Lemon Rice
Lemon rice or Chitranna is a simple one-pot meal found in South Indian homes. This recipe can be made with leftover rice and is ready in under 10 minutes. This rice recipe is quite easy to prepare and needs basic ingredients.
Servings 4 People
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon urad dal/black gram dal
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
- 7-10 curry leaves
- Pinch of asafoetida
- 1 green chili
- 2 dry red chilies
- Handful of peanuts
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
- To taste salt
Instructions
- Cook rice in pressure cooker or in rice cooker or simply by cooking in a traditional way. I prefer cooking by using a rice cooker as it is faster and does not need much human intervention.
- Roast peanuts in a pan. Simply, heat the pan and roast peanuts without adding oil. Remove the roasted peanuts and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add oil and after its heated add mustard seeds. When they flutter, add asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilies, green chili, and roasted peanuts. Mix well.
- Add chopped onion and sauté till onions turn pinkish.
- Add turmeric powder and stir well. Add a little salt.
- Mix cooked rice and switch off the gas.
- After rice cools down completely, add lemon juice extracted from 1 lemon or add 2 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
Notes
- Addition of chopped onions is optional.
- You may add grated carrots to make it healthier.
- Add roasted cashewnuts along with peanuts. I did not add cashewnuts as the kid does not like them when added to rice.
- Always add lemon juice after switching off the gas, else the lemon rice will turn bitter in taste.