India is home to over 6,000 native varieties of rice, but what makes each one so unique? This guide breaks down 11 heritage rice varieties—and why it is important to preserve them—based on recommendations from Bio Basics along with tips to cook them.
As one of the most important kharif crops in India, rice is typically sown in anticipation of the south-west monsoon, somewhere between May and July. In 2026, however, sowing of rice fell by 8.65 percent as compared to the previous year, owing to a delayed monsoon. While the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has urged states to adopt district-wise contingency plans as the El Niño descends, the problem remains systemic, with farmers bearing the brunt of the climate phenomenon.
When confronted with effects of the climate crisis, heritage or heirloom varieties often tend to be the most resilient. These grains are native to a region, pollinated naturally, and cultivated for centuries without any artificial intervention. Researcher Afsar Jafri, in his book Politics of Seeds: Common Resource or a Private Property (2018), finds that out of more than 100,000 paddy varieties that existed in the pre-Independence era, only around 5,000 are still cultivated across India.
According to Sreedevi Lakshmi Kutty, the founder of Coimbatore-based Bio Basics, conserving and reviving these varieties is essential to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis. Bio Basics sources more than 60 native varieties of rice from their network of organic farmers and farmer collectives from across India. These include the aromatic Gandhasaale, sticky black rice like Karuppu Kavuni, and the hardy Mappilai Samba, to name a few.
These heirloom varieties of rice have adapted over centuries to local ecologies, and improve biodiversity and nutritional security. However, farming communities rarely have an economic incentive to grow them. The push for uniform, high-yielding hybrid varieties of rice in the 1960s, during the Green Revolution, resulted in an absence of a fair and sustainable market for heritage grains.
So, what can we, as conscious consumers, do to conserve these grains? Exploring what grows within one’s region, and eating with the season are often the first steps we can take. But facing so many different choices—of colour, size, or fragrance of the grain—can be confusing: Which variety works best as a pantry staple? How do you even cook sticky rice? Is there a standard water-to-rice ratio one should follow while cooking?
In an attempt to answer some of these questions, we’ve put together a simple, non-exhaustive guide breaking down various heritage rice varieties found across Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, based on recommendations from Bio Basics.
A note from ChefTZac before you cook
Check whether the rice is raw or parboiled, and unpolished or semi-polished. These describe how the grain has been processed, affecting how it cooks. For the boil-and-drain method, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the rinsed rice and a little salt, and cook uncovered at a steady, gentle boil. Keep the rice submerged, adding hot water if necessary. Taste a few grains to check whether they are cooked through: they should have no hard centre. Drain well, return to the warm saucepan, and leave covered, off the heat, for 5–10 minutes before serving. This is a useful introductory method, especially when you are unfamiliar with the rice variety and its water requirements. ‘Raw rice’ means rice processed without parboiling; it still needs cooking.
- Gandhasaale
Kerala and Karnataka
How to Cook: Rinse and cook the grains gently in a saucepan until they are tender, using the boil-and-drain method (explained above) for plain rice. For a first taste, serve simply with a little ghee and dal. Its fragrance also makes it a good choice for pulao, coconut-milk rice, and South Indian-style biryanis.
Gandhasaale or Gandhakasala is a fragrant rice variety grown across Wayanad in Kerala, the Malanad regions of Karnataka, and the Mysore plateau. The plant grows up to five feet tall, and its grain-bearing head is long and half-spread. Once harvested, the grains are aged for 4–5 months and then milled at regular intervals. Gandhasaale grains are small and plump, and exude a warm woodsy fragrance reminiscent of sandalwood.
- Gobindobhog
West Bengal
How to Cook: To make plain rice, rinse and cook the grains gently in a saucepan, checking the small ones regularly so they do not become softer than desired. Drain once tender and let them rest, covered, off the heat. Gobindobhog is used for Bengali polao, khichuri, and payesh. Separate grains are desirable for polao, while khichuri and payesh call for a softer texture.
The GI-tagged Gobindobhog is a fragrant, short-grained rice variety native to the Damodar River belt in West Bengal. Bio Basics sources Gobindobhog rice from a cooperative of farmers committed to organic cultivation, and a single farm in Bankura. The region’s alluvial soil, average annual rainfall of 1,400 mm, and traditional cultivation methods result in a rice with a fluffy, sticky texture when cooked.
- Javaphul
Chhattisgarh
How to Cook: Rinse the rice, then cook in a saucepan using the boil-and-drain method. Taste the grains as they soften, and drain once they are tender throughout. Using a saucepan allows you to check the texture as the grains cook. Serve as everyday rice with dal and vegetables, or use a suitable recipe to make pulao or biryani.
Javaphul is a traditional short-grained, aromatic rice variety grown by the Gond community in Chhattisgarh. While tribal communities in the region typically use this rice for special occasions, it is suitable for most Indian cooking.
Even though there has been a revival of Javaphul in the region, only a few farmers—such as the farmer collective in Dantewada district where Bio Basics sources their Javaphul from—continue to grow it, owing to its low-yielding nature. Moreover, the government will now procure common paddy at ₹2,441 per quintal in 2026–27, which is a ₹72 increase since the previous year. This expansion of policies around paddy procurement results in farmers going back to high-yielding rice varieties.
- Jeeraga Samba
Tamil Nadu
How to Cook: For plain rice, rinse and cook in a saucepan until the small grains are tender, then drain and rest briefly before gently fluffing. To make biryani or pulao, follow a recipe that specifically uses Jeeraga Samba: the quantity of cooking liquid depends on the other ingredients and whether the rice finishes cooking in the pot or during the ‘dum’ stage. Aim for soft, distinct grains.
Jeeraga Samba—characteristic of small, slender grains—is named after its resemblance to cumin seeds. Cultivated during the Samba season (August to January) along the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu, this rice variety is known to exude a delicate fragrance and absorb spices. Bio Basics sources their Jeeraga Samba from a small group of farmers in the Kaveri delta and a farmer collective in Pudukottai. The rice is aged for around four months after harvest, and then milled with only 10 to 15 percent bran, which makes it ideal for cooking biryani on special occasions. The grains remain separate yet soft when cooked correctly, giving a light mouthfeel despite being flavour-dense.
- Karuppu Kavuni
Tamil Nadu
How to Cook: Soak this unpolished black rice overnight before cooking. For its raw version, Bio Basics recommends using 4 cups of water per cup of rice, pressure-cooking for 4-5 whistles on high heat, followed by about 12 minutes on low heat. The cooked grains should be tender with a chewy, slightly sticky texture. Try the traditional kavuni arisi sweet with coconut and jaggery, or serve it savoury with vegetables and pulses. Bio Basics suggests a higher water range (4-5 cups) for its parboiled version.
Bio Basics sources this bold, long, and glutinous variety of black rice from a single farm in Mayiladuthurai, near the Kaveri delta basin, in Tamil Nadu. Karuppu Kavuni is grown during the Samba season, which begins around August and continues through to January. It requires a longer growing cycle period—around 155 to 170 days—compared to commercial white rice, allowing it to produce richer flavours and nutritional value once cooked. Rice flour attained from Karuppu Kavuni grains can be used to make traditional dishes like idiyappam, because of its chewy texture.
- Kattuyanam
Tamil Nadu
How to Cook: For the semi-polished, parboiled version, rinse and soak for about 2 hours, then cook in a saucepan using the boil-and-drain method. Check for a tender centre rather than expecting the grain to lose all its firmness. Serve with curries, or retain the cooking liquid and continue cooking for kanji. Fully unpolished Kattuyanam may need longer soaking and cooking times.
Kattuyanam is a red rice variety from Tamil Nadu. The paddy plants grow up to about 8–10 feet tall. ‘Kattuyanam’ literally translates to ‘wild elephant’ in Tamil, alluding to the history of wild elephants hiding behind the paddy plants. Traditionally, the rice was grown in the Kaveri delta during the Samba season, from August to January, depending on the north-east monsoon. Kattuyanam is a long-duration crop, requiring over 180 days of growing time.
- Kuruva
Kerala
How to Cook: Soak the parboiled rice for about 2 hours, drain, and cook in fresh water. For table rice, use the boil-and-drain method and cook until the grains open up and become tender. Drain and rest before serving with curries and vegetables. To prepare kanji, retain the cooking liquid and continue simmering until the rice is softer, adding hot water to reach the consistency you prefer.
An indigenous red rice variety from Kerala, Kuruva grains are small, round, and burgundy in colour. Bio Basics sources their Kuruva from Pavithra A. and Rinas Mundakkal, a young farmer couple in the Thrissur district, as well as from Akavayal, a seed conservation collective in Shornur, Palakkad.
“The main challenge with growing Kuruva is that it is a tall rice variety,” says Illias—a seed saver and conservationist—who has been growing Kuruva for 10 years. “The plants can grow up to around four feet in height. After flowering, they can easily bend or fall down, especially when the grains become heavier. Once the plants lodge or fall down, harvesting becomes more difficult and time-consuming.”
The rice is entirely harvested by hand, and then dried in the sun. Around 60 percent of the bran is retained during the milling process, which lends the rice its earthy and nutty flavour upon cooking, perfect for a rice porridge.
- Mappilai Samba
Tamil Nadu
How to Cook: Soak the unpolished, parboiled rice overnight. Cook in fresh water, either in a saucepan or a pressure cooker following the packet instructions, until the grains are tender throughout. Allow more time than you would for polished white rice. Serve with curries, or cook softer for kanji or pongal. For kanji, retain the cooking liquid; for pongal, use a recipe that accounts for cooking the rice and dal together.
Mappilai Samba, as the name suggests, is a Samba season rice, which means that it is harvested in January. This rare, hardy, red-hulled heritage grain is native to Tamil Nadu. After the 1960s, Mappilai Samba almost disappeared from our plates because of the agricultural policies—that favoured high-yielding, chemically dependent varieties of rice—during the Green Revolution. However, over the last 15 years, farmer groups have taken major efforts to revive it. Since it is unpolished with its bran intact, Mappilai Samba needs to be soaked overnight, and takes a little longer to cook than commercial white rice. Once soaked, it can be used to prepare kanji, or can be ground to make flour, typically used for making idiyappam, puttu, and kozhukattai.
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
How to Cook: Soak the unpolished raw rice for 2-3 hours before cooking. For table rice, cook in fresh water until tender, then drain any excess water. For kanji, retain the liquid and continue cooking until the grains are very soft and the porridge becomes starchy rather than watery. It can also be used in a vegetable-and-lentil khichdi, following a recipe suited to unpolished red rice.
Rakthashali gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Raktha’, meaning ‘blood’. It is a rare, unpolished red rice with distinctive reddish-brown husk and grains. It has a nutty, earthy aroma, and a slightly chewy texture. Rakthashali is typically cultivated in hilly regions of the Western Ghats that receive high rainfall, about 2,000-3,000 millimetres annually. Bio Basics sources theirs from Lenish and Jayakrishnan, two organic farmers in Kozhikode and Wayanad in Kerala respectively, and from a farmer group in Tamil Nadu.
- Kullan Thondi
Kerala
How to Cook: Soak the parboiled rice for 3-4 hours. Cook in fresh water using the boil-and-drain method, or pressure-cook. Check that the boiled grains are tender at the centre before draining. Serve as table rice with South Indian curries. To make kanji, retain the cooking liquid and cook the rice softer rather than aiming for separate grains.
Kullan Thondi is grown during the main season in Wayanad, Kerala, which typically begins in August and lasts until December. ‘Kullan’ translates to ‘dwarf’ in Malayalam, referring to the plant’s height. The shortness of the plant prevents it from lodging, making it easier for farmers to harvest the grains. “While it is a generally a carefree variety that can withstand the erratic weather,” says Rajesh, a farmer who has been growing Thondi for eight years, “it’s a long-duration variety—165 days—which means the time spent by farmers, from sowing to harvesting, adds to the cultivation cost.”
While the Thondi grains are bold, 60 percent of the bran is removed at the time of milling, making it ideal for daily consumption. The parboiled version can be eaten as a table rice, and the raw version can be used for making puttu podi.
- Tulaipanji
West Bengal
How to Cook: For the raw version, rinse and add to boiling water in a saucepan. Cook gently, checking for tenderness around the 20-minute mark, then drain any excess water and rest briefly before serving. Try it simply cooked with dal to appreciate its delicate fragrance, or use it in pulao, khichdi, payesh or kheer.
Tulaipanji gets its name from ‘tula’ which means ‘cotton’ in Bengali—a nod to its cotton-like fragrance and texture upon cooking. It is a GI-tagged variety grown organically in fields, once home to jute, in Rajganj in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. The soil here is low in moisture and fertility which lends the rice its unique aroma. It is also resistant to diseases and pests. While fragrant varieties of rice are typically only consumed raw, Tulaipanji can be eaten raw as well as par-boiled.
To read more about Bio Basics and their practices and efforts, check out our producer page here. This is a paid partnership with Bio Basics. We strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
Yashvi Shah is the Partnerships Copywriter at The Locavore. In her free time, she likes creating playlists for her friends, and going on runs.
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