Ambe Mohar

“Pej/ Kanji (rice gruel) makes for a great health drink because it allows for better assimilation of Vit D & calcium,” explains nutritionist and fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar. And Ambemohar was the rice used by people in Maharashtra (particularly the Mulshi region in Pune) to prepare this nutritious dish, and it was relished by children and adults.

This short and low yielding grain has the aroma of mango blossoms, hence the name( Ambe means mango, mohar means flowers). It was extensively used in Maharashtra for religious ceremonies and during festivals; the rice was also used to make puffed rice called murmure; the bran from this grain has been used for oil extraction and mushroom cultivation. However since the yield was low, a hybrid variant called Indrayani with ambemohar parentage was developed by the Rice Research Centre near Lonavala. Due to this, farmers gave up this traditional grain in the late 1980s. Awarded a GI tag in 2016, Mulshi Ambemohar rice is believed to have been a favourite of the Peshwa rulers.

Cooking Instructions