You know that Kerala Matta Rice is somewhat similar to Sri Lankan Red Rice?

I recently found that the Kerala Matta rice is pretty similar to Sri Lankan variety of Red Rice. Specially if you are in this part of the world (North America), its pretty hard and expensive to find the Sri Lankan red rice unless you have an Indian grocery store close by with a big Sri Lankan section. After moving from Austin, Texas to College Station, I found that its not easy to get the red rice I used to eat anymore. Luckily, one of Indian store in town "Bryan Mini Mart" got the Rose Matta which is pretty similar in-taste to samba red rice. There's couple of different versions of Matta, "Rose Matta" and "Kerala Kuthari Matta" which I think very similar in-taste and in pinkish color.

Matta rice and kerala red rice are same. Brown rice is unmilled, has only the husk removed, and retains 100% of the bran. Red rice is semi-milled, with the husk and some of the bran removed. White rice is milled and polished to remove the husk and all the bran. Unlike white rices, brown/red rices are high in fibre, have a wonderful array of nutrients, and possess properties that help control blood lipids, and blood sugar levels. 

Similar to brown rice, red rice has undergone minimal processing, still has its bran layers and takes 45-50 minutes to cook. Brown and red rice are somewhat chewy, fiber-rich and chock-full of B vitamins— thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Red rice also has a nutty flavor, but many find it more savory than brown rice.

The caloric density for red rice is similar to that of brown rice, so one-third cup has about 80 calories. Whether your rice is brown, red or white, one-third cup counts as one diabetic exchange—the amount of a particular food that contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate such as 5 crackers, a slice of bread or 3 cups of salad greens. But high-fiber, high-carbohydrate foods like brown and red rice have been shown to improve blood lipids, blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (Hemoglobin A1C), a longer-term measure of blood sugar control. Both have more to offer than their white rice counterpart.