Indian Lemon Rice Recipe - Quick & Tangy Leftover Rice

Indian lemon rice in a white bowl topped with fried peanuts, curry leaves, and chilies, placed on a light background with curry leaves on the side.

Indian Lemon Rice Recipe - Quick & Tangy Leftover Rice

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Indian lemon rice is a tangy, comforting dish made with leftover basmati rice, peanuts, and spices. Quick to prepare and perfect for light dinners or lunch boxes.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Author Sravanthi Chanda

Ingredients

3 cups cooked basmati rice cooked and cooled, leftover rice works best here.
¼ cup peanuts
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chana dal
1 teaspoon urad dal
2 green chili slit
1 red chili
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
10 curry leaves
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
4 teaspoon oil
⅛ teaspoon hing optional

Instructions

Prep the Rice

Place the cooked and cooled rice in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and lemon juice to the cooled rice. Mix everything well, ensuring there are no lumps in the rice.
3 cups cooked basmati rice, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt

Make the Tadka or Tempering

Now, heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Roast peanuts until golden and crunchy. Set them aside.
4 teaspoon oil, ¼ cup peanuts
In the same pan, add the remaining oil. Temper mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 4 teaspoon oil, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Once the seeds start spluttering, add chana dal, urad dal, and curry leaves to the tempering.
1 teaspoon chana dal, 1 teaspoon urad dal, 10 curry leaves
Then add slitted green chili and red chili.
2 green chili, 1 red chili
Once all the ingredients are roasted well (color should change to light brown), turn off the flame and add turmeric powder and hing (if using).
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Add this tempering, roasted peanuts to the prepared basmati rice.

Mix and Serve

Gently combine everything. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice before serving.

Notes

Tested Tips from My Kitchen

If using fresh rice, let it cool completely before mixing.
Add lemon juice only to cooled rice, never to hot tempering.
For a strong turmeric flavor and color, add it to tempering. For mild flavor, mix with rice and lemon juice.
Sometimes I add cooked chickpeas to make the dish more filling.

If you enjoy South Indian tempered rice dishes, you may also like my Indian Fried Rice made with leftover basmati rice and pantry spices.

Nutrition