Lemon rice is an easy and simple South Indian staple food recipe made with boiled rice and a tempering prepared with lemon flavors. After curd rice, this rice preparation is one of the frequently made dish with leftover rice for morning breakfast.
It is a tradition in Tamil Marriages or Poojas to serve 3 types of flavored rice, including this 'Lemon Rice', other 2 flavors are mostly 'Coconut Rice' 'Tamarind Rice' or 'Sesame Rice'. These flavored rice are always served in occasions as side dishes after serving Sambar, Rasam and Morru Rice
Yet in regular days, it can also be had for lunch and dinner with choice of chutney or curries.
This dish is made with leftover rice from the previous day of lunch or dinner. Basically the leftover rice makes it an ideal ingredient for this recipe, in other words, the rice becomes dry and moisture free as it is a little old, so it easily gets mixed with the spices and lemon juice.
Being said that, I always like to make it with fresh rice, so I cook the rice moisture less. In regular days when i making lemon rice for my family I would want to make it with simple form of rice, but when I am inviting some guest, I will make it with long grain aromatic rice, like Basmati etc.
The basic tempering is mainly using any oil or ghee with addition of mustard seeds, red or green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and lentils like udad and/or chana. But when this dish is going to be fed to toddlers or older family members, lentils are just avoided as for obvious reasons, that it becomes little difficult for them to chew.
This dish is also very popular to pack while travelling and if going out for a picnic or something, because it is not messy and can be eaten without any other dips, or chutney. It stays fresh for long as it does'nt include onions or garlic and because of the addition of turmeric and lemon juice which are believed to be natural preservatives.
Tanjore Lemon Rice
RECIPE
Serves: 2 People
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Tools: Kadai
INGREDIENTS
Basmati raw rice 1 cup.
Chana Dal 2 tbsp.
Cashewnuts 1/4 cup.
Udad Dal 1 tbsp.
Green chillies 2 nos.
Curry Leaves 4-5 nos.
Coconut or any oil 2 tbsp.
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds 1 tsp.
Sugar 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp.
Lemon 1 no.
Salt to taste.
coriander leaves 2 tbsp.
METHOD
1. Wash raw rice and add 1 3/4 cups of water, so that it cooks dry and grainy. you may add water according to absorption level of the rice.
2. Pressure cook rice until 1 whistle.
3. Open the cooker when it cools naturally, take the rice out and spread it in a big dish or bowl to cool it.
4. Soak chana dal in warm water. Cut lemon in half, discard seeds and squeeze out the juice in a small cup.
5. Wash chilies, coriander and curry leaves, chop chilies and coriander leaves roughly. Break Cashews in half.
6. In a large kadai heat coconut oil and fry cashews, remove in a dish and keep aside.
7. In the same kadai add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add soaked and drained chana dal, and udad dal.
8. Roast chili and curry leaves for few seconds.
9. Then add asafoetida, turmeric and cumin powder, sugar and let this roast on low flame for few seconds.
10. Switch off the heat, add lemon juice and place the lid and leave it for 5-10 minutes. This step will ensure that the dals will get soft and lemon juice will incorporate with other spices.
11. After 10 minutes, open the lid add the cooked rice, salt and chopped coriander leaves.
12. Mix well making sure everything is well combined.
13. Finally, enjoy lemon rice while it is hot with pickle, papadams or curd.
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