Raw Mango Rice (Mavinakayi Chitranna, Mamidikaya Pulihora) is a South Indian green mango-flavored rice. This variety of rice is a lovely variation of the popular lemon rice but with a tang from green mangoes.

Make it in 2 ways using my easy recipes (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

About Raw Mango Rice

Raw Mango Rice is a simple South Indian preparation where cooked rice is sauteed along with grated green raw mangoes, fresh ginger, green chilies, peanuts, fresh coconut, and cilantro (coriander leaves) and tempered with lentils, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies. 

It is called Mavinakayi Chitranna, Mamidikaya Pulihora, or Mangai Sadam in different South Indian languages.

Just like Curd Rice, Lemon Rice, and Pepper Rice, this mango rice is a popular variety of rice preparations. It is made mainly in summer when it is mango season and fresh raw mangoes are abundant.

Mango Rice is spicy and tangy and has a slight crunch from the unripe mangoes, peanuts, and lentils. It comes together in just 20 minutes and is perfect for serving a light lunch or packing lunch boxes.

This dish is made slightly differently in different South Indian states. I am sharing 2 versions of this rice dish in this post. One is made by adding grated, unripe raw mangoes to cooked rice, and the other is made by making a raw mango chutney and adding it to the cooked rice.

This raw mango rice recipe is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. You can easily double or triple it too.

If you like raw mangoes, try these raw mango recipes, too

• Aam Panna
• Raw Mango Chutney
• Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle
• Rajasthani Aam ka Achar
• Phodnichi Kairi
• Kairi Mirch Ki Sabji
• Aam Ki Launji
• Raw Mango Dal
• Green Mango Kadhi

Ingredients

Rice – You will need cooked and cooled white rice to make this recipe. It is a great way to use leftover rice. This dish is traditionally made using sona masuri rice, but any nonsticky rice (basmati rice, surti kolam) also works fine.

If you make it with freshly cooked rice, cool it to room temperature before mixing it with other ingredients; otherwise, the final dish will become mushy.

To quicken the cooling process, spread the freshly cooked rice on a large tray and cover the tray with cling wrap. Then freeze the tray for 20 minutes or refrigerate for an hour.

You can also use cooked brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice instead of white rice.

Green Mangoes – The star ingredient of this recipe is raw green mangoes. Choose the tart mangoes. But if you are not fond of tart flavors, go for slightly ripened ones that are less tart.

Others – You will also need cooking oil, split and husked black gram (white urad dal), Bengal gram (chana dal), roasted peanuts, curry leaves, dry red chillies, brown mustard seeds, asafetida (hing), fresh ginger, green chillies, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), turmeric powder, and salt.

Use sesame oil for a traditional taste.

Skip adding asafetida to make this dish gluten-free.

Some people add grated fresh coconut along with mangoes to this recipe.

This is no onion, no garlic recipe, but to make it more flavorful, add chopped onions and chopped garlic to it.

Add some lime juice, lemon juice, or tamarind paste if the mangoes are not tart enough.

How To Make Raw Mango Rice

Preparation

Cook 1 cup of raw white rice and cool it completely before using it in this recipe. You need 2 cups of cooked rice. If you have cooked the rice fresh, the best way to cool it quickly is to spread it on a baking sheet, cover it with a cling wrap, and freeze it for 20 minutes.

Next, prepare the green mangoes. Choose firm and tart mangoes and wash them well with water. Wipe the mangoes using a kitchen towel and peel them using a sharp paring knife. Now grate the mangoes using the small hole of a box grater. Discard the pit.

Note – Don’t throw away the pit. You can use them while cooking the lentils. It will add a nice tang to them.

Stir Fry The Rice

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add

• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon white urad dal
• 1 teaspoon chana dal
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)

and fry until the dal turns a little brown (1-2 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.

Add

• 1 cup of grated raw mangoes
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add

• 2 cups of cooked rice
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts
• ½ teaspoon salt

and mix well.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Check for salt and add more if needed.

Finally, add 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and mix well. Serve hot!

Make Mango Rice By Making Raw Mango Chutney

In a blender, combine

• 1 cup of peeled and chopped raw mango
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chillies
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder,
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon water

Blend the mixture into a fine paste.

Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan.

Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Add

• 1 teaspoon chana dal
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• 2 dried red chillies
• 10-12 curry leaves

and cook until the dal turns golden brown.

Add the raw mango chutney to the pan and sauté it for a few minutes until the raw mango is cooked and the mixture thickens.

Now add 3 cups of cooked rice to the pan and mix well. Stir until the raw mango chutney is evenly distributed throughout the rice.

Add roasted peanuts (if using) and mix well.

Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

This rice is so flavorful that it can be had on its own.

You can even serve it with plain yogurt, raita, pickle, and papad. 

It is a great dish to pack for school and office lunch boxes.

Mango rice is a quintessential recipe for the Ugadi festival (Gudi Padwa) along with Ugadi Pachadi.

Storage Suggestions

You can keep this rice in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheat in a microwave or a pan. Splash a little water if the rice looks dry while reheating.