Tangy, golden-hued, lemon-flavored rice that’s bright, refreshing, and makes for the perfect light meal. This popular South Indian dish is made with curry leaves, crunchy peanuts, and fresh lemon juice.
What is Lemon Rice?
Lemon rice is also known as chitranna or nimmakaya pulihora. This classic South Indian dish is a mildly-spiced, tangy flavored rice.
I vividly remember my first time eating lemon rice. I was at an Indian restaurant many years ago with my South Indian husband (then-boyfriend). I couldn’t stop eating the rice – I was so amazed by the flavor! It was so different than the North Indian food I grew up eating. I remember asking Roby if he had ever tried anything like it before, and he actually laughed in response because he thought I was joking (the answer was yes… just in case I needed to spell that out). Trust me when I say this is a very popular South Indian dish – loved by kiddos and adults alike.
Lemon Rice Ingredients
Lemon rice is very allergy and special diet-friendly. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and made without onion or garlic – two ingredients typically avoided during fasts. So what is in lemon rice?
Well, lemon juice and zest make this rice both tart and bright! Adding a serrano pepper (or two if you’re like my husband) gives it some heat, and the dal and peanuts add a bit of crunch. We can’t forget the curry leaves – those give the lemon rice LIFE! And by “life,” I mean an aromatic flavor that any other spice or herb can’t replicate. 😉 You can find fresh curry leaves at your local Indian grocery store for around a buck or pay a small fortune for them on amazon).
- Basmati Rice
- Oil of Choice: I like avocado oil
- Black Mustard Seeds
- Chana Dal: also known as split chickpeas
- Split and Skinless Urad Dal
- Peanuts
- Curry Leaves
- Serrano Pepper or Green Chili
- Ginger
- Spices: coriander powder, salt, turmeric
- Lemon Juice: fresh is best!
- Lemon Zest
How to Make Lemon Rice
Press the sauté button, add the oil, and then black mustard seeds, split chickpeas, split/skinless black lentils. Once the lentils turn golden in color, add the raw peanuts and stir-fry.
Add curry leaves, Serrano pepper, ginger, coriander powder, salt and turmeric. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add lemon juice, lemon zest, water, and rice. Mix well.
Then, pressure cook!
You can enjoy lemon rice year-round, but my favorite time to enjoy it is in the spring and summertime. Its bright flavor reminds me of warm weather. ☀️
How to Serve Lemon Rice:
Enjoy this fragrant rice as a light meal, a side dish, or a snack. Here are some ideas:
- Keep it simple and serve with a side of raita (Beet Raita would be great!), Salad, and a side of Indian pickles (achar).
- Pack it up for a picnic – it travels well!
- Serve it with potato curry, like this Aloo Curry or Dum Aloo
- Enjoy it as part of a filling meal with a bowl of Sambar
Instant Pot Lemon Rice
Instant Pot Lemon Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice soaked for 15-30 minutes
- 3 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon split chickpeas chana dal
- 1 tablespoon split and skinless black lentils split and skinless urad dal
- ⅓ cup raw peanuts*
- 15 curry leaves
- 1 Serrano pepper or green chili slit but intact, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest optional
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain the water, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button, add the oil and allow it to heat up for a minute. Add the mustard seeds, split chickpeas, split/skinless black lentils. After 1-2 minutes, or once the lentils turn golden in color, add the raw peanuts and stir-fry.
- Add the curry leaves, Serrano pepper, ginger, coriander powder, salt and turmeric. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add lemon juice, lemon zest, water and rice. Mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Notes
- *I prefer using raw peanuts in this dish, which can easily be found at any Indian grocery store or online. You can use roasted peanuts or cashews instead, just wait to add them in with the spices.
Jessica S says
Am I supposed to take the seeds out of the Serrano pepper? Or just slit and use the entire pepper? Thanks so much!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Jessica, I leave them in, but if you want to be certain that the dish doesn’t end up spicy, you can always remove the seeds and rib. Hope that helps!
Jessica siegel says
Would it be okay to use dried curry leaves? Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Jessica, fresh leaves are ideal but if you can’t get them then you can use dried.
Suranjita says
Lovely recipe! Made it today thinking of my sister who loves lemon rice. Being a bong it wasn’t a natural fish fur my mum to learn but she made sure she got an authentic recipe from our South Indian friends and used to make it for her. My ode to my mum but only possible with your inspiration!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you, Suranjita! I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
Lauren says
Mind-blowing! Thank you!
i’m a white girl who loves the Keralite food of my husband’s culture. He was floored I made this, and honestly I was too. I kept eating and eating thinking “I can’t believe i made this myself.” Hubby thought the same thing. I double the recipe and between 2 people it was gone by the end of the day. I’ve spread the recipe to my best food friends as a “drop everything and make this!” Can’t wait to try others.
My Heart Beets says
Lauren, that’s so awesome! Way to go! Glad you guys liked this so much 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out – let me know what you guys think of any other recipes you try!
Melissa says
This is soooooooo good!!! I didn’t have any problem with the burn sign so I wonder if different brands of basmati make a difference? I used Kohinoor Extra Flavourful. I love the little bite in the peanuts and channa dal. I didnt have anymore split urad dal so used split masoor dal instead and it worked perfectly. Another winner!!
My Heart Beets says
Melissa, I’m so happy to hear that you liked this so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you – and about subbing masoor dal for urad dal!
Prerna says
Hi – I tried this recipe and it tasted really good!! My rice however was super sticky and not at all fluffy. Any tips? In addition do you have a stovetop variation for this recipe? Thanks!!
Tasha says
Hi, any advice in how much of a Serrano pepper to add if I don’t want the rice to be very spicy? I’m aiming for kid friendly.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Tasaha, you can always leave it out completely. Or if your child can tolerate some heat, remove the rib (inside spicy portion of a pepper) and then maybe use an inch and see how that goes?
Jen says
I made this yesterday for lunch. I had never made lemon rice before but have had it at restaurants and friends’ places. This was fantastic…. and quick! My fam wiped the pot clean! I think its a great combo with your coconut chicken curry. I think I am gonna make this again tomorrow and will double the recipe
My Heart Beets says
Jen, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Love that you’re making it again so soon!
Namrata says
Hey so when I followed the same exact steps, my rice got burned and insta pot started showing “burn” so I opened it ASAP and looked, rice was uncooked but the bottom rice were all burned. Any idea where I went wrong? Thank you 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Namrata, was the pressure valve closed from the start? Otherwise sometimes too much steam can escape, causing there to be less water. That’s my guess but it’s really hard to say what could have caused it for sure… any other details you can provide would be helpful for troubleshooting!
Drew Peacock says
I bet it was an 8quart pot, mine burns stuff a lot if I don’t add extra water or elevate rice off bottom surface (layer it on top of other ingredients and don’t stir it until after it cooks).
Reena says
What brand of rice do you use? As you mentioned the cooking time can vary from brand to brand. I’m currently using the TJs basmati white rice, have you tried this lemon rice receipt with the TJs basmati rice? If so did it require 1:1 ratio and 6 mins cooking time?
My Heart Beets says
I use Aahu Barah and love it! Here’s a link: http://amzn.to/2wkU9O7