Ponni Rice – 26 kg Packs from Chennai Rice
Ponni is the rice Tamil Nadu cooks every day: a medium grain that turns soft and light, soaks up sambar, rasam and kuzhambu, and stays pleasant in a lunch box. At Chennai Rice we mill Ponni at our own plant in Erode and pack it in 5, 10 and 26 kg bags (Rudra and Thaaram in 25 kg).
Below is every Ponni pack we make, from the year-aged Kitchidi Ponni to the Rajabhogam Ponni in Rudra and Chennai Bullets, with a short guide to help you pick the right one for your kitchen.
Our Ponni rice packs
- Kitchidi Ponni Rice — Everyday rice for real veettu saapadu, lunch and dinner.
- Special Rajabhogam Rice — Everyday rice in our signature red pack for comforting home meals.
- Viruchagam Rice — Everyday rice for traditional Tamil lunch and dinner.
- Vintage Special Ponni Rice — Our premium choice for festival lunches and family gatherings.
- United Ponni Rice — Clean, consistent rice for small families and daily meals.
- A1 Special Ponni Rice — Soft, fluffy grains for sambar sadam and curd rice.
- Vijaya Nagaram Rice — Familiar taste for sambar, rasam, kootu and curd rice.
- Chennai Bullets Rice — Rich aroma for joint families, poojas and home functions.
- Rudra Ponni Rice — Original taste and rich aroma for everyday family meals.
- Thaaram Nei Kitchadi Rice — Strong grains that hold shape in nei kitchadi and pongal.
- Nayara Super Aged Rice — Cooks separate and firm, perfect for lemon rice and lunch boxes.
What is Ponni rice?
Ponni is a medium grain white rice developed in Tamil Nadu and grown widely across the Cauvery delta. It is valued for grains that cook soft but not mushy, a mild natural taste that lets gravies shine, and a texture that suits everything from a plain plate of rice with ghee to curd rice and lemon rice.
Within Ponni there are many grades and named varieties, such as Rajabhogam, Kitchidi, Akshaya and Amman (HMT) Ponni. They differ in grain size, how long the rice is aged and how firm it cooks, which is why one family prefers one pack and their neighbours another.
Raw Ponni and boiled Ponni
Raw rice (pachai arisi) is milled straight from dried paddy. It cooks soft and slightly sticky, which suits pongal, payasam and sweet dishes. Boiled rice (puzhungal arisi) is made from paddy that is soaked, steamed and dried before milling. It cooks firmer, with grains that stay separate, and it is what most Tamil homes use for daily meals.
Our process includes this parboiling step for boiled rice: paddy is soaked, steamed and dried so the grain stays firm, cooks separate and keeps its goodness.
Why aged Ponni cooks better
Freshly harvested rice holds more moisture and tends to turn sticky. Aged rice is stored for months after harvest; the grain loses moisture and firms up, so it absorbs more water, swells more and cooks into fluffy, separate grains. Our Kitchidi Ponni Rice is aged for a year, and Nayara Super Aged is a gel cook rice aged to stay separate and firm on the plate.
How to cook Ponni rice
- Rinse the rice well, then soak it in slightly warm water for about 60 minutes.
- In a closed pan or cooker, use about 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice (2.5 cups at a hill station). In an open pan, use about 5 cups of water and drain the excess.
- Add salt, and a spoon of ghee or oil if you like, and cook until the grains are soft.
- Rest the rice for a few minutes before serving so the grains firm up and separate.
Every water is different: add a little more or less until the texture suits your family.
Which Ponni pack is right for you?
| Pack | What it is | Best for | Pack sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchidi Ponni Rice | Kitchidi Ponni, aged for a year | Everyday home meals | 5, 26 kg |
| Special Rajabhogam | Kitchidi Ponni in the red pack | Sambar, rasam, daily lunch | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| Viruchagam | Poompuhar Ponni from RNR paddy | Traditional Tamil meals | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| Vintage | Special Ponni, black-and-gold pack | Festivals and special meals | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| United | Everyday Ponni | Lunch and dinner at home | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| A1 Special Ponni | Quality graded Special Ponni | Sambar sadam, curd rice | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| Vijaya Nagaram | Amman Ponni (HMT grain) | Everyday South Indian meals | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| Chennai Bullets | Rajabhogam Ponni, rich aroma | Large families and trade | 5, 10, 26 kg |
| Rudra | Rajabhogam Ponni, rich aroma | Sambar, kuzhambu, family meals | 25 kg |
| Thaaram Nei Kitchadi | Akshaya Ponni, strong grain | Nei kitchadi and pongal | 25 kg |
| Nayara Super Aged | Super aged gel cook rice | Lemon rice, lunch boxes | 5, 10, 26 kg |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ponni rice raw rice or boiled rice?
Ponni is a variety, and it is sold both ways. Boiled (parboiled) Ponni cooks firmer with separate grains and is the usual choice for daily meals in Tamil Nadu; raw Ponni cooks softer and suits pongal and sweets.
Which Ponni rice is best for daily meals?
For everyday lunch and dinner, families usually choose a soft, separate-cooking Ponni such as Kitchidi Ponni Rice, Special Rajabhogam or A1 Special Ponni. For variety rice and lunch boxes that should not turn sticky, Nayara Super Aged is a good fit.
What does aged Ponni mean?
Aged Ponni is stored for months after harvest before it is packed. It loses moisture, absorbs more water while cooking and turns out fluffy and separate. Our Kitchidi Ponni Rice is aged for a year.
What pack sizes do you sell?
Most of our Ponni packs come in 5, 10 and 26 kg bags. Rudra and Thaaram Nei Kitchadi come in 25 kg bags. For larger quantities, use our bulk order form.
How should I store a 26 kg bag of rice?
Keep it in a cool, dry place off the floor, away from moisture and strong smells, and keep the bag or container closed after opening.
Can I buy Ponni rice in bulk?
Yes. Retailers, wholesalers, hotels, caterers and institutions can send a bulk enquiry and our team will get back to you.
See the full rice range · Idli rice for soft idlis · Best Ponni rice for daily meals · What is aged rice? · Bulk & wholesale orders
About Chennai Rice Industries
- Family-run rice mill at Nasiyanur, Erode, Tamil Nadu, founded in 1980.
- Capacity of 2,44,000 tonnes a year (MTPA), with 61,500 MT of paddy storage in 31 silos.
- Paddy is selected, tested, stored, parboiled (for boiled rice), milled on a 10-stage line (cleaning, husking, polishing, grading, colour sorting) and packed at the Erode plant.
- Sells Ponni rice and idli rice in 5, 10 and 26 kg packs (Rudra and Thaaram Nei Kitchadi in 25 kg) through distributors, shops and online across India.
Contact: WhatsApp +91 70666 46667 · support@chennairiceindustries.com · Contact page