Lemon Rice Recipe

Lemon Rice used to be only for our lunch box during school days along with Aloo fry or bindi fry and that’s makes a perfect lunch box recipe.  Lemon rice has to be one of most easy & quick variety rice recipe and the best part is it’s works well with fresh steamed rice or leftover rice.  Tangy, spicy South Indian dish popular not only during travel but also for festivals like Vinayaka Chaturthi, Navratri etc .   I make this only once in blue moon and lucky DH doesn’t fuss about eating this, on weekend I made this for a friend and she liked it very much, if you haven’t tried lemon rice yet then it’s high time you should do it now.  



Ingredients:

Rice - 1 Cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Big Lemon – 1 [ Or 2 small lemons]
Onion – 1 [optional]
Green Chilies – 3-4
Dry Red Chili -1 [optional]
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal – 1/2 tbsp
Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cilantro - 2 tbsp [chopped]

Method:

1. Pressure cook 1 cup rice with 2 (or 2 1/2) cups water or do same as your regular way of cooking rice.  Rice should be soft but not mashed.  Chop onion and slit green chilies.
2. Once rice is cold enough to handle add salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice and mix gently.  Adjust salt, and lemon if required.

3. In a wok heat oil, add hing, mustard seeds allow to crack.  Add ground nuts and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add channa and urad dal, curry leaves, green and red chili and sauté until golden brown.

4. Add onion and fry until translucent.

5. Add rice mixed with lemon juice, turmeric and salt.

6.  Mix well gently and garnish with cilantro.

Server warm or cold.



Notes ~
~ You can use leftover rice to make this.  If using leftover rice you can use 2-3 cups of cooked rice for this recipe.
~ You can add the seasoning with prepared rice and mix gently instead of adding rice to wok.
~ Don’t ever add lemon juice directly in hot seasoning, it will taste bitter.
~ Using onion is optional, I add only some times. 
~ You can use tbsp of cashew nuts along with peanuts. 
~ I didn’t use channa and urad dal as DH doesn’t like that.

And this goes my Festive Food: Ganesh Chaturthi Event.


Have a nice day.