This Lemon Rice Recipe Is A Hassle-Free Delight
Image Credit: Shutterstock, Lemon Rice

Rice has the power to instantly light up the room. Being a versatile food, it can be used to make a plethora of dishes. From tantalizing spicy biryani to decadent kheer, there are endless varieties of culinary delight that can be made from rice. It is true that Indians can’t live without rice. Dining tables can get lonely without its divine presence and this makes sense as India is one of the largest producers of rice, harvesting up to 6,000 of varieties, alongside, it is also one of the largest rice consuming nations too.

The sheer popularity of the dish can be gauged by the exciting recipes we have around. This time we bring you the recipe of chitranna, commonly known as lemon rice that is widely prepared in south-India. This dish has heart-warming herbs and spices with rice being the primary ingredient which simply makes it a scrumptious treat. You can easily enjoy this dish any time of the day for its light and simple nature. Here’s the recipe for delicious lemon rice.

Source: Shutterstock

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp chana dal (soaked and dried)
  • 1 tsp urad dal (spilt and skinned black gram)
  • 2 dry red chillies (seeds removed)
  • 1 nos. green chillies, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup roasted peanuts
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp oil or as per your requirement

Preparations:

1. Wash the rice 3 times in running water. Take a large pot, add water and a pinch of salt then heat it over high flame. When it comes to boiling point add the strained rice. Let it boil over medium heat until they are soft. Drain the excess water from the steamed rice and keep it aside.

2. In a non-stick pan, heat oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, lower the flame and add mustard seeds, chana dal, and urad dal. Sauté them until urad dal turns golden.

3. Add curry leaves, green chillies and dry red chillies. Stir fry them again until dry red chillies change their color. Turn off the flame, add salt, turmeric powder, hing and peanuts. Mix them well with other ingredients.

4. Now take the rice pot and add the prepared mixture into it with lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients together for a couple of minutes until everything is mixed together. If required, you can add more salt in this stage as well.

Your delightful lemon rice is ready. Eat while it is hot.