Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-5 People
South Indian lemon rice is made with peanuts, turmeric (haldi), curry leaves and fresh lemon juice. This flavorful rice is tangy, vibrant, crunchy and makes for a perfect quick, light meal.
This lemon rice recipe is:
Easy to make – can be ready in 30 mins.
Flavourful
Vegan
Can be made gluten-free too by skipping Asafetida (hing)
For this recipe, I first cooked the rice and then seasoned it with all the ingredients. You can also make this using leftover rice!
In a large kadai (skillet) heat the oil. Roast peanuts and cashews until they turn golden brown and crunchy. Keep aside.
In the same oil add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, dried red chilli and a few curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering reduce the flame.
Add turmeric and lightly saute.
Now add cooked rice & salt and mix well. Make sure everything is well combined.
Enjoy the freshly cooked lemon rice or pack it for lunch for a yummy healthy meal!
Serving suggestions:
Lemon rice is typically served with pickle and papadum on the side. But you can also enjoy it by itself – it doesn’t need any accompaniments.
Tips:
Highly recommend using short grain rice like sonamasuri rice.
The dish tastes best when made using leftover rice.
You can also use raw mango instead of lemon juice for that tangy flavour.
Fry the peanuts at the beginning and add them to the rice right at the end. This helps retain their crunchiness.