Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Mavinakayi Chitranna | Raw Mango Rice

Kannadigas(People who belong to Karnataka, India) need no introduction for mavinakayi chitranna. What hurts me is the absence of a restaurant in North Bangalore to portray “Authentic Karnataka Food”. There are food joints that portray North Karnataka delicacies, where one can get jowar roti meals. Also Udupi Restaurants & Sagars, that caters to a small extent of Karnataka delicacies (like bisibelebhath, Mangalore Bonda). What is missing in the international IT parks of Bangalore is a restaurant that serves authentic Karnataka food like, mavinakayi chitranna(raw mango rice), obbattu (sweet indian bread or puran poli), sabsige soppina bassaru (Dill leaves rasam), vangibhath(spiced eggplant rice), mudde (finger millet balls), various payasa (puddings or kheer), akki rotti, ragi rotti(rice bread & finger millet bread), hayagreeva(sweet dish made using chickpeas), different kinds of tambli (yogurt curries), pathrode, halubayi (rice or finger millet sweet dish) & the list grows. I become void, when my friends from other Indian States (sometimes from other countries too) ask me for a restaurant close-by to taste Karnataka delicacies.

Though there are few restaurants in Southern Bangalore serving Karnataka food; they all are very far from the industrial park or IT hub. Even then, I suggest my friends to visit these food joints on a weekend to enjoy the actual Kannadiga food. It would be nice to see people from other countries, other Indian states enjoying authentic Karnataka food. I’m taking the names of some of them here for readers benefit. MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room), Halli Mane (in Malleshwaram, famous for akki rotti, pathrode etc), Halli Thindi (in Bull Temple Road, famous for Manglorean dishes & also for varieties of payasams, halubayi). [Please note: I am neither advertising them, nor getting paid from them. The sole purpose is to spread the delicacies of Karnataka to the entire world]. I hope that next time when I visit Bangalore, I get to know more food joints that portray Karnataka delicacies :)

Coming to mavinayakayi chitranna recipe. The normal preparation includes preparing the raw mango chutney & rice separately, followed by mixing rice & chutney together, after rice is completely cool. Finally, the mixed rice is tempered with curry leaves, groundnut etc & served at room temperature. I have skipped the chutney preparation here & made the recipe quite simple, yet tastier.

Ingredients:
Rice: 3 cups (ponni or sona masoori rice preferred)
Raw Mango: 1 medium sized
Grated coconut: 1/4th cup
Green chilli: 3-4
Coriander Leaves/Cliantro: 2 strands (for garnishing)
For tempering:
Cooking Oil: 2tbsp
Mustard Seeds: 1tsp
Urad dal: 1tbsp
Channa Dal/Chickpeas: 1tsp (optional)
Ground Nuts: 1tbsp
Turmeric: 1 pinch
Asafetida: 1 pinch
Curry leaves: 8-10 nos
Green chilli:3-4nos (finely chopped)

Method:
  • Wash the rice in the running water 2-3 times
  • Add 6 cups of water to rice (note 1:2 ratio, 1-cup rice : 2 cups water) & pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the rice to cool completely.
  • Meantime, wash the mango & grate it.
  • Heat oil in a medium sized pan, add oil to it. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal, channa dal & fry till dal turns golden brown. Add green chillies, curry leaves & sauté for 20secs. Then add groundnuts & roast till they turn golden brown.
  • Add the grated mango & sauté it for 10-20secs only (as mango gets cooked really fast, keep this as less as possible). Remove the pan from flame & add turmeric & asafoetida.
  • Spread the rice on a large bowl or plate. Pour this tempering prepared on the rice, add salt, grated coconut & coriander leaves.
  • Mix them thoroughly & gently. Ensure no rice lumps are formed.
  • Serve it at room temperature with kosambari(salad), papad/ pickle/raitha or just as is.
Note:
  • Ensure to cool the rice before mixing the rice with tempering. Rice breaks easily when it is hot & the whole dish becomes sticky.
  • To reduce the cooling time of rice, gently spread the rice on a broad bowl or a big plate.
  • The raw mango rice tastes great at room temperature.
  • Check the sourness of the raw mango. Indian small raw mangoes would be very sour. When using them, add a little less than 1 mango for the above mentioned rice.

23 comments:

  1. That's true! They either serve Jolad oota or ragi mudde, not the commom dishes like Chitranna, Obbattu etc. I bet they can make lot of money if they serve Obbattu in the restaurants!

    Chitranna looks yum. I made Hulianna for Ugadi, will post tomorrow! :)

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  2. yummy yumm Chitranna. Nam maneli yavaglu ondu kai mele kalisida annagalige :D

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  3. @Ashakka,
    very true, they can mint money by serving authentic Karnataka dishes (atleast in Bangalore, he he he).
    Thanks a lot for your wonderful comments. Waiting to see hulianna recipe.

    @LG,
    same pinch Lakshmi, same is the story at my home too :)

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  4. Hi Sushma U can find Arbi in Mustafa or any vegetable shop in little India... thanks for the comments... :)

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  5. This ric elooks yum. Never made it before. We were in bangalore for some time and will be returning there for sure. The places you recommended will be useful when we are back.

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  6. Looks delicious, amongst all the names I recognize one that I have been to,Mavalli tiffin room, I have enjoyed every visit of mine to that place!

    I will check out the other restaurants you mention when I visit B'lore the next time :-)

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  7. Haa Sushma,neevu yella thindi mathe restaurants hesaru heli nanna bayalli neeru surisuthidhira..Yeshtu miss aguthayide. Nija simple authentic dishes sigodilla..mavinkayi chitranna namma fav..yummm

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  8. hi sushma,
    there's one more nice restaurant that has come up in Malleshwaram that serves authentic karnataka food its called 'Raasa'this one is near sampige theatre close to Basil restaurant. Hmmm...I love the food they serve at the places u've mentioned.I miss karnataka food here in Chennai badly :(
    Your mavinkai chitranna looks great. I've tried one of ur tambli is turned out superb, will post it soon :) I adore ur simple n tsty recipes. keep going! good job!
    TC

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  9. Such a comfort food..Mavinakayi chitranna tastes great!

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  10. Mavinakayi is my fave. And any kind of chitrana brings back school carrier memories :)

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  11. Hi,
    mavinkai chitranna.. my mouth is watering just seeing the snap.Sad i love karnataka dishes a lot--but my hubby doesnot like them..so rarely i indulge in them.
    Very true eaters shd cater to more such authentic Karnataka food .

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  12. H! Nice blog here! Went through a couple of good recipes here, and like it!
    I'm a new one in food blogs, and i blog here - sumscuisine.blospot.com

    BTW, i suppose the locations of halli tindi and halli mane are interchanged in this post :)

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  13. today morning my MIL was saying Ramanavamige mavinakayi chitranna madabeeku market ninda mavina kaayi tartinintha :) your looks yumm

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  14. @Anisheetu,
    Thanks a lot for the information.

    @Smitha,
    Do visit & enjoy Karnataka food :)

    @Shama,
    Thank you

    @Usha,
    MTR is a very nice place to enjoy Karnataka food, but there will always be a long queue to get seated there :(
    Else, food is yummilicious...

    @Ashwini,
    Thanks for your wonderful comments. Nanagoo idella baribekadre tumba hotte uritha ittu :p

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  15. i love the imaginary tangy taste that automatically makes people to salivate when they hear or utter raw mango,and this rice sounds yumm :-)

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  16. Looks so gud...simple and nice...

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  17. Sushma ,even i am from bangalore..Even i Love the food in the restaurants you mentioned...I really miss all that in mumbai.I am also a big fan of this rice.Recently i have also posted maavinkaay chitranna in my blog.plz chk it out..
    http://thechefandherkitchen.blogspot.com/

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  18. @Suparna,
    Thanks a lot for those lovely comments.Kindly give me your blog address. I am happy that you liked the tambli.

    @Pavithra,
    Thanks a lot dear.

    @A_and_N,
    very true, school days lunch boxes used to be all kinds of chitranna.

    @Sharada,
    Prepare for youself & enjoy eating :) Thanks a lot for your comments.

    @Sum,
    Is it? let me check. I'll update my blog immediately. Thanks a lot for the observation & also for informing me.

    @Priti,
    thanks a lot dear

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  19. @Prathibha,
    You have a very nice space.
    Welcome to bloggers world, have fun blogging.
    Thanks for your lovely comments, keep coming

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow yummy chitranna....i prepared it today..nnage sakat ista aithu..thank u :)

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  21. @Manjula Sadar,
    I'm happy that you tried this recipe & also happy for your appreciation. Thanks to you for letting me know the outcome.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Appreciate this post. Let me try it out.

    Also visit my blog :: diet plans

    ReplyDelete

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