AI-generated image
Makar chaula
Raw rice, banana and jaggery offering
ମକର ଚାଉଳ: Odisha's uncooked Sankranti offering of new rice, banana, chhena, jaggery, coconut and milk (plus 2 hours soaking)
On Makar Sankranti in Odisha, the first rice of the winter harvest goes to the sun god before anyone else tastes it. Makar chaula is that offering: freshly harvested rice soaked and coarsely pounded, then mixed raw with grated coconut, ripe banana, chhena (fresh cheese), jaggery or sugarcane juice, milk, black pepper and a little ginger. Temples such as Puri and Konark offer huge quantities, and every home in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar makes its own bowl after the morning bath. It is not cooked at all, so it tastes fresh, milky and gently spiced, with a soft chew from the rice. Eat it in the morning as prasad, with sugarcane pieces and til ladoo. The common mistake is grinding the rice to a powder; it should stay coarse, like broken grains, or the mix turns gluey. Chef's tip: use the newest, softest short-grain rice you can find; old rice stays hard even after soaking.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz new-harvest short-grain rice (arua or gobindobhog)washed and soaked 2 hours
- 2 ⅞ oz fresh coconutgrated
- 2 ripe bananassliced
- 2 ⅞ oz jaggerygrated, or to taste
- ¾ cup full-fat milkboiled and cooled
- 1 tsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- ¼ tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 ¾ oz sugarcane (optional)peeled, cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp cashews and raisins (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 5 ½ oz new-harvest short-grain rice (arua or gobindobhog) well and spread on a cloth for 10 minutes so it is damp but not dripping.
10 minStep 2: Pound it in a mortar or pulse in a dry grinder for a few seconds at a time until coarsely broken, like fine semolina with bits. Do not grind to flour.
3 minStep 3: In a bowl, mix the rice with 2 ⅞ oz fresh coconut, 2 ⅞ oz jaggery, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp fresh ginger and ¼ tsp ground green cardamom, rubbing so the jaggery melts into the rice.
2 minStep 4: Stir in ¾ cup full-fat milk, then fold in 2 ripe bananas and 2 ⅞ oz fresh chhena or crumbled paneer gently. Add 1 ¾ oz sugarcane and 2 tbsp cashews and raisins if using.
2 minStep 5: Offer as prasad, then serve straight away at room temperature. It does not keep; eat it the same morning.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does makar chaula take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of new-harvest short-grain rice (arua or gobindobhog)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.