For most people, obbattu marks the high point of Ugadi, but allow me to strike a seriously contrarian note: It’s the mavinakayi chitranna that really gives the Kannada New Year the eating edge.
I mean, you can pick up a packet of holige, and pretty decent holige at that, all year round from Nalpak or from Kamat Lokaruchi. But ever seen any restaurant in any city serve you good mavinakayi chitranna?
Tomato rice, our bhattaru are masters at, and masters they will be because the stuff is so darned cheap these days that the Corporation authorities are encouraging tomato farmers to crush them on the road so that the potholes remain hidden till monsoon.
Ditto, coconut rice.
But, this is the point, most of the “rice items” our restaurants serve these are characterless, assembly line productions, which any Ramya, Rita or Rehana can make.
Puliyogre, you can get any time because of MTR.
Likewise, BBB.
But mavinakayi chitranna is, as intellectuals like Prithvi would posit, is “predicated” on the availability of mavinakayi, and that my dears is thankfully not so across the country or across the year.
Id est, it is namma speciality, guru.
I was thinking about all this when young Nikhil called from Poona around noon to wish us HNY and all that. “What are you doing for habbada oota,” I asked, “has some Maharashtrian classmate invited you over for Gudi Padva?”
“Nope,” he said, “we are all outsiders here, etc.” (U.R. Ananthamurthy, please note)
So, I asked Nagu, who makes the most divine mavinakayi chitranna on the third rock from the sun, just what magic she worked on it.
Here is what she says she would recommend to feed three hungry stomachs, pining for a slice of home in lands, far and near.
Ingredients: Mukkaal paav rice (approximately 200 grams); one full green raw mango; half a coconut; 3 tea spoons of oil; 2 tea spoons of mustard; 1 tea spoon each of bengal gram, urad dal and methi; 2/3 tea spoons of ground nuts; 10 pieces of red chillies; 2 sticks of curry leaves; half a spoon of haldi; hing and salt to taste.
Method: 1) Cook the rice in a cooker and allow it to cool naturally by spreading it out on a plate. Once it has cooled, add salt and a spoon of oil to the rice. Forget about it for a while.
2) Grate the mango and the coconut, and grind it with one spoon of mustard and 8 red chillies. This is the chutney for the chitranna.
3) Now prepare the seasoning. Take two tea spoons of oil, and add mustard, urad dal, 2 red chillies, the groundnuts, hing and haldi. Add the seasoning to the rice.
4) To the empty baandli, now add one tea spoon of oil and fry the grated ‘chitranna’ chutney for 3 minutes. Pour this on the rice and kals it with your bare hands, repeat bare hands.
5) Dry roast the methi, crush it with a lattange, and sprinkle the powder on top of the chitranna before serving.
The recipe on ‘Mavinakayi Chitranna’ is mouth-watering and the 5 easy steps of its preparation can make even a novice an expert cook. I just could not resist the temptation of bringing it to the notice of my wife who is also a good cook so that she could add this recipe to her collection and prepare the dish during this mango season. I am sure she will oblige as usual.
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As Basvaraj the recipe itself is mouthwatering and lovleist thing about churmuri is its “Kanglish”(English with sprinkle of kannada).
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As Basvaraj writes the recipe itself is mouthwatering and lovleist thing about churmuri is its “Kanglish”(English with sprinkle of kannada).
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it is bombat to read. bayalli niru baruthe. Madi nodi result amele thilisuthene
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nimma mavinkai “hului” bayalli niru tand bidtallri….
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You are so right about non-availability of mavinkayi chitranna in hotels – hopefully, some hotels notice this and start doing it at least once a week
I think there are lot of other good ruchis like gojju avalakki, rava vangi bhaat, raagi uppittu etc., can somebody post the recipes for these – thanks in advance
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sakaththagi ide mavina kayi chitranna. Aadarenu madodu this is not the season where you get mavinakayi. Nimma kannadakke nanna namaskara. Bahala sogasagide
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Idu frst ugadi namma maduve aagi, so ugadi recepie hudukutha idde…thanks …naanu maadi nodi ruchi tillisuve :) … Please keeping blogging about ruchi ruchi tindi …..
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Adikke ‘Kosambri’ ge hogipa
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thanks for the cool recipe and subtle humor :-D
maadi nodade….. chennagi bantu :-)
Thanks, R.
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your recipie was amazing.. i did mavinakai chitranna today it was amazing…
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Thanks guys!! i was looking for this recipe for Ugadi.
“Ugadi Shubhashayagalu”
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Third rock from the sun -wow! wave of nostalgia washing over me right now…
Not that i even remeber the show… but still,,,
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Wow!!!! I really really like your recipe and the kannada english mixed writing style.
Thanks much,
Lakshmi
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Wqw! I love the bhashe . It added a kannada flavour to the chitranna!
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ಚಿಂದಿ ಅಂತ…
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Being a kannadiga, I enjoy all our Karnataka adige and ofcourse the kannada bhashe! Like Vidya said, it adds a kannada flavour to the recipes! Comments ododu chennagirutte! Chitraanna recipe chelodagide. L
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