Lemon rice is one among the traditional and authentic food of tamilians. I use to prepare variety rice very rarely, mostly in times of lazy or when I have lemon in large quantity or when I am back to home after tour. My husband loves variety rice to core, moreover people pack lemon rice for picnic, and it would stay fresh for a day. The combination of lemon rice with paruppu vadai, potato chips and lemon pickle are unbeatable. Let us move on to the recipe…

Lemon Rice with vadai, chips and pickle

Ingredients:

• Steamed rice – 2 cups
• Lemon juice – ½ cup
• Channa dal – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
• Split black gram – ¼ tsp
• Red chilies – 4 nos
• Curry leaves – a sprig
• Asafoetida / Hing – ¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

Lemon juice with turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt

With all spices

With lemon juice

Oil floating on the top of the lemon juice

With steamed rice

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice with vadai, chips and pickle

Preparation:

• Squeeze out the juice form lemon and pick out the seeds.
• Add in turmeric powder, asafoetida, and ½ tsp of salt to the lemon juice and mix well along with ½ cup of water.
• Pinch the red chilies into medium pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add in mustard seeds, split black gram, channa dal, pinched red chilies and curry leaves. Wait till they crackle.
• Give a stir and pour in the lemon juice to it. Cook for few mins, until the lemon juice becomes thick and the oil floats to the top of it.
• Keep in medium flame, add in the steamed rice and mix it well with the lemon juice.
• Remove from the fire, once it gets mixed well.

Serve hot. I have accompanied with paruppu vadai, potato chips and lemon pickle.