Mamidikaya Pulihora Recipe | Mavinakayi Chitranna Recipe
"How many variations of rice can you possibly make every day of the week? Seriously it gets so boring and mundane" -  was what a friend of mine told me, eons ago. I readily agreed. I was no cook then and had really no interest in cooking. In the dining room? Yes. Kitchen - Absolutely no.  If someone told me that today, I would have laughed - not so politely - in their face. In  the last few years of my cooking expedition, one thing I have realized is that Rice has varieties galore. Or as a matter of fact - (vegetarian) food in general.
Mamidikaya Pulihora Recipe | Mavinakayi Chitranna Recipe
Quick variety rice is a commonplace in a South Indian's kitchen. These are opted for when there are leftover rice/ when you are short on time / during festivals. They are simple to make without any complicated ingredients or methods.  Temper, mix and serve and lunch is ready. I spotted some beautiful green mangoes during my last visit to the local Indian store. This is one of the dishes I made using some leftover rice.
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 2 people
Ingredients
  • 3 cups medium grain rice, cooked(leftover rice works great)
  • 1-2 cups Green Mango, grated (see Tips)
  • 1-2 Green Chillies, sliced  (or as per taste)
  • 1-2 Dried Red Chilli
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil (optional)
  • 2 tbsp Cashews
  • 2 tbsp Peanuts
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tbsp Bengal Gram (channa dal)
  • 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 2 tsp Split Black gram (Urad Dal)
  • 1/2-1 cup fresh Coconut, grated - optional (see Tips)
  • Salt to taste
  • Curry leaves and Cilantro sprigs to garnish
Tips
1.Green Mango : The tangiest of Mangoes works best for this rice. Use 1 cup if your mango is very tangy or 2 cups if less. I used one large mango which weighed about 400 grams.

2. Coconut: Frozen coconut works too, but fresh is recommended. I tend to use Coconut if making the Karnataka version of this rice namely Mavinakayi Chitranna. While making the Andhra version - Mamidikaya Pulihora, I tend to skip it although it doesn't really matter. You can add coconut for additional flavor or leave it out esp. if you are concerned with cholesterol or other health issues. For today's post, I have not used coconut.
Method
1. Soak the Channa Dal (Bengal Gram) in warm water for 20-30 minutes.
2. Peel the mangoes.
3. Grate it to make the required amount.
4. In a hot pan, add the sesame oil and another 1 tsp Ghee. You can skip using sesame and use only Ghee or vegetable oil (or a mix of both).  Then add mustard seeds along with red chilli (and green chilli - I have skipped it since we don't prefer too much heat in our food).
5. Now add the lentils (Bengal gram after draining and Urad dal)  along with fenugreek seeds.
6. Add the peanuts and cashews next. Roast them for 1-2 minutes in medium heat.
7. Then add the salt and turmeric. Give a good toss.
8. And last add the Grated Mango along with turmeric.
9. Give it a good mix until well combined. You don't really need to cook the mangoes.
10. Add the cooked rice
11. and gently mix until combined.
Serve garnished with cilantro.

Variation 1: To make Mavinakayi Chitranna:
When making the Karnataka version, instead of grating the mango, simply chop them into small pieces and grind it along with coconut, green chillies and 1/2 tsp of mustard (use the remaining 1/2 for tempering) seeds into a paste. Make sure to add water only if necessary.  Follow the steps from 4 to 7 and then add the paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the rice to it. Serve hot garnished with cilantro and curry leaves.
Variation 2: To make Mavinakayi Chitranna (2):
You can do half and half of both the Andhra and Karnataka methods. That is, grind half the mango into paste (and grating the remaining half) and repeat the procedure mentioned above but then adding the grated mango just before adding the rice.
Mamidikaya Pulihora Recipe | Mavinakayi Chitranna Recipe

Recipe Reference

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2 Member Reviews

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By Julian on May 19, 2012

I pretty much followed the recipe and the instructions. I omitted the coconut, and didn't have the curry leaves. The mangoes are not as tarty as the ones in India, so next time will remember to use more. It came out wonderfully, was fragrant, and was extremely tasty and well loved by the family. This is going to be a regular dish in our home.

Thank you!!

By Nazia on Apr 30, 2012

I tried this rice recipe for lunch, to go along with fish curry. It turned out to be so flavorful and delicious!

18 Comments

By vishalli prathaban on Jul 14, 2014

super explanations with photos...happy to see this..thanks Today for dinner Mango rice only.

By Viji on Jun 29, 2014

I prepared Mango rice today for dinner, it tasted awesome. Thanks for posting such a mouthwatering recipe.

By madhu on Jun 2, 2013

I really loved it, it was too yummyyy..!!! :-P

By madhu on Jun 2, 2013

I really loved it, it was too yummyyy...!!! :-P

By Priya on Jan 25, 2013

Dear DK I am a huge fan of your blog and love your descriptive recipes. The focus on healthy eating is also comemndable. Warm wishes for a wonderful 2013 Priya from Sydney

By vandana mohan on Dec 5, 2012

really it was yummy it made my sunday special :-D

By Vanitha on Nov 21, 2012

I follow your recipe all the time except I use Rice Sevai instead of regular rice. Thanks

By shabnam arora on Aug 5, 2012

I made it, & really my all family members like its taste very much, thank u chef

By Suprabha on Jun 13, 2012

:-P .very nice... i tried this at home. and got very good responce. thanku chef........

By beena on May 7, 2012

wow! wonderful!

By ashishtrivedi on Apr 25, 2012

:-P wow wow wow thanx awesome dish

By Kaizurina on Apr 23, 2012

qiuck and easy recipe and looks delicious. raw mangoes always give a splendid effect to food--will try it soon since raw magoes are around these days. thanks for sharing the recipe:) :)

By Ramani Hariharan on Apr 21, 2012

It looks yummy..... I will make it... I love mangoes... thanks for this post. :-)

By Shoba Shrinivasan on Apr 17, 2012

Lovely clicks as usual especially the one of hte mangoes that have been just washed. I also mke it the same way, only I dont add fenugreek! Shobha

By Priya on Apr 17, 2012

I dont mind inviting myself to ur place to enjoy this wonderful rice, drooling here..

By sanjay jain on Apr 16, 2012

good to see and sunday lunch

By sreebindu on Apr 16, 2012

yummy and super delicious =) can have any time of the day totally love mango pulihora =)

By Kavita on Apr 15, 2012

How did you know I was looking for a recipe of this exact dish?!! And that I searched your website and was disappointed just a couple of days ago! And was just about to make it with another recipe found online when... your recipe popped up in my mail!