Lemon Rice | Chitranna | Nimmakaya Pulihora

I wish all my readers and friends 'Happy Vara Lakshmi Festival'.I was busy in the morning with the puja and also cooked various festival varieties.I prepared Kari Kudumulu,a kind of traditional sweet which I thought of posting it today on the eve of festival but I am really exhausted after the festival celebrations and cannot spend more time editing my pics and writing the post.I would definitely post it next week and in the interim thought of sharing another simple lemon recipe which I prepared today.

We all make lot of rice varieties like lemon rice,mango rice, puliyogre, coconut rice, mustard rice etc during festivals as they do not require onions in it and also are very easy to make.Coming to the lemon rice recipe,it is very easy and quick to make as it does not include many items.I am sure everyone knows how to make lemon rice but I would like to share few tips in order to make tasty lemon rice.Nicely cooked soft and fluffy rice,more spicy and tangy rice for extra punch and also mixing the rice while it is hot are the key things one should remember to make yummy and tasty lemon rice.

Lemon Rice | Chitranna | Nimmakaya Pulihora:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup regular Sona masuri or equivalent
1 big Lemon or 2 small Lemons
5-6 Green chillies,slit
1-2 Red chillies(optional)
2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander
a sprig of Curry leaves
2-3 tbsp Cashews,broken
2-3 tbsp Groundnuts
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Chana dal
1 tsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Pressure cook rice(1 cup rice: 2 1/4 cups water) or how you cook your regular rice until it is soft and fluffy.The rice should be comparatively softer to eat and it should not be like how we do for pulav/biriyani.
• Squueze the lemon and separate the seeds and keep it aside.
  
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add ground nuts and fry over medium flame until they are golden brown.
• Add cashew nuts,chana dal,urad dal,green chilies and fry until they turn golden brown and green chillies wilt.
• Add curry leaves and mix well and add turmeric powder and switch off the flame.
• Now take rice in a wide bowl and add the seasoning to it and add enough salt and mix well until everything is mixed.
• Add squeezed lemon with out seeds and coriander to it and mix well.

Serve it immediately when it is warm/hot.You can even serve it cold.
Notes:

1. In order to make tasty lemon rice I always mix when the rice is hot and I like to eat it immediately
2. Do not add lemon juice to the hot seasoning it will turn the rice bitter.Instead add lemon juice after you mix the rice with the seasoning.
   
3. I added more number of chillies to the recipe,if you can not bear that much spice level feel free to reduce the number of chillies.
4. It is always important to taste the rice and add salt,lime/lemon juice to it according to your taste buds.
5. Always add less amount of turmeric powder and also add directly into the tadka which gives the rice a light greenish color instead of yellow color.
6. Use regular rice like sona masuri,ponni or equivalent rice and I do not recommend using basmati rice for this.
7. If you are making the rice ahead always use more lemon/lime and chillies than needed as the rice absorbs it and make it more tasty by noon.