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lemon rice served in a white bowl with curry leaves and lemon in the background
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Lemon rice

This delicious vegan rice dish - lemon rice is from South India. This subtly flavored rice dish is very refreshing and is perfect for summers.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 468kcal
Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • 1 large pan or skillet
  • Knife and chopping board

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked rice
  • 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice adjust to taste
  • 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
  • 1 small piece of ginger finely chopped or grated
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • ¼ cup raw peanuts
  • 1.5 tablespoons chana dal begnal gram
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal split & skinless black lentil
  • 2 dried red chilies break each into 2-3 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1.5 tablespoons cooking oil of choice
  • Salt to taste
  • 2-3 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Heat ½ a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add peanuts. Cook for a few minutes i.e. until the peanuts turn crunchy. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add broken red chilies, mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Saute for a few minutes i.e. until the lentils become fragrant and change color.
  • Add curry leaves, ginger, and green chilies, Saute for a few seconds.
  • Add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Saute for another few seconds.
  • Add salt and 2-3 tablespoons of water and cook until the water evaporates. Turn off the heat.
  • Add cooked rice and lemon juice. Toss until everything gets mixed well.
  • Finally, add peanuts and mix.

Notes

  1. Leftover rice is the best for making lemon rice. If you don't have leftover rice, cook it at least 2 hours beforehand. Freshly cooked rice breaks easily when tossed.
  2. You can adjust the amount of lemon juice as per your taste.
  3. For an authentic South Indian taste of lemon rice, dry roast fenugreek seeds (methi dana) until it becomes fragrant. Allow the seeds to reach room temperature then make a fine powder. Add a small amount of this powder while adding rice and lemon juice. It won't taste bitter but will enhance the flavor of lemon rice.
  4. Don't overcook ginger otherwise, it will turn bitter.
  5. Adding green chilies is optional, skip if you don't want to add heat to this dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 118mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg