Kerala rice varieties: matta, jeerakasala, ponni and more

By the Cochimart Kitchen Desk · Published 20 October 2026

How Kerala sorts its rice

Rice (ari, അരി) is the base of most Kerala meals, and households tend to be particular about which kind they use. Two words help before you look at variety names:

• Puzhukkalari (പുഴുക്കലരി) is parboiled rice: the paddy is soaked and steamed before milling. Matta, the everyday red rice of Kerala, is parboiled, which is one reason its grains look tinted rather than bright white.
• Pachari (പച്ചരി) is raw rice, milled without parboiling. It is white and softer.

Grain size, colour and aroma then separate the varieties. Several Kerala rices are protected by geographical indication (GI) tags, which link a product name to the region where it is traditionally grown. For a wider list of grain, pulse and flour names, see our rice, pulses and flours names list.

Quick comparison

Palakkadan matta (കേരള മട്ട): the everyday red rice

Matta is the rice most people mean when they say "Kerala rice". It is also sold as Kerala matta, rose matta, or kuthari (കുത്തരി). The name Palakkadan matta refers to rice from Palakkad district, where it grows in heavy black soil in paddy fields known locally as poonthalpadam. These clay- and silt-rich fields hold water well, and the soil is credited with the rice's earthy flavour. Matta is also grown in coastal Karnataka, where it is called kaje rice, and in northern Sri Lanka.

What to recognise:

• Bold, coarse grains with a red outer layer (the bran, or pericarp).
• A yellowish pink tint from parboiling, which the grain keeps after cooking.
• Longer cooking time than polished white rice, as with other parboiled and red rices.

Matta is eaten as plain rice with curries and is used for idli, appam and rice snacks such as kondattam and murukku. Palakkadan matta is registered as a geographical indication.

Jeerakasala and gandhakasala: the scented rices of Wayanad

Wayanad, in the hills of north Kerala, grows two traditional aromatic rices. Both have been identified as able to compete with better-known scented rices such as basmati and jasmine rice.

Wayanad jeerakasala

Jeerakasala is a non-basmati, medium-grained aromatic rice with a golden yellow colour. Jeerakam means cumin in Malayalam, and the small grains resemble cumin seeds in look and aroma. It is grown in the Nancha (kharif, or monsoon) season, traditionally by communities including the Kurichya, Kuruma and Wayanad Chetty farmers. The cool valley floors of Wayanad suit it.

This is the classic rice for ghee rice (neichoru), a dish closely tied to the Mappila cooking of Malabar. It is also used for payasam (a sweet milk pudding), puttu and rice flakes (aval). Wayanad jeerakasala received its GI tag in 2010.

Wayanad gandhakasala

Gandhakasala is the second Wayanad scented rice. Its aroma is often likened to sandalwood. It is grown mostly by tribal farming communities around Panamaram, Sultan Bathery and Mananthavady, on a larger area than jeerakasala.

Njavara: Palakkad's traditional rice

Njavara (also spelled navara) is a traditional rice that originated in Palakkad district and is regarded as native to the area. It has GI status. Njavara is often powdered and mixed with milk to be taken as a cereal, and it has a ceremonial role in some temples. It is a specialty rice rather than an everyday one, so check the label carefully for the name.

Pokkali and kaipad: rice from salty wetlands

Pokkali is a salt-tolerant rice grown in the waterlogged coastal fields of Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. The system alternates with the tides: rice is grown from June to early November, when the water is least salty, and prawn farming takes over from mid-November to mid-April. The tall plants, which reach 130 to 140 cm, bend over as they mature, and only the grain heads are harvested. The rice is organically grown, has large grains, and carries a GI tag.

Kaipad rice comes from a similar system in the brackish coastal marshes of northern Kerala, where rice farming and aquaculture are combined. It is also on the GI register.

Ponni: common in Kerala kitchens, but not from Kerala

Ponni is widely eaten in south India, but it is a Tamil Nadu rice. It was developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in 1986 and is grown mainly along the Kaveri river, which Tamil literature also calls Ponni. TNAU lists White Ponni among the medium-duration paddy varieties of the state.

Ponni is a white, medium grain, softer and less coarse than matta. It is sold both as raw rice and as boiled (parboiled) rice, so check the label for the type you want. Ponni does not match matta in colour or texture, so if a meal calls for red Kerala rice, look for matta by name.

Reading rice labels outside Kerala

For readers shopping in the Gulf or further away, the same rice can appear under several names. Matta may be labelled Kerala matta, rose matta, red matta or kuthari, and parboiled rice is often simply called boiled rice. A GI name such as Palakkadan Matta, Wayanad Jeerakasala or Pokkali refers to rice from that specific region, while a general word like "matta" describes the type of grain. When in doubt, compare what you see with the grain descriptions above: red and bold for matta, small and golden for jeerakasala, white and medium for ponni.

Choosing and storing rice

• Match the rice to the dish. Matta for everyday red rice, jeerakasala for ghee rice and payasam, pachari where a white raw rice is wanted.
• Read the label. Look for the variety name, whether the rice is raw or parboiled, and the GI name where one applies, such as "Palakkadan Matta" or "Wayanad Jeerakasala".
• Check the grain. Grains should look whole and dry, without dust, insects, webbing or a musty smell.
• Store it dry. Keep rice in a clean, airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from damp. Discard rice that smells mouldy or shows insects.

Paddy in Kerala follows the monsoon seasons, so supply of traditional rices can vary through the year. Our seasonal produce calendar covers what is fresh each month, and the bilingual grocery list maker lets you write "matta rice" and "മട്ട അരി" side by side. If you are building a Kerala pantry, our guide to Kerala banana varieties and guide to storing spices cover the next items on the list.

Sources and useful links

• TNAU Agritech Portal: Paddy varieties of Tamil Nadu
• Wikipedia: Matta rice
• Wikipedia: Wayanad Jeerakasala rice
• Wikipedia: Pokkali rice
• Wikipedia: Ponni rice

Frequently asked questions