Amaravathi

Amaravathi is a rice label specialising in the regional varieties of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the grains that South Indian families eat daily and cannot easily swap for basmati. Its range is kept short and sold in the large sacks that rice-eating households get through quickly.

We carry Amaravathi in our matta rice and ponni rice collections, both within South Indian rice. Matta, also called rosematta or Kerala red rice, keeps some of its reddish bran and has a bold, chunky grain. Ponni is a fine, short white grain, parboiled to stay soft and separate.

In Kerala, matta is boiled in plenty of water and drained, then eaten with avial, thoran, fish moilee, pulissery and buttermilk. It is also used for kanji, the simple rice gruel served with pickle and cherupayar. Ponni is the everyday rice of a Tamil sapadu, served with sambar, rasam, poriyal and curd, and it makes good curd rice, lemon rice and puliyodarai. Families that eat both often keep matta for Kerala-style meals and ponni for the rest of the week.

Matta needs a long soak and a long boil, sometimes up to forty minutes, so many cooks use a pressure cooker to save time. Store both rices sealed in a dry place, and clean the bin between sacks so old grains do not spoil the new ones. To compare, browse the Gangai shelf and our wider sona masoori rice range.