Lemon Riceલેમન રાઈસ
Fifteen minutes and a bowl of leftover rice: turmeric, lemon, peanuts and curry leaves. It also travels well in a lunchbox.
Ingredients
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- 3 cups cooked rice, cooled
- 2 tbsp oil
- Mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts
- Curry leaves, 2 green chillies, asafoetida
- ½ tsp turmeric, salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, coriander
Method
- Loosen the rice with a fork. Cold rice works best.
- Crackle mustard seeds in oil, then fry both dals and the peanuts until golden.
- Add curry leaves, chillies and asafoetida, then the turmeric.
- Turn off the heat, add the rice and salt, and fold gently.
- Add the lemon juice last; heating lemon juice turns it bitter.
- Finish with coriander.
Tips
- Hot rice turns sticky; use cooled rice.
- Fry the peanuts properly, they carry the whole dish.
Storing and reheating
The lemon and oil mean this rice keeps better than most. It is fine out of the fridge all day in cool weather, five or six hours in the heat, and two days refrigerated, though the grains harden. Sprinkle a little water over it and steam it covered to revive it. The peanuts soften once cold, so roast a few fresh ones to stir in the next day.
What you can swap
- If you do not have both dals, chana dal alone is fine, or use a tablespoon of broken cashews instead.
- Dried curry leaves contribute almost nothing. If you have no fresh ones, leave them out rather than substitute.
- Use sesame or coconut oil in place of refined oil. That is where the South Indian character comes from.
- With no lemon, raw mango or half a teaspoon of amchur will give you sourness, though not the same freshness.
What to serve with it
In South Indian homes this is lunch-box and travel food, packed with papad, curd and pickle, and it is also served as temple prasad. In Gujarati kitchens it has become the quick way to use up last night's rice, eaten with curd in the evening.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not scatter the salt straight over the rice. Dissolve it in the lemon juice first so it coats every grain evenly.
- Add the rice immediately after the turmeric. Turmeric left in hot oil turns bitter.
- Do not stir hard with a spoon. Lift the rice from underneath with a flat spatula, or the grains break and the whole thing turns pasty.
- Do not pour in all the lemon juice at once. Add half, taste, then add more if it needs it.
Questions people ask
Can I use leftover rice from the fridge?
That is in fact the best rice for it. Cold rice is separate and slightly firm, so it does not break up. Take it out half an hour ahead and crumble the lumps apart with your fingers before you start.
Which rice works best?
A long-grain rice that cooks separate, such as sona masoori or basmati. Use slightly less water than usual and spread the cooked rice on a plate to cool. Sticky short-grain rice turns into a lump.
How long does it last in a lunch box?
Lemon rice made in the morning is perfectly good at lunchtime; the lemon and oil help it along. In hot weather do not pack curd or raw salad in with it, keep those in a separate container.
