Lemon Rice

Ingredients:  

• Long grain rice – 2 Cups

• Ghee – 2 tablespoons 

• Salt – 1 tablespoon

• Lemon Juice – 4 tablespoons

• Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

• Peanuts – 4 tablespoons

• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon 

• Thai Green chili – 2-4 chili slit

• Curry leaves – 4 springs 

• Channa Dal – 1 teaspoon 

• Urad Dal – 1 teaspoon 

• Asafoetida (Hing) – 1 pinch 

• Ginger – ½ tablespoon finely chopped 

• Dried red chili – 2 broken 

Lemon rice is a staple in many South Indian homes.  It I made by mixing precooked rice with a tempering of mustard seeds, chana dal, green chilies, dried red chilies, fresh ginger and curry leaves.  It is a comfort food for many and is most commonly eaten for a meal.  

In a bowl, take 2 cups of rice and rinse it 3 times with water.  Soak the rice for 30 minutes and set aside.  In a large pan, add 6-7 cups of water, add salt, and let it come to boil.  Once water is hot, add soaked rice.  Rice will finish cooking in about 10 minutes.  Once rice is fully cooked, drain the water from the rice.  Move rice to a different container.  Fluff the rice with a fork and cool completely. 

In a sauté pan, add ½ tablespoon of ghee and heat pan on medium flame.   Add peanuts and fry until golden and crunchy.  Remove them to a plate.  Pour another 1.5 tablespoon of ghee and add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal.  Fry on a medium flame until the dals turn golden and aromatic.  Next add ginger, green chilis, red chilis and curry leave.  Fry them until the leaves turn crisp for about 30 seconds.  Do not fry for too long otherwise ginger will turn bitter.  Then add hing, turmeric and salt.  Immediately pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and stir.  Quickly water will evaporate and turn the dal softer yet keeping them slightly crunchy.  Turn off the stove and remove pan from the heat.  

Transfer this to the cooled rice.  Add lemon juice and mix everything well.  Make sure rice is completely cooled.  Taste the lemon rice and if needed add more salt and lemon juice.  Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve.