Tuesday 22 April 2014

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is such a simple and flavourful south indian rice dish. This is was not my thought before my marriage, I always thought it as a very boring and it is made, when nothing comes to your head for cooking. All this changed after getting married and tasted my mil's lemon rice, yes it is the quickest thing you can make, but but it is very flavourful, soulful and very much enjoyable when done in my mil's way. Trust me she surely does very yummy. Correct blend of spice, tangy and a dash of sugar added to balance the spice and tanginess. Did I say she never adds coconut yes you read it right. Without coconut she brings out all the flavours to the rice. Now I savour it with much pleasure and enjoy it. There is a small twist to my mil's recipe, certain things you have to follow to make it a perfect lemon rice. Soo Here it is!!!!!!

Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup cooked and cooled at least 2 hours before making the lemon rice,
Salt,
Sugar - 3/4 teaspoon,
Lemon Juice - 1/4 cup and a little more,
Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon.

To Temper:
Oil - 1 Tablespoon,
Mustard - 11/2 teaspoons,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Peanuts - 1 tablespoon,
Chana dal - 1 teaspoon,
Green Chillies  - 5-6 finely chopped,
Red Chillies - 2 broken
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
Curry Leaves - 10-12,
Coriander - 1 tablespoon chopped.



Method:
Cook rice and allow it to cool well. This is very important tha,t rice has to be cooled well before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Again my mil doesn't cook rice for lemon rice very grainy, she cooks soft and fluffy.
Once rice is cooled, add salt and lemon juice and mix well. Keep aside.
In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds.
When it crackles,  add asafoetida, peanuts and chana dal.  Fry until peanuts and dal turns medium brown.
Add Turmeric, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds.
Remove from heat and add chopped coriander. Add tempering with sugar to rice and mix well.
Add a spoon of coconut oil and mix well. (this is my twist to my mil's lemon rice, it tastes heavenly with the flavour of coconut oil, again its optional , if you don't like the flavour, you don't have to add it).
Allow this to rest for half hour and slightly warm it up and serve.

Notes:
If you want, you can add grated coconut about a tablespoon.
The lemon rice should be a competitive blend of spice and tanginess.
Cooling of rice before tempering and resting after tempering, allows all the tastes of the spices to seep in and bring out the flavours.
Adding sugar just compliments the spice and tanginess of lemon.

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