Chitranna facts for kids
Chitranna (left) served with payasam
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| Alternative names | Lemon Rice |
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| Course | Breakfast, can be an accompanying dish served with Lunch and Dinner too. |
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Karnataka |
| Main ingredients | Rice |
| Variations | Mavinakayi Chitranna, Nimbehannu Chitranna, Irulli Chitranna, Kayi-Sasive Chitranna |
Chitranna (Kannada: ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) is a yummy rice dish from South India. It's also known as lemon rice because it often has a tangy lemon flavor! This dish is made by mixing cooked rice with a special seasoning. This seasoning is called Oggarane or Gojju.
The special seasoning for Chitranna usually includes mustard seeds, fried lentils, and peanuts. It also has fresh curry leaves, chillies, and lemon juice. Sometimes, people add other things like pieces of unripe mango. A little bit of Turmeric powder gives Chitranna its bright yellow color. While some people use Garlic and onions, they are not part of the traditional recipe. This tasty dish is very popular in the Indian state of Karnataka. Many people there eat it almost every day!
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History of Chitranna
Did you know Chitranna is a very old dish? This rice dish is mentioned in ancient Indian cookbooks. These books are called Manasollasa and Pakadarpana. The Manasollasa was written around 1130 AD. The Pakadarpana was written around 1200 AD. In these old books, Chitranna was known as "Chitrapaka".
Different Kinds of Chitranna
There are many different types of Chitranna you can make! The kind of Chitranna depends on the special ingredients added to the rice. Here are some popular varieties:
Nimbehannu Chitranna: Lemon Rice
- Nimbehannu Chitranna (Kannada: ನಿಂಬೆಹಣ್ಣು ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) is the most famous type. It's often called 'Lemon Rice'. It is made by mixing cooked rice with turmeric and lots of lemon juice. This gives it a fresh, tangy taste.
Eerulli Chitranna: Onion Rice
- Eerulli Chitranna (Kannada: ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) is also known as Onion Chitranna. For this version, fried onion, mustard seeds, split chickpeas, and green chillies are mixed with the cooked rice.
Mavinakayi Chitranna: Mango Rice
- Mavinakayi Chitranna (Kannada: ಮಾವಿನಕಾಯಿ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) is Mango Chitranna. To make it, raw, unripe mango is ground into a paste. This tangy mango paste is then mixed with the cooked rice.
Kayi-Sasive Chitranna: Coconut Mustard Rice
- Kayi-Sasive Chitranna (Kannada: ಕಾಯಿ-ಸಾಸಿವೆ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) uses grated coconut and mustard seeds. These are ground into a paste and then mixed with the rice.
Heralekayi Chitranna: Citron Lime Rice
- Heralekayi Chitranna (Kannada: ಹೆರಳೇಕಾಯಿ ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ) is made using a special type of lime called Citron Lime. This gives the rice a unique citrus flavor.
