How To Make South Indian Style Lemon Rice Recipe

Lemon rice in South Indian style is also one of the popular varieties of rice recipes loved in most Asian countries as in other continents exposed through Indian restaurants. This recipe is easy and quick to prepare with available ingredients from your pantry.

This variety of rice is tangy and slightly crunchy(tempered with dals) with a full burst of lemon lemony flavor. It is a simple recipe as Coconut Rice/Nariyal Chawal to cook and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes with leftover rice. If you want to make with freshly prepared rice, it takes a few more minutes to finish the recipe. It is quite a straight forward recipe to make and satisfy one’s lunch or dinner and can eat as it is or paired with any variety of chips or vegetable stir-fries.

This recipe brings childhood memories. Yes, after my try on Coconut rice, this lemon rice was my second try. It didn’t turn out perfect. Yes, I boiled the lemon mixture for a few minutes and, it turned out bitter. My Amma being my Cooking Guru, taught me some Citrusy lessons????! Though years rolled by, the learning is still fresh in my mind.

Why This Recipe is Simple

• It needs only a few ingredients.
• Few minutes to prepare
• Can use Leftover rice or freshly cooked rice. 
• Quick to mix up and serve for a quick lunch or Kids lunch box.
• Lemon rice is perfect for a journey as it stays for up to two days.

Serving Suggestion for Lemon Rice

You can relish this lemon rice as it is. For some, they need accompaniments. The best is any varieties of crunchy chips, potato fries, spicy potato masala curry and, any vegetable stir-fries goes well with lemon rice.

Some prefer to have with Papadum, Fryums, Chutneys or pickle.

You may also like to try few Rice Recipes

Tamarind Rice/ Imli Chawal

Coconut Rice/Nariyal Chawal

How To Make Egg Fried Rice

Lets see How to make South Indian Style Lemon Rice Recipe.

Pressure cook rice with sufficient water and keep it aside. In a heavy bottom pan or vessel add oil on a medium heat. To it add mustard seed, urad dal and channa dal and let it pop. Wait until the dals turns golden brown.

Now add Asafoetida, green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

Now add freshly squeezed lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt to taste to the oil mixture and switch off the flame. Gently stir the mixture until everything is completely mixed.

Add cooked rice( leftover or freshly cooked) to the mixture and mix gently until the seasoning is coated well on the rice.

Finally, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and is ready to serve with any chips or vegetable fries or can eat as it is.

Hope you like this recipe! If so, please try it out, and leave your feedback in comment and rate the recipe! It means a lot to me! Happy Cooking????

Notes

You can use leftover or freshly cooked rice. Cook rice not mushy but to perfection, so when mixing up, it should be perfect individual grains.

You can add more lemon juice according to your palate preference.

You can make this lemon mixture ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for up to two to three weeks.

Any nuts can be added to the rice. Fry the nuts and mix up with rice before serving.

Other Rice recipe you might like to try