Weda heenati is one of Sri Lanka's traditional rice varieties, packed by Bowatte in Kandy. It is a medium-grain red rice: the grains keep their reddish bran layer, which gives a nutty taste and a firmer bite than white rice. The maker notes that it contains protein and vitamin E, and that it is best eaten with its bran.
How it is cooked
Rinse the rice, then simmer it in plenty of water until tender. Red rice with its bran takes longer than white rice, and soaking it for an hour or two first shortens the cooking time. It is served with curries, or cooked into kanda (rice porridge) with coconut milk.
In the pack
One 500g pack of raw rice.
Storage
Keep in a closed container in a cool, dry place, away from insects and damp.
Bowatte Beheth Shalawa is an Ayurvedic family business in Kandy, founded in 1914 by the Ayurvedic physician Dr H. B. Bowatte.
