Sour rice
Sour rice is popularly known as poita bhat in Assam, panta bhat in Bengal, and pokhalo in Odisha, and is generally consumed during lunch and breakfast [11], [15]. The principal raw ingredients are rice and water. Sometimes dahi (Indian yogurt), salt, spices, and leafy vegetables are also added to increase taste. The cooked rice is cooled down to room temperature and adequate water is added to it. This watery rice is allowed to ferment overnight at room temperature. The fermented rice with water is consumed along with cooked vegetables/other ingredients [15].
The fermentation is associated with LAB like Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Pediococcus acidilactici, S. faecalis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Microbacterium flavum, and Saccharomyces sp. The fermentation process is known to increase the amounts of vitamin B complex, and vitamin K. About 100 g of sour rice contains 73.91 mg iron, 303 mg sodium, 839 mg potassium, and 850 mg calcium [66].
Fermented sour rice is a high energy rich, body rehydrating food. It controls bowel movement as well as fiber release in the stool, and prevents constipation. The fermented rice restores healthy intestinal flora and can prevent gastrointestinal ailments like duodenal ulcers, infectious ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, candida infection, etc. [66], [67].