Easy Vegan Lemon Rice Recipe | How to Make South Indian Lemon Rice

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:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Allow them to sputter.
2. Now add 1.5 tbsp. raw peanuts and 1 tsp. chana dal or Bengal gram. Cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add freshly grated ginger and curry leaves. Stir well.
4. Add split green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
5. Turn off the heat. Now add the cooked and cooled rice. Add lemon juice. Mix rice well with the spice mix.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
7. Your tasty lemon rice is ready to serve.

Pro Tips:

1. This is ready in under 15 minutes if using cooked rice.
2. You can cook rice, cool it and then use to make lemon rice.
3. Vary the quantity of lemon juice and green chillies used depending upon your taste. This lemon rice recipe is pleasantly sour.
4. You can add chopped onion if you so like but this is how they make it here.
5. Serve it with yoghurt raita for even more nutrition.
6. You can also use fried cashews as a garnish for added crunch and taste.
7. You can also use grated coconut for garnish.
8. This recipe is dairy free and vegan.

📖 Recipe Card

Easy South Indian lemon rice recipe

Rachna Parmar

This is the easy lemon rice recipe that has simple, bold flavours. It is ready in under 15 minutes if you have cooked rice at hand. It is perfect for any time when hunger strikes.

5 from 1 vote

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Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast | Snack, Rice Dish

Cuisine Karnataka | South Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 235 kcal

people

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 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

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

1. This is ready in under 15 minutes if using cooked rice.
2. You can cook rice, cool it and then use to make lemon rice.
3. Vary the quantity of lemon juice and green chillies used depending upon your taste. This lemon rice recipe is pleasantly sour.
4. You can add chopped onion if you so like but this is how they make it here.
5. Serve it with yoghurt raita for even more nutrition.
6. You can also use fried cashews as a garnish for added crunch and taste. You can also use some grated coconut for garnish.
7. This recipe is dairy free and vegan.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @rachna.parmar or tag #rachnacooks

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If you liked this recipe, I request you to leave a star * rating in the comments or on the recipe card. Thanks.

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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