Lemon rice recipe | Quick lunch ideas

     Lemon rice and all other mixed rice varieties are my favorite. I can eat without getting tired even every day for lunch. I just hate the usual cooking sambar, poriyal,kootu, rasam . Give me a mixed rice and some vadams, I will be the most happiest person in the world. But I know most of the guys and kids hate this lemon rice. One main reason could be they got bored out of the lemon rice lunch box. Even I have heard elders speaking about a wife giving lemon rice for the hubbys/ kids lunch box like a sin!  At my home also no exception. Vj never like variety rice, so do Aj. Aj dont even touch lemon rice or tamarind rice/ coconut rice. He likes only spicy, masala kind of rice like tomato rice/ pulao, biryani. Ah, look at the taste of this guy! Spicy lover .
   But one fine day, when I was talking to Vj something about lemon rice, he told, who said I dont like lemon rice, I do like if I get thenga chutney as side dish. First I thought he is talking about thenga thogayal. Then he again said thenga chutney ground with pottu kadalai and a bit water to add. I was surprized as I heard that for first time. Then when I was talking to Jey, I was expecting her too to get surprized by that combination. But when She too joined and said yeah I too like that combination and people DO eat like that, then I knew I only had no idea about that combination. And yes I tried it twice after that with chutney, its really awesome. So you too can try this. May be you love it?!
    

Lemon rice recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 5 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Cooked rice - 2 & 1/2 cups

---

Lemon (I used Indian lemon) - 2

---

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

---

Salt - As needed

To temper

Sesame oil - 2 tblsp

---

Mustard - 1 tsp

---

Urad dal - 1 tsp

---

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

---

Peanuts - 2-3 tblsp

---

Red chilli - 3

---

Green chilli - 4

---

Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

---

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method

1. Cook rice with water ratio 1 :2 for 3 whistles. After done, transfer to a broad bowl and add a tsp of oil and a tsp of salt and mix carefully once and keep aside.
2. Squeeze lemon and collect the juice. Heat a kadai/ pan with oil, add mustard, once spluttered, add urad dal, channa dal, peanuts and redchilli. Fry till golden.

3. Then add green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric. Give a quick stir and add the lemon juice. If you want you can add a tbsp of water and switch off the stove. Add salt and mix well.

4. Add it to the cooled rice and mix well. Adjust salt, sesame oil as desired.

Notes

• After tempering, just switch off the stove and add lemon juice if you don’t want to loose the vitamins. You can also directly squeeze the lemon over the cooked rice like my mom does.
• Add turmeric generously. Then only you may get the colour.
• Adding red chillies and green chillies help a lot in flavour + spiciness.
• I used basmati rice , but you can use any rice or even do with left over rice.
• Give some standing time for the lemon rice to get the tastes incorporated well.
• Usually the tanginess should be more when you taste immediately. But later it will get absorbed and taste balanced.

I totally love this simple quick lunch – Lemon rice, curd rice + mango thokku and homemade javvarisi vadam (thanks mami). And ofcourse Vj’s favorite side for this is Coconut chutney!

Technorati Tags: lemon rice recipe,lemon rice,elumichai sadham,elumichai satham,quick lunch recipes,quick lunch,quick lunch ideas,easy lunch ideas.