Easy Lemon Rice Recipe – A Quick, Homemade South Indian Favorite
Lemon Rice Recipe: Ever found yourself staring at a pantry full of ingredients with zero motivation to spend an hour cooking? Yeah, me too. That’s exactly why lemon rice has become my weeknight superhero – ready in 20 minutes flat with ingredients you already have.
Servings: 3 People
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice preferably cooled or day-old rice
- Juice of ½–1 lemon adjust to taste
- Salt to taste
Tempering (Tadka) Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil or ghee
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal split black gram
- 1 tsp chana dal optional
- 1 –2 dried red chilies or 1 green chili slit
- 8 –10 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- A pinch of asafoetida hing
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts or cashews
Optional Add-Ins
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
- Grated coconut
- Cooked vegetables like peas, carrots, or bell peppers
- A pinch of sugar to balance acidity
- Lemon zest for extra tang
Instructions
Preparing the perfect base rice
- Cook your rice with a 1:2 ratio of rice to water until it’s fluffy but each grain remains separate. Let it cool completely – seriously, don’t rush this step! Hot rice will turn mushy when mixed with other ingredients. Spread it on a plate to cool faster if you’re in a hurry.
Creating the aromatic tempering
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add mustard seeds until they pop. Toss in curry leaves, urad dal, Chana dal, peanuts, green chilies, and asafetida. This fragrant mixture is the soul of authentic lemon rice – your kitchen should smell amazing now!
Mixing and balancing flavors
- Gently fold the tempered spices into your cooled rice. Add turmeric for that signature golden color, then squeeze fresh lemon juice gradually, tasting as you go. Season with salt and mix until every grain is coated in tangy, spiced goodness.
Resting time for maximum flavor absorption
- Let your lemon rice sit covered for 10-15 minutes before serving. This resting period allows the rice to soak up all those incredible flavors. The difference between good and mind-blowing lemon rice often comes down to this simple patience test.
Notes
Nutritional Information (Per Serving, Approximate)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~230–250 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~38–42 g |
| Protein | ~5–6 g |
| Fat | ~7–9 g |
| Fiber | ~2 g |
| Sodium | ~250–300 mg |
| Vitamin C | ~10–15% DV |
| Iron | ~6% DV |
| Potassium | ~5% DV |
| Magnesium | ~8% DV |
