Neena Gupta's Leftover Rice and Sooji Tikki Recipe
Bollywood actress Neena Gupta is well-known for her series of homemade recipes, where she prepares basic and simple Indian dishes without any fancy setup. She often emphasizes that this is how every Indian home cooks. From her handvo cheela to tori ki sabzi, she shares easy and seasonal recipes. In a recent Instagram reel, she presented an interesting Leftover Rice and Sooji Tikki recipe that can be easily made at home. According to her post, she had the tikki somewhere and later learned the recipe to share with her audience. Read on for the recipe and its benefits.
Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover rice
- 1/4 cup sooji (semolina)
- 1/4 carrot, grated
- 1/4 tsp ginger, grated
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 3 tbsp curd (yogurt)
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
Take a deep bowl, add rice and sooji, and mash them well. Add grated carrot, chopped onion, green chilli, salt, pepper, ginger, and curd, and mix well. Adjust the consistency and add more sooji if desired. Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes. Shape it into small tikkis. Heat a non-stick pan and cook the tikkis on low-medium flame until crisp and golden on both sides. Serve hot with raw mango chutney. Enjoy!
Benefits of Leftover Rice
Leftover rice is considered healthy and nutritious. One of its biggest advantages is its resistant starch content. When rice is cooked, cooled, and then eaten later, a portion of its starch converts into resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion and supports gut health. This improves digestion, promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and can help regulate blood sugar levels. Leftover rice is also lower in calories compared to freshly cooked rice due to this starch transformation. Resistant starch may reduce calorie absorption, making leftover rice a healthier option for weight management. When reheated properly, it retains most of its nutrients, including essential minerals like magnesium and phosphorus. A study titled 'Effect of retrograded rice on weight control, gut function, and lipid concentrations in rats' found that retrograded or cooled rice has higher levels of resistant starch than freshly cooked rice, positively impacting weight control, lipid metabolism, and gut health. So, forget the usual main course dishes and try some interesting snacks made with leftover rice.
Benefits of Sooji (Semolina)
Semolina is made from durum wheat, the hard form of wheat. It has a coarse texture and is commonly used in dishes like upma, rava idli, and halwa. Nutritionally, semolina contains nearly 350-360 calories per 100 grams, with around 72 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat. It provides about 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams, along with minerals like iron and magnesium and B vitamins such as thiamine and niacin. A major benefit of sooji is its high carbohydrate content, making it an excellent source of energy. Semolina has a moderately low glycemic index, so it helps keep blood sugar levels stable compared to more refined flours.
