Lemon rice is a delicious and easy rice dish that is eaten as breakfast, snack and meal in South India. It is also offered as prasadam at temples. I love its tasty, slightly spicy flavours. And it is so simple to make especially with leftover rice. It is light yet filling. The ingredients are pretty easy to source:

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Here's how to make South Indian lemon rice at home:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked rice or leftover rice
- 1.5 tbsp. peanuts raw
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp. split Bengal gram or chana dal
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 3-4 green chillies slit and cut
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 pinch asafoetida or heeng
- salt to taste
For garnish
- 1 tbsp. cilantro or coriander leaves
Recipe:
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Allow them to sputter.
- Now add 1.5 tbsp. raw peanuts and 1 tsp. chana dal or Bengal gram. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add freshly grated ginger and curry leaves. Stir well.
- Add split green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
- Turn off the heat. Now add the cooked and cooled rice. Add lemon juice. Mix rice well with the spice mix.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
- Your tasty lemon rice is ready to serve.
Pro Tips:
- This is ready in under 15 minutes if using cooked rice.
- You can cook rice, cool it and then use to make lemon rice.
- Vary the quantity of lemon juice and green chillies used depending upon your taste. This lemon rice recipe is pleasantly sour.
- You can add chopped onion if you so like but this is how they make it here.
- Serve it with yoghurt raita for even more nutrition.
- You can also use fried cashews as a garnish for added crunch and taste.
- You can also use grated coconut for garnish.
- This recipe is dairy free and vegan.
Easy South Indian lemon rice recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice or leftover rice
- 1.5 tbsp. peanuts raw
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp. split Bengal gram or chana dal
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 3-4 green chillies slit and cut
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 pinch asafoetida or heeng
- salt to taste
For garnish
- 1 tbsp. cilantro or coriander leaves
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Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Allow them to sputter.
- Now add 1.5 tbsp. raw peanuts and 1 tsp. chana dal or Bengal gram. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add freshly grated ginger and curry leaves. Stir well.
- Add split green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
- Turn off the heat. Now add the cooked and cooled rice. Add lemon juice. Mix rice well with the spice mix.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
- Your tasty lemon rice is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- This is ready in under 15 minutes if using cooked rice.
- You can cook rice, cool it and then use to make lemon rice.
- Vary the quantity of lemon juice and green chillies used depending upon your taste. This lemon rice recipe is pleasantly sour.
- You can add chopped onion if you so like but this is how they make it here.
- Serve it with yoghurt raita for even more nutrition.
- You can also use fried cashews as a garnish for added crunch and taste. You can also use some grated coconut for garnish.
- This recipe is dairy free and vegan.
Nutrition
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This lemon rice is a truly tasty and simple recipe with clean flavours. You are sure to love this and make it often.
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