter: @Nida84

Photo credit: https://www.sunwarrior.com/news/raw-black-wild-rice-sunwarrior-raw-food-recipes/