Lemon Rice

The classic South Indian favourite, Lemon Rice is a perfect recipe for the leftover rice. Lemon rice is a little tangy from the addition of freshly squeezed lime juice and crunchy from the fried urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and cashew nuts. Lemon rice is very quick to prepare and can be eaten just as it is or with a simple spiced raita.

Step by step preparation:

Fry the cashew nuts until golden. Then take them out of the pan and keep aside.

Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, hing / asafoetida, broken dry red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for half  a minute.

Add the soaked urad dal, chana dal and slit green chillies. Saute on low flame until the lentils become golden.

Add the peanuts and the fried cashew nuts.

Add turmeric powder. Mix and stir to cook the spice for some 10-12 seconds.

Switch off the flame and add rice, lemon juice and salt. Stir to mix everything perfectly.

Lemon Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked fluffy non-sticky Basmati rice

2-3 tbsp ghee

A handful of peanuts (If you are using raw peanuts, fry them along with the cashew nuts, before adding them to the rice.)

A handful of unsalted raw cashew nuts

A pinch of asafoetida / hing

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp chana dal

1 and ½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

10-12 fresh curry leaves

2 dry red chillies – broken into halves

1 and ½ tsp turmeric powder

2 green chillies – slit

Juice of 2 limes  

Salt

Method:

Wash and rinse the lentils until clear water runs.

Soak the washed lentils in water for a good 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep the soaked lentils aside.

In a frying pan heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts until lightly golden. Then take them out of the pan and keep aside.

Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the remaining ghee and let them sizzle and splutter.

Add asafoetida, broken dry red chillies and curry leaves.

Sauté for half a minute or until the air becomes aromatic and then add the urad dal and chana dal.

Switch flame to low and fry until the lentils beome golden. Don’t fry too much or else they will become brown and taste bitter.

Finally add the slit green chillies, toasted peanuts and cashew nuts and turmeric powder.

Mix and stir for maximum 10-12 seconds or until the turmeric powder develops its flavour.

Switch off the flame and add the cooked rice.

Gently stir to mix all the spices with the rice without breaking the rice grains.

Squeeze the lime juice and sprinkle salt to taste.

Cover the pot and give a gentle shake to mix up everything.

Serve immediately with raita or a spicy chicken curry.