In the heart of Tamil Nadu’s Chettinad region, Visalam—a 19th-century mansion turned boutique hotel gives a glimpse into the flamboyant lifestyle once enjoyed by the Nattukottai Chettiars—wealthy merchants who built trading empires across Southeast Asia. The Chettiars—once an instrumental mercantile community in colonial Burma—returned home with not only architectural inspirations but also culinary gems. The imposing Burmese teak pillars, intricate Athangudi tiled floors, and the Burmese black rice they brought home is testimony to this migration story.
“Among these gifts from abroad, perhaps none is more intriguing than Burmese black rice. It found a home in Chettinad’s kitchens, where the rice was cooked with local spices using techniques to make unique dishes,” shares Sam John, the General Manager of Visalam. Known as Burma Kavuni Arisi, the black rice carries the stories of displaced Chettiar traders, colonial trade routes, and a fading knowledge of heirloom grains. “My grandfather would tell us how he left everything behind except for two treasures—his account ledgers and a small pouch of black rice seeds,” recalls Meenakshi Meyyappan, whose family once maintained extensive rice fields near Mandalay, Myanmar. “He believed as long as we had those seeds, we could rebuild our wealth and keep our connection to Burma alive,” she adds.
The story of Burma Kavuni Arisi or black rice begins not as a luxury food but as a practical solution. Chettiar merchants who established financial networks throughout Burma in the late 19th century gradually developed agricultural interests which led to a plantation economy for cultivating this indigenous grain primarily for its resilience and adaptability. Thus, what started as agricultural credit became intertwined with their cultural identity abroad.
Then came 1942. As Japanese forces advanced through Burma during World War II, thousands of Indian-origin families, including prominent Chettiar traders, faced a devastating choice—leave immediately or risk everything. In the chaotic mass exodus that followed, many of them walked hundreds of miles through treacherous mountain passes to reach India safely. “They carried whatever they could on their backs,” says late historian S Muthiah, who has documented this migration. “For some families, heirloom rice varieties represented more than food—they were living connections to lands and livelihoods they would never see again,” he adds. On returning to their ancestral villages in Chettinad, the displaced traders found themselves transforming from international financiers to cultural custodians of Burmese rice. The black rice, once a staple in their Burmese households, became a precious commodity. The journey of Kavuni Arisi reminds us that food is never just sustenance—it's memory, adaptation, and hope.
Kavuni Arisi Pongal (Recipe by Sous Chef Karthikeyan)
Ingredients
● Kavuni Arisi (Black Rice): 1 cup
● Water: 3 cups
● Jaggery: ½ cup
● Fresh Grated Coconut: ½ cup
● Ghee: 2 tbsp
● Cardamom Powder: ¼ tsp
● Cashews: 10
● Raisins: 10
Method
● Soak the rice in water for at least 6-8 hours. Drain it and add 3 cups of water and cook it in a pressure cooker for about 5-6 whistles or until soft. Let the pressure release naturally.
● In a separate pan, melt the jaggery with a little water. Mash the cooked rice slightly and add the jaggery syrup. Mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens. Stir in the grated coconut and cardamom powder. Cook for another 2 minutes.
● Heat ghee in a small pan, fry the cashews and raisins until golden, and add them to the sweetened rice. Mix everything well and serve warm.K