Lemon Rice (Tangy Flavorful Rice)
Lemon Rice, also known as Chitranna or Nimmakaya Pulihora, is a crispy, aromatic, and zesty rice delicacy that is both simple to prepare and exceptionally delicious. The infusion of fresh lemon juice, toasted nuts, aromatic herbs, and spices results in a harmonious fusion that imparts a remarkable blend of spiciness, tanginess, and nuttiness to this steamed rice dish.
Ingredients
For Cooking Rice
- 1 cup rice (heaped) or 3 to 4 cups cooked rice
- 1.75 to 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required
Other Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or add as required
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and skinned black gram)
- 2 dry red chilies – preferably seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chillies – chopped
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon cashews – halved or chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup peanuts – optional
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) or any neutral oil
- salt as required
Instructions
Soaking Rice
- Rinse rice grains a couple of times and soak in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Then drain all the water from the soaked rice.
Stove-Top Pressure Cooking
- Cook rice in a 2-litre or 3-litre pressure cooker with salt and 1.75 to 2 cups water for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes on medium to medium-high heat.
- When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. Remove the cooked rice in a plate or in a bowl.
- 1 heaped cup rice will yield 3 to 4 cups rice. This will depend on the type and quality of rice.
- Let the cooked rice become warm or cool at room temperature
Cooking Rice A Pan Or Pot
- Take rice, salt and 2 cups water in a pan. Cover and simmer until all the water has been absorbed and rice grains are tender and fluffy.
- Do keep a check when rice is simmering and if the water has dried leaving the rice grains undercooked, add some more hot water and continue to cook.
- Place the cooked rice in a tray or bowl to cool it.
Instant Pot Method
- Add rice, salt and 1 or 1.25 cups water (depending on rice type and quality) in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high. Do a quick pressure release after 5 minutes.
- Empty the cooked rice in a plate or bowl to cool at room temperature.
Frying Nuts
- In a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil. First fry the peanuts until crunchy and then set them aside.
- In the same oil, then fry cashews until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Now add 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same pan. Keep the flame to a low.
- Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Once the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the urad dal.
- Fry until the urad dal turns golden. Fry everything on a low flame, so that the lentils do not burn.
- Then add the red chilies, green chilies (chopped) and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until the red chilies change color.
- Switch off the heat and add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Mix very well
Making Lemon Rice
- Immediately pour this tempering mixture on cooked and cooled rice. Add the fried peanuts and cashews, lemon juice, salt. Mix very well.
- Keep the bowl or pan covered for the flavors to blend for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Then serve the lemon rice.
- While serving you can choose to garnish chitranna with some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).
Serving Suggestions
- Serve lemon rice with pappadums or with a side vegetable salad or even coconut chutney also goes great with this dish.
- It can also be packed in the tiffin box. As lemon rice can be served at room temperature, it also makes a great picnic lunch item. It’s a light dish and you can have it as a light lunch or breakfast too.
Storing
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a day. Leftover rice is not good for health, so I suggest to finish the lemon rice in a day.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 9gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 445mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 239IUVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!