Lemon Rice recipe makes South Indian style lemon flavored rice. Use of lemon and special South Indian tempering makes the rice delicious. Peanuts are added to this rice to add crunch.
For me it is a comfort food. It can also be made with leftover steamed rice. I do not need any side dish with lemon rice, but if you want, you can eat it with yogurt, chutney, pickle, and papad (papadum). At some places it is served with vada and coconut chutney.
Another popular South Indian style rice is curd rice. In winter I very often make rasam that is very comforting in chilly weather.
How to make lemon rice
First prepare steamed rice. In South Indian cooking, generally rice is cooked till very soft. They are not al dente. Rest the prepared rice till it cools down.
Ingredients required for lemon rice recipe
Heat some oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil becomes hot add peanuts to it. Reduce the heat and shallow fry peanuts till their color darkens a bit. Remove peanuts and add cashew nuts to the hot oil. Now shallow fry cashews on low heat till they turn pink.
For tempering, heat some oil in a tadka pan or heavy bottomed pan. When oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds. When seeds start spluttering, add urad dal (split and skinned black gram) and chana dal (split and skinned bengal gram). Then add whole red chilli, curry leaves, and chopped green chillies. Switch off the gas and add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add this tempering to steamed rice. Also add fresh lemon/lime juice to the prepared rice. Mix everything well. Add fried peanuts and cashew nuts. Serve with yogurt, pickle, coconut chutney and papad.
Lemon rice is ready
You might also like my samak ke chawal recipe. It is a preparation with barnyard millet. Amongst traditional Indian desserts my favorites are rice kheer and seviyan ki kheer.
Lemon Rice recipe | How to make South Indian Style Lemon Rice
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 3 servings | 2 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25 minutes | 20 minutes |
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This flavorful rice from South India can be eaten in any of your meal- breakfast lunch or dinner. It is also very good for tiffin.
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- 1 cup Rice uncooked
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 2 tablespoons cashew nuts optional
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon split skinned black gram dal (dhuli urad dal)
- 1 teaspoon Split and skinned bengal gram (chana dal )
- 2 Whole red chillies
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (heeng)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
- 2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice preferably freshly extracted
- Wash rice with fresh water and soak it in water for at least 20 minutes. Add some salt and cook the rice till it is fully done (soft but not mushy). Allow the rice to cool down a bit. When it is slightly cold, fluff the rice.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add peanuts and shallow fry them on low flame . When the peanuts turn a bit dark and are crunchy, remove them from oil. In the same oil fry cashew nuts on low flame. When they turn pinkish, remove them from oil.
- Now add mustard seeds to the hot oil. When they crackle, add urad dal and chana dal. Thn add whole red chillies. When chillies start to darken add curry leaves, and chopped green chillies. switch off the gas. Then add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add this tempering to the prepared rice.
- Also add fresh lemon juice. Mix everything well. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice. Rice should be slightly tart. The add peanuts and cashew nuts and again mix everything.
- Lemon rice is ready. serve it with plain yogurt, pickle and papadam.
- You can use freshly cooked or leftover steamed rice to prepare lemon rice.
- You can also add freshly grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves to this rice.
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