Lemon Rice Recipe

Lemon Rice Recipe also known as chitranna, elumichai pazham sadam or lemon sadam is a popular South Indian rice dish. This spiced tangy rice is an easy recipe to make for lunch box and taste great with potato poriyal, pickle and papad. Learn how to make lemon rice and instant lemon rice mix that can be stored for long time with step by step pictures and video. 

Lemon rice

Lemon rice is my comfort food of choice. During my school days, Amma makes lemon rice and potato fry to pack in my lunch box, I used to relish it so much. My favorite combination with lemon rice is garlic pickle. Amma makes this along with her signature potato poriyal But I often like to have it with potato roast. 

Jump to:

• About Lemon rice 
• Homemade Lemon Rice Mix
• Ingredients 
• Step by Step Pictures
• Watch Lemon Rice Recipe Video 
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Get Recipe

Lemon rice is a must make dish in our house for once a week. Somedays we even have it twice or thrice. This is  a quick and simple dish to make if you have only minutes in your hands. A awesome spiced up rice with a hint of tangy taste.

About Lemon rice 

Lemon rice is a popular South Indian rice dish. It is one of the most loved variety rice which includes tamarind rice, coconut rice, tomato rice and curd rice. Lemon rice is called in many different names including chitranna, lemon sadam and nimbu rice. 

Making this tangy spiced rice is so easy. You have to temper a whole bunch of whole spices, lentils, ginger, green chillies. Add turmeric and lemon juice to taste and toss in cooked rice to coat. 

Many people skip the turmeric in this dish. But I strongly suggest you to add it because that  gives the awesome colour which a lemon rice should have. Lemon rice with potato is a perfect combo.

One important step you have to remember while making lemon rice is, to add lemon juice once the pan cools down. So you preserve the health benefits (vitamins) in lemon juice and also the lemon rice won't get bitter. 

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Lemon Rice, Chitranna or nimmakaya pulihora

Lemon rice is also known as chitranna in Kannada and nimmakaya pulihora in Telugu. It is a staple dish in every South Indian household. It is equally popular in the western world as well.

Everyone around the world loves this dish since it is mild and delicate in flavour. It is known for its colour, people refer it to yellow rice.

Even though this has nutty flavour from the lentils and tangy taste from lemon, it is quite different from the authentic yellow rice which is also known as Turmeric rice.

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Homemade Lemon Rice Mix

Even though lemon rice takes just 10 minutes to make. Gathering the ingredients needed for the tempering can seem like a taste during busy morning. This lemon rice mix can be made a day or even a week in advance.

Prepared lemon rice mix can stay happily in fridge upto a week. Since it has a good amount of oil and lemon juice, it has a long shelf life. I usually make double or triple batch of the mix and store it in a glass bottle in fridge. So I can use it all week long.

The recipe for making lemon rice mix is same, You can double the recipe given below. Once the tempering is done, add turmeric, lemon juice and salt and mix well. Allow this to cool, now store it in a clean dry air tight bottle. Store in fridge.

When in need, take cooked hot rice in a bowl. Add few spoons of this lemon rice mix into the rice and toss to combine. Thats it.

Ingredients 

• Rice - for making lemon rice, you can use any variety of cooked white rice. You can use regular rice or basmati rice as well. I have shared below how I like to cook rice in pressure cooker for making variety rice. 
• Lemon - use freshly squeezed lemon juice for making lemon rice which makes all the difference. 
• Lentils and tempering spices - split chana dal, urad dal, mustard are the main spices added in the oil for crunch and flavour. Dry red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves are used for flavour. 
• Cashews - I like to add few cashews for taste. You can skip it if you want to. 
• Green chillies - add chopped green chillies for flavour and spice. 
• Ginger - use peeled chopped ginger which compliments the lemon flavour. 
• Oil or Ghee - lemon rice can be cooked in oil like coconut oil or ghee for rice taste.

Step by Step Pictures

Pre-preparation

1)I am using ponni rice in this recipe. Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Take rice in a pressure cooker. For 1 cup of rice, I use 21/2 cup to 3 cups of water. Pressure cook for 3 whistle. Take it off the heat and let the steam escape by itself. Open the cooker and gently fluff the rice.

Cut open lemons and squeeze the juice using a lemon squeezer or your hands. Remove any seeds if seen. Set aside.

Tempering Spices

2)heat oil in a pan. instead of oil you can use ghee as well. First add in urad dal and chana dal. Allow them to fry for few minutes on low heat.

3)Add in cashews and mix well. Fry this till golden brown.

4)Add in mustard seeds and let them pop.

5)Now add in dry red chillies and curry leaves. Fry them on low heat for few seconds.

6)Add in asafoetida and mix well.

7)Now add in ginger and green chillies. Make sure to chop them finely. If you are serving this for kids, you can remove the green chillies entirely.

8)Add in turmeric powder and mix well. Take it off the heat.

Making Lemon Rice Mix

9)It is important to take the pan off the heat before adding in lemon juice, else the lemon juice can get bitter if boiled.

Add lemon juice and salt into the oil.

10)Mix this well. The lemon juice will emulsify with the oil. This is your lemon rice mix.

Making Lemon Rice

11)Now add cooked rice in and mix well.

12)You can taste and add more lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot or put in lunch box along with potato poriyal.

Watch Lemon Rice Recipe Video 

Expert Tips

• Heat oil on medium before adding in the lentils. Cook the lentils till lightly golden in colour.
• Take the pan off the heat before adding in the lemon juice. 
• You can taste the lemon juice and add more lemon juice and salt to taste. 
• You can add in finely chopped dill leaves, mint leaves or coriander leaves for refreshing taste.
• Cashews can be skipped. 

Serving & Storage

You can make the lemon rice mix and store in a clean dry glass bottle in fridge upto a week. This spiced tangy rice is an easy recipe to make for lunch box and taste great with potato poriyal, pickle and papad. 

FAQ

Q: Which rice is best for lemon rice?

You can use any cooked rice for making lemon rice. But for restaurant style taste use basmati rice.

Q: Should I use fresh or bottled lemon juice?

You can use both, but using freshly squeeze lemon juice always taste best.

Q: Can I add lemon juice while the pan is on heat?

I recommend switching off the heat before adding lemon juice, since boiling lemon juice will turn bitter.

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If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.

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