Oralu Chitranna is a Chitranna is made with ground spice powder and rice. It’s especially popular during festivals.
Chitranna or Chitrannam is a mixed rice variety where rice is pre-cooked and mixed with the masala of your choice. So we have Lemon Rice, Coconut Rice, Tamarind rice, Mango Rice, Sesame Rice, etc.
During this series, I have even made Onion Rice, mixed spice rice, and so on. Basically, this is made all over the southern states using the various available lentils or spices.
Today for O, I have something called the Oralu Chitranna, which literally means Mixed rice made with ground masalas. Oralu refers to the stone grinders that were always used for making Dosa and Idli Batter. Even the chutneys were ground in an oralu or rotalu.
Since the masala for this rice was ground in the Oralu, this Chitranna was called Oralu Chitranna. We no longer have those stone grinders and grind everything in a mixer jar. Still, the name continues to remain the same.
I made this for Saturday lunch along with another one. I was glad everybody liked this and wants it to be repeated.
Oralu Chitranna is the pick for O in the AtoZ Quick Under 30 Minutes, which is my theme in the Biryanis, Pulaos, Khichdi, and Mixed Rice, where I am doing Quick Under 30 Minutes Meals. If you want to read some elaborate Biryanis, check out what I have for O in Spice your Life!
A to Z Quick Under 30 Minutes Meals
A for Achari Chana Vegetable Pulao
B for Bhuga Chawara
C for Cholia Chawal
D for Dal Khichdi
E for Ellu Sadam
F for Fodnicha Bhaat
G for Green Garlic Pulao
H for Hare Chane Ka Pulav
I for Ivygourd Masala Rice
J for Jevarisi Chitranna
K for Kadam Bhog
L for Lilva Pulao
M for Methi Matar wara Chawaran
N for Neyichor
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Step By Step Pictures for making Oralu Chitranna 
Oralu Chitranna | Mixed Rice with Ground Masala
Ingredients Needed:
For the ground Spice Masala
1/4 cup Copra / Dry Coconut, you can use fresh coconut as well.
1 tsp Tamarind extract
3 to 4 Green Chillies
A Pinch Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Fenugreek
A Pinch Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Sesame Seeds
For the Rice
2 cups Rice cooked
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Ground Nuts
Handful Cashew Nuts
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Chana Dal
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
2 tsp Cooking Oil
How to make Oralu Chitranna
Wash and soak rice and cook as you regularly cook. Spread the cooked rice to cool down.
For the ground spice masala
Take all the ingredients except green chilies and saute on high flame for a couple of minutes.
Allow to cool down and grind to a coarse powder along with green chilies.
For making the Chitrannam
Heat a nonstick pan with oil, tempering with curry leaves, chana dal, mustard seeds, urad dal, peanut nuts, cashew nuts, hing and saute well.
Next add the ground masala, tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and combine everything well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
Now add the cooked rice and mix well. When the rice is well mixed, switch off and let it stand for 5 mins.
Serve with appalam and poriyal.
Recipe
Oralu Chitranna | Mixed Rice with Ground Masala
Ingredients
For the ground Spice Masala
- 1/4 cup Copra / Dry Coconut, you can use fresh coconut as well.
- 1 tsp Tamarind Extract
- 3 to 4 Green Chillies
- A Pinch Asafoetida
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek
- A Pinch Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
For the Rice
- 2 cups Rice cooked
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Ground Nuts
- Handful Cashew Nuts
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Urad dal
- 1 tsp Chana Dal
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
- 2 tsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice and cook as you regularly cook. Spread the cooked rice to cool down.
For the ground spice masala
- Take all the ingredients except green chilies and saute on high flame for a couple of minutes.
- Allow to cool down and grind to a coarse powder along with green chilies.
For making the Chitrannam
- Heat a nonstick pan with oil, tempering with curry leaves, chana dal, mustard seeds, urad dal, peanut nuts, cashew nuts, hing and saute well.
- Next add the ground masala, tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and combine everything well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now add the cooked rice and mix well. When the rice is well mixed, switch off and let it stand for 5 mins.
- Serve with appalam and poriyal.
The entire collection of "Biryani / Pulao / Khichadi" Festival - A to Z Biryani / Pulao / Khichadi on SYL & A to Z Quick 30 Minutes Meals on C4AS
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harini says
You somehow found a very flavorful dish with O. Shall note down the masala and try it out.
Suma Gandlur says
Really yummy one, Valli. TBH, this is one of my two favorite rice dishes.
This is a common dish made in Brahmin homes in the Bangalore region and is also called as kayi sasive anna. We make the paste differently and this is one of the festive rice dishes rotated in my mother's home.
Vaishali Sabnani says
We call those stone grinders silvatta - the mini one that your mom has in the kitchen , oh how I loved it !
I know the mixers have replaced the stone grinders , but actually if you grind on those stones the flavours are enhanced and you get just the right coarseness .
The spice blend sounds interesting , must try the Chitrana series :))
Sushma Pinjala says
Wow sounds like a flavorful dish. I love the way you make spice powders to make rice dishes. They looks so simple yet delicious
Kalyani says
Like Suma mentioned, we too make it very often with a different spice paste - this rice takes me back to bangalore and all the festivals, especially Ugadi when we make this ... very flavourful ...
Sharmila Kingsly says
The spice me x is really tempting...anything with copra Tate's really yummy..
Gayathri Kumar says
Never heard of this before. But grinding the spice paste in oral would make it so full of flavour. I have one and occasionally use it for grinding chutney and dosa batter, but it is tough job. The rice looks fantastic Valli.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
I love that spice powder... Versatile one. Bookmarked this. Like orange pulao, this is also a unique pick Valli.
Swati says
Very interesting recipe, simple and comforting. Love the tamarind and coconut flavurs in the rice dish. Looks so yumm.
Swati says
Very interesting recipe, simple and comforting. Love the tamarind and coconut flavors in the rice dish. Looks so yumm.
Renu says
Now that looks so flavourful. I am in love with making fresh masala's and adding it to the rice. This looks awesome.