Raw mango Rice (Mamidikaya Pulihora)

When I get my hands on a Green mango, the first thing that comes to my mind is Pulihora. Pulihora is a tangy Rice dish made using a Tart key ingredient. The Key ingredient usually is Tamarind extract  or Lemon juice. During summers, when it's Mango season, Raw Mangoes are used to make Pulihora. The tang, spice, crunch altogether makes your tastebuds go Ooh-la-la :-).

One thing I like about summers is Mangoes. From sweet, juicy delicious Mangoes to sour green Mangoes, you can use em in several recipes. It happened to be my most favorite fruit too. Indian Mangoes are the best in flavor.It is really hard to find a variety that would satisfy your Mango cravings in US, until now ;-). Few weeks ago I happened to buy a box of organic Ataulfo Mangoes from Costco and boy, they were super delicious.I even used them in my Amrakhand (Mango Shrikand) recipe. Try em out and I know you will be hooked too. FYI in some cities Indian stores are selling Alphonso mangoes during season. I tried em last year.They were 30 dollar a box and you get may be 8 Mangoes if I remember correctly. But you have to ripen em and I felt like Costco Mangoes are the best bet.

Coming back to my recipe, Pulihora has an important place in South Indian cuisine. It is must to have festive recipe, also as an offering to God, served as Prasadam in Temples and a travel companion :-). Many people pack Pulihora during travels coz it would stay good couple days and a complete meal by itself. It is also Kids favorite. If you like Pulihora and looking for more varieties, try my Cranberry Pulihora or healthy fiber rich Cracked Wheat Pulihora or simply Lemon Rice. I also make my own Pulihora pulusu (Tamarind Gojju).I need to put that recipe on the blog. If you are looking for more Raw mango recipes try my Raw mango Coconut Chutney or Raw Mango Pacchi pulusu. They are all yummy, mouth watering recipes. 

Pulihora is usually served as it is but I sometimes like to make Potato curry on the side. They are a perfect combo and makes the meal more satisfying. 

While the balance of spice,tang,salt is important in making Pulihora tasty, another important step is seasoning. Don't go skimpy or overdo the seasoning. Take care of these two things and you will have a perfect bowl of Mamidikaya Pulihora every time you make.Oh! also make sure to cook Rice just done and grains separate.Do not cook it mushy.

Tips: The amount of Grated Mango used in the recipe depends on the sourness of Mango and your personal preference. The kind of Mangoes available here in US are not so sour but they work:-). So add grated Mango gradually and taste to determine. Also I used Cheese grater to grate Mango. I love the finely grated texture better. But use any grater you have and grate as finely as you can. Also adjust spice and oil according to your preference. 

Servings:

4 (Four)

Total Time:

45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Rice
• 1 medium size Green Mango or 1.5 cups grated 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

For Seasoning

• 3 tbsp oil or adjust 
• 2 green chillies or adjust
• 2 red chillies
• Few curry leaves
• 3 tbsp Peanuts
• 1 tbsp Chana dal
• 1 tbsp Urad Gota (skinned, Whole Urad)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
• Big pinch of Hing (Asafotida/Inguva)

Raw Mango Pulihora Step wise Recipe

1. Rinse 2 cups Rice with water. Add 4 cups water and Cook. Rice cooker would work better but you can also cook on stove top.When Rice is done transfer Rice to a wide bowl. Rice should be separate and not mushy.
2. While Rice cooking, grate 1 medium size Mango as fine as possible . Keep it aside. I used a cheese grater. 
3. Add a tea spoon of oil to the cooked rice and mix gently.Oil keeps the Rice grains separate and prevents from sticking and getting clumpy when it's cold. When Rice is warm enough to handle, add /2 tsp turmeric and salt to taste. Mix gently and allow to cool it down.
4. Now add grated Mango to the Rice. Add gradually to make sure the sourness is as per your liking.I like to mix with hands as it would coat the Mango very well to the Rice. 
5. Now prepare seasoning-
6. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add Peanuts first as they take more time to fry. When Peanuts are almost done add Chanadal, Urad Gota, curry leaves, Red chillies. 
7. Add Cumin seeds and Mustard seeds next. 
8. Add generous pinch of Hing.
9. Fry everything till brown. At this point you can add chillies or transfer seasoning to a bowl and fry chillies separately. The point is not to burn seasoning as some chillies are too stout and take time to fry. 
10. Now add seasoning and fried chillies to the Rice.
11. Now mix rice with a spatula. Mix well.
12. Serve as it is or with Potato curry on the side.