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Lemon Rice South Indian

Easy and Tasty Lemon Rice for Lunchbox
Print Recipe
Course dinner, entree, lunch, Snack, weeknight
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cooked rice cooked rice measured in dry measuring cup
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp chana dal
  • 1 tbsp urad dal
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews split
  • 3 dried red chillies more or less to taste
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies slit more or less to taste
  • 1 tbsp ginger grated
  • 1/8 tsp hing/asafoetida
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice start with 1/4 cup and add more per taste
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 tsp salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp sugar to taste

Instructions
 

  • Use cooked rice for this recipe or make fresh rice. To cook rice - put on a pot of water to boil the rice. Wash any amount of rice. Leave rice soaking in clean water in a bowl as water boils. When the water is at a full boil, add 1/2 tsp of salt and 2 drops of oil. Add drained rice and stir well. Cook until tender. If cooking basmati rice, cook for approximately 10 minutes. Drain a minute before rice is cooked. Put drained rice back in the empty pot and cover with lid. Leave for a few minutes and rice will be perfectly cooked.
  • To a wide skillet, add coconut oil. When hot, add mustard seeds and chana dal. Stir for a few seconds and add urad dal. Stir until almost golden. Add cashews and stir until golden brown. Add red chiles, stir for a few seconds. Add curry leaves, green chiles and ginger. Stir well for 10 seconds. Add hing and turmeric. Stir for a few seconds. Add lemon juice, zest, salt and sugar. Stir well and turn off heat. Add cooked rice and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.
  • ***Reduce amount of green or red chillies if you want this dish mild.
  • ***Add 1/4 cup lemon juice first and add more as per your taste.
  • Serve with pickle, papadum and/or yogurt if you wish.