Ever since I watched the latest season of Masterchef Australia and how Sandeep cooked Lemon Rice and Pepper Chicken which won him an immunity pin, I’ve been craving for some. And finally, after weeks of craving, I made some the other day.

Lemon Rice is a famous dish from South India and is commonly known as Chithrannna. It’s basically long-grain rice tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and has peanuts, cashews for crunch and of course, lemon juice for that tangy flavor.

This recipe can be made under 30 minutes with either fresh rice/ leftover rice and tastes amazing when paired with something spicy like pepper chicken or ghee roast masala. Amelia loves it just the way it is and also loves the fact that the rice is a bright yellow color.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1 Green Chilli, slitted
• 6–8 Curry Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 8–10 Cashew nuts/ Peanuts (Optional)
• Chopped Coriander for topping

Note:

*Lemon rice tastes best when each grain of rice separates from each other and is not mushy.

*You can use Lime instead of Lemon, however, they are a little sourer comparatively.

METHOD:

Rinse the rice a few times with water, drain and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pot and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, reduce the flame and add green chilies, and curry leaves.

Add rice to the pan. Dry roast it for a minute or two and add turmeric powder, lemon zest, salt, and two cups water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a roaring boil, reduce it to a simmer; cover and cook till the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

Separately roast the cashew/ peanuts. Mix in the lemon juice, coriander, nuts and serve hot.