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Lemon Rice Recipe

India

Lemon rice is a specialty of the South Indian coastal state of Tamil Nadu.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil (also called til/gingely oil or NaLEnnai)
  • 2 tbsp split peas
  • 2 tbsp groundnuts (peanuts)
  • ½ tsp asafoetida (heengh/perungayum)
  • 3–4 dry red chillies, broken into pieces
  • 4–5 curry leaves
  • 2 lemons, juiced, or 4 tbsp lemon concentrate
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ¾ tbsp salt

Procedure

  1. Heat the oil in a pan.
  2. Add groundnuts and split-peas, and fry until golden brown.
  3. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and red chillies. Wait until the mustard seeds sputter.
  4. Mix in a little salt, turmeric powder and lemon concentrate.
  5. Let it boil and reduce.
  6. Remove pan from stove, add to the rice, and mix well.

Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook · Cookbook:Lemon Rice, CC BY-SA 3.0.