Why Tohana Region’s Basmati Rice is Famous

Tohana in the Fatehabad district of Haryana has a rich history of producing premium-quality basmati rice. The 1121 authentic steam basmati rice is globally famous. Tohana region is renowned for its high-quality basmati rice because of fertile alluvial soil, mineral rich Himalayan natural water, and favourable climate.

But what contributes to its high quality and aroma? There are many key factors involved but before that, you must get a deep sneak peek into its history and founding fathers of the famous rice mills in Tohana.

History of Tohana Region

Tohana (now in Fatehabad, Haryana) is one of the most important regions in the state popularly known as the ‘City of Canals’. This area was once a semi-desert in ancient times but by using the irrigation source from the Bhakra Nangal Sub-branch Canal, this area has now thrived into an agricultural hub.

It is a significant city now and falls under the Municipal Council of Fatehabad district in Haryana. Tohana is not only known for its pure basmati rice but also for handicrafts, weaving, embroidery, etc.

Well, here we will discuss about the background of the Tohana region. You will come to know about the agricultural conditions that prevailed before 1954, and the improvements that took place after year 1954.

Before 1954: Agricultural Conditions in Tohana

There was water scarcity in the region.
It was a fertile region but still, the farmers were growing regional crops like bajra, jowar, chickpea, etc., that required less water. The region was dependent on rainfall as there was shortage of wells.
Only rainfall was the source of irrigation.
Farmers used wells for sowing the rice crops but that was not prevalent on a large scale.
There was no transportation, no electricity, and no tractors were used for farming.
No availability of groundwater boring technology to use the groundwater in the region.

After 1954: Changes in the Agricultural Conditions

The Bhakra Nangal Dam Project was completed and commissioned in 1963. This made water of the Bhakra Nangal Project available for irrigation, and other uses in various regions of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, etc.

The dam water was channelled in the canal form to reach the Tohana region. This great contribution was made by Rai Bahadur Kanwar Sen Gupta. He was the Chief Architect who belonged to Tohana region.

What happened after the channelling of water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam project?

It proved best for the Tohana region in various aspects.

Agricultural practices changed as the canal water made the alluvial soil of the region fertile.
This promoted the cultivation of the rice crop widely in this region.
The dedication and skills of the farmers helped them adapt to the new methods of rice crop cultivation.
Modern machines were used to make the groundwater available for rice crops.
Roads and railway conditions were improved in Tohana.
State government inaugurated the Mandi system. Many Mandi Boards were created to offer the best price for rice crops to farmers.
RCC flooring sheds were provided to farmers to keep their rice crops. These sheds protected crops from rainfall.
BOLI System (auctioning) was used for pricing farmers’ crops in the open Mandis (markets).

An Insight Into the Rajendra Rice and General Mills History

If you want to know why 1121 authentic steam basmati rice of the Tohana region is famous, you must know the background of Rajendra Rice and General Mills founders and their contribution towards manufacturing and selling premium quality 1121 basmati rice.

However, the foremost factors are the availability of high-quality rice paddy and good rice milling practices, which encouraged the maintenance of quality over quantity.

Now, let’s take you to 1739, the year when the legacy of sowing the best quality basmati rice was born. From the fertile plains of Lahore to the arid region of Punjab, the foundation of unparalleled commitment towards excellence was shown in rice cultivation.

Let’s dive deep into the history of Rajendra Rice and General Mills:

The year 1739 marks their humble beginning.
In 1868, their ancestors migrated to Umedgarh in Multan on the banks of river Ravi and made the barren land of the region fertile with their good cultivation practice.
However, the scenario changed when the 1947 partition led the family to settle in Tohana, Punjab (now Haryana) forwarding their family legacy of producing high-quality basmati rice using age-old practices.
In 1977, the founders started their own rice trading company when their knowledge about the rice varieties grew.
Their first rice mill was established in 1986 with the aim of selling best quality basmati rice to the customers.
By the year 1990, the business grew tremendously and new production line was established to achieve perfection with 1121 and other basmati rice varieties.
In 2000, the RR&GM adapted the advanced Japanese technology to produce the best quality basmati rice.
By the year 2022, a great achievement came in the form of running five different basmati rice varieties. Their two different plants has a production capacity of 350 metric tones a day and have six state-of-the-art production lines.

Presently, the Rajendra Rice and General Mills are expanding their products worldwide with the support they have received from their customers.

About the Founders

The foundation stone of selling premium-quality 1121 authentic basmati rice in the Tohana region was set-up by the Rajendra Rice and General Mills founder and visionary father, a philanthropist and religious person by nature, Sardar Avatar Singh Toor ji.

He was focused and serious about the quality of the rice crop and its production. When he started his business, the aim was to provide high-quality material to the customers. 1121 basmati rice quality improvement practices were given priority.

Along with Rajendra Rice and General Mills, there were various other rice mills based in the Tohana region such as Ashoka Rice Mill, Azad Rathi Rice Mill, Chaudhary Rice Mill, etc., who were the foremost players in the market. The primary focus of all these rice mills was on the quality production of rice and not quantity. This is because of the ethics inculcated in the regional mills by the founder of Rajendra Rice and General Mills, Sardar Avatar Singh Toor ji.

However, a few rice mills are not functional anymore but their motto of producing and providing high quality basmati rice to the buyers still prevails in the region.

Talking more about Sardar Avatar Singh Toor ji, he was not only focused on one religion but overlook the work of different religions in the area and participated in various religious functions and events. He contributed wholeheartedly towards social work by providing employment and economic betterment to the people in Tohana.

He had a crucial role in establishing Rajendra Rice and General Mills with a positive approach. He established this rice mill with his brother Sardar Hari Singh ji and also the commission’s agent firm.

Farming was also practiced at a large scale, and the mill was started in the name of his younger brother Late Sardar Rajendra Singh ji. He uplifted the Tohana Rice Mills Association and made the basmati from this region popular globally.

They were focused on honest dealing and quality production. They had 260+ years of cultivation experience, 38 years in rice milling, and 48 years in agricultural trading.

Afterwards, Sardar Tarsem Singh and Sardar Parminder Singh, his sons, carried his legacy forward. The consistency of rice quality was maintained throughout. The upliftment of the Tohana region was done by making its 1121 pure basmati rice world-renowned.

Why is 1121 Basmati Rice of Tohana Region Famous?

Basmati rice cultivation is primarily done in the Indo-Gangetic plains of Indian and Pakistan regions. A few Indian states that falls under this fertile region are J&K, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Western U.P., and a few parts of Bihar.

However, the pure basmati rice from the Tohana region is famous for a variety of reasons.

Good quality rice crops purchased from open Mandis.
Rice Milling practices made the mills focus more on quality production over quantity.
Buyers prefer buying authentic basmati rice from Tohana because of its purity and aroma. The customers visit Tohana after analyzing the rice quality in various other parts of India and Pakistan.
The Rice Mills machines’ structural design and mechanism favour the high-quality manufacturing of basmati rice, and that’s best in Tohana. However, rice millers keep the techniques highly confidential to maintain their specialty.
Most rice mills use the ‘slow stone polisher technique’. It is an old technique used in India for separating the rice bran from the rice. This is also stated to be good but can be time-consuming.
Rice Mill owners keep the profit secondary, as they are focused only on providing premium-quality basmati rice.
Along with the availability of groundwater as well as the river water for rice cultivation, there is also well-knit transportation connectivity from Tohana to PAN India and the major ports. There is full-fledged railway connectivity from Tohana region to other parts of India.

Sneak Peek Into the Cooking and Purity of 1121 Authentic Basmati Rice

Tohana is a rich historical city with a glorious past. However, the present-day Tohana in Haryana’s Fatehabad district boasts high quality basmati rice, good transportation facilities, canal and groundwater availability, rice miller’s associations, mandi systems, and an auction system for buying the best rice paddy.

Moreover, the contribution of visionaries has helped Tohana region’s basmati rice to become popular globally and appreciated for its purity.

How can you judge the purity of the basmati rice? What you need to check in cooking of the 1121 authentic basmati rice?

We will walk you step-by-step through the cooking method and how millers check the purity of basmati rice.

Cooking of 1121 Pure Basmati Rice

The lab test method for 1121 is rigorously followed and this cooking method is for steam basmati rice. Here, the raw rice used are properly aged up to 6 months, as aging is a significant factor that adds aroma, flavour, and sweet scent to basmati rice.

Moreover, processed rice taken for cooking must be 2-3 months aged, so that they increase in size and not look mushy or sticky when cooked.

Let us now walk you through the cooking steps we follow for quality check:

Step-1: Soaking of Rice

The rice must be placed in a water bowl until submerged and kept for 40-45 minutes for soaking. This water must be lukewarm, and rice must be washed thoroughly. This will extract extra starch and other foreign materials.

Step-2: Boil the Rice

Take water in a container in the required quantity and boil it nicely on a high flame. The soaked rice must be drained before putting them in boiling water. You can set the timer for 1121 authentic basmati steam rice for 8 to 8.5 minutes until perfectly cooked. Do check it after 7 minutes.

Step-3: Testing the Rice Quality

Firstly, drain the rest of water, and take the black colour matte plate to place the rice slowly. Take only 100 gms of rice to check the standard of cooking and other quality parameters.

Purity Check of 1121 Authentic Basmati Rice

We need to check the semi-cooked grains, curled grains, uncooked grains, burst grains, and broken grains. Also check for rings and elongation of rice.

The elongation of grain must be 17.5 mm to 18mm on average.
Uncooked grain must be below 5%.
Semi-cooked grains must be below 12%.
Curl grains must be below 7%.
Burst grains must be below 5%.
The broken grains must be below 2%.
The fragrance of rice must be sweet that of typical basmati rice.
There must be ringers on these cooked 1121 basmati rice.

Well, every mill follows this standard procedure for purity checks. It is difficult to achieve these parameters and a good experience is required for this procedure.

There are lot of processes and steps involved to get the premium quality basmati rice from the bran. From raw state to the final process, it takes almost 50 hours for producing the best quality 1121 authentic basmati rice. This process is carried out with high precision and proper expertise to maintain the purity and authenticity.

Note: If the percentage of the parameters above is higher, it means they are low-quality basmati rice.

Factors to Consider When Doing Purity Check and Cooking of 1121 Authentic Basmati Rice

1. Check the Raw Material

Prolific rice mills in Tohana only source good quality rice crops, and not low or medium-quality ones.

2. Water Availability

The availability of groundwater, canal water, and natural mineral rich river water helps in the rice milling process. The mineral-rich water is used for maintaining the world-class quality of the basmati rice. The water can be used in boiled and steam forms. For testing steam and par-boil rice quality, these water types are necessary.

3. Skilled and Experienced Staff

They play a crucial role as skilled employees can identify good-quality rice paddy from the mandi. Basmati rice goes through rigorous processing techniques, so staff must be highly experienced. The process can be 2-3 days long. Operation and cooking techniques are watched over. Rajendra Rice and General Mills has a team of highly experienced purchasers, milling foremen, and managers. These employees have a minimum of 15+ years of experience.

4. Scale of Industry

If it’s a large-scale industry, then quality maintenance cannot be done, as purity standards are hard to maintain. Moreover, small-scale industries may not afford the machinery and staff to maintain the purity standards. Only medium-scale industries can maintain the purity of basmati rice as their production capacity lies around 300-400 metric tons.

5. Effect of Trends of Particular Region

Rice Millers’ Associations and their rice production trends are also taken under consideration. Few regions focus on quantity, and ones like Tohana are more focused on quality. The rice millers’ production style and mindset also affect basmati rice quality.

6. Use of Traditional Machinery

Traditional machinery slowly processes the rice but the outcome is high-quality rice grain. Custom-designed machines are used to produce the best quality basmati rice.

For example-Stone polishing technique is used to separate rice grain. This equipment is known as a cone polisher. It uses a revolving cylindrical stone that produces friction. It rubs against the rice bran and removes the outer brown layer, and the result is the refined rice grain. Most renowned millers follow this process to get best quality rice grains.

Final Thoughts

Only a few regions in India and Pakistan can produce premium quality basmati rice because of the availability of fertile soil, natural barrier of the wind, water resources, and the climatic conditions.

However, if you want to purchase premium-quality 1121 authentic basmati rice then visit the Tohana region. You can talk to the experts at Rajendra Rice and General Mills who are taking care of their 260-year-old legacy, and provides the best quality 1121 authentic steam basmati rice to buyers.

Call them today to get a fair pricing quote!