Review And Giveaway: Mahatma Rice

As a member of BzzAgent, I was able to participate in the Mahatma Rice campaign.


I remembered Mahatma rice from living in other parts of the country, but didn't realize it wasn't available here in the Pacific NW until recently. (I buy my rice in bulk at Costco mostly these days) Mahatma is actually the new name of S&W Rice. I was sent two packages to try out: the Brown Rice, and the Extra Long Grain Rice.

I enjoyed both, and have bought several other packages of the Brown since I first received my kit. Most Mahatma rice is grown in the US and is Kosher approved - nearly 85% of the rice consumed in the US is grown by farmers in the states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas (whoo hoo!). I like having food products that are from here. The Mahatma Thai Jasmine Rice and the Mahatma Aged Authentic Basmati rice are imported though.

A lot of people think that rice is difficult to cook, but if you get yourself a decent rice cooker (mine was under $15 at Target), it opens up SO MANY possibilities! It's so easy! I don't even buy rice mix side dishes any more unless they are free, because I've learned how to make my own using the rice cooker. It's also easy to make a large batch, then add the extras into dishes the next night. (I make homemade fried rice all the time this way, and it's done in minutes without all the extra sodium you find at restaurants) You don't have to buy a big, bulky rice maker either - I have this small 6 cup one that also allows me to steam veggies while the rice is cooking!

If you visit the Mahatma site, they have a ton of great recipes that are easily made. If you're looking for one of my tested recipes, try using their rice in my Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole.


The Mahatma brown rice is a little more expensive than the Extra Long Grain Rice, and a little harder to find. I finally tracked it down for my local folks at Safeway, where it is on sale this week for $2.64 (regular retail looks to be $2.89) for a 28 oz bag. The Extra Long Grain rice can be found at both Safeway and Albertsons for $2.89 for a 2 lb bag. (As of this posting, I haven't been able to find it at any of the local Fred Meyer stores) Watch for it to go on sale, and buy several bags - but do be aware, that brown rice goes rancid much faster than white. Only purchase for your food storage and pantry a supply that you will use in about 2 months of recipes at the most. The white and extra long grain, if stored properly can be good easily for a year or more. (To get around brown rice goes rancid quickly, you can store it in the freezer, but only for a few months longer)

Tip: If you are having a hard time getting your family to enjoy brown rice without a bunch of sauces, try replacing 1/3rd of your recipes using brown rice, and the rest with white or extra long grain, then mixing it well before cooking.

It's also easy to stretch a lot of meat recipes with a cup of rice. Consider making tacos with 1/2 ground meat, and 1/2 cooked rice!

Don't forget to join The Riceipe Club for online coupons, special offers and other Mahatma updates!

Win it! BzzAgent sent me several coupons for free Mahatma rice products to hand out as part of my participating in this campaign, and I've set one aside to share with my readers! You'll be receiving two coupons actually - one to try the Mahatma brown variety, and one to try the extra long grain variety. To enter, tell me if you have tried their rice before, and what dishes you like to make using rice! Easy peasy! :)

As always, if you have completed the first entry above, you can also receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or include @psychotichouse)

That's up to four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends April 3rd, 2010 at 11:59 PST. US Only, sorry. :( Please leave your email address in your comment, or have it available in your profile so I can contact you if you've won. Winners drawn via Random.org.

Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and was sent the product mentioned above so I could share my opinions with folks I talk to. BzzAgent is not fulfilling this prize, I will be, and one reader will win the prize stated above.