Lemon Rice Recipe

Last Updated On: Jan 25, 2025 by Sharmilee J

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Lemon Rice is made by tempering spices along with crunchy peanuts, flavoring with lemon juice finally mixing it with cooked rice. It is also called as Chitranna or Nimmakaya Pulihora. Lemon rice is easy and quick that you can make in no time. Learn to make Lemon Rice with the help of step by step pictures and video.

Lemon rice is one of the most popular variety rice recipes that we enjoy for lunch, lunchbox, travel etc. Lemon rice is called as Chitranna in Karnataka and it is a common rice meal savored at homes and served as prasad in temples.

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About Lemon Rice
Lemon Rice Video
Lemon Rice Ingredients
How to make Lemon Rice Step by Step
Expert Tips
Storage & Serving
FAQS
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About Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is a popular lunch box meal and travel food as the taste is retained even hours after cooking. The sourness of lemon when mixed with plain rice along gets us a heavenly taste.

Lemon Rice is a popular variety rice that is part of the menu in mini meals served at hotels. Lemon rice is a one of the five variety rice cooked for Valaikappu / Seemantham / Baby shower function. Lemon Rice is also commonly sold as a packed rice in hotels, mobile catering vans and bakeries. Lemon Rice is also served in Annadhanam performed at temples.

Lemons contain a high amount of vitamin C and soluble fiber that give them a number of health benefits. Lemons aid in weight loss, reduces risk of heart disease, skin issues, kidney stones, digestive issues, and cancer. So lemon rice is a healthy choice in addition to a tasty choice!

Lemon Rice Video

Lemon Rice Ingredients

Lemon – Choose a lemon that’s heavy for its size and has a pleasant fragrance. The skin should be bright yellow with no wrinkling. A thinner-skinned lemon will yield more juice and hence choose them.
Rice – Both raw or boiled rice are very good for making Lemon rice. I used ponni boiled rajabhogam rice for this recipe. We can use Basmati rice also for making lemon rice. Do not overcook the rice – the rice should be grain separated after cooking so that lemon rice is fluffy and not sticky when mixed with lemon extract and spices.
Tempering – A tempering is made with oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing, red chilies, chana dal and urad dal.
Turmeric powder – Turmeric powder adds flavor and color to lemon rice.
Oil – You can use regular cooking oil or refined oil or even gingelly oil for making lemon rice. Use refined oil available at stores. For a healthier option, you can use sesame oil or / groundnut oil. Olive oil and coconut oil also can be used according to user preferences.

Yes – not all the days are bright and energetic. When we are tired of routine or office or having a busy schedule ahead, you can pep your mood up by completing the cooking in no time. Lemon rice is the one I look for at those times. The best part is that when you have leftover rice after packing lunch box or from the previous day, you can make Lemon rice in minutes and make it a no cook day !

Turmeric powder gives vibrant yellow color to this dish. I believe when people were using it for hundreds of years they would have added turmeric powder to sync it with color of the lemon and for the goodness of turmeric!

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How to make Lemon Rice Step by Step

Tempering Lemon Rice

1.Soak 1 tablespoon chana dal in water for few minutes. Drain water and set aside.

2.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan – add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds let it crackle then add 3/4 teaspoon urad dal and 1 tablespoon chana dal.

3.Now add 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger, 2 red chilies, few curry leaves and 1 and 1/2 tablespoon peanuts.

4.Saute for a minute until lentils turn golden and peanuts turn crisp.

5.Add required salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of hing.

6.Give a quick mix. Switch off and let it cool down and come to room temperature.

Adding lemon juice

7.This is done off the stove : Squeeze 1 small lemon to extract lemon juice. Do not add lemon juice when the tempering is very hot.

Adding cooked rice

8.Add 1 and 1/2 cups cooked rice.

9.Mix well until nicely combined.

Lemon rice is ready. Enjoy!

This is a great travel food combination!

Expert Tips

Always bring the tempering to room temperature before adding lemon juice else it may turn bitter.
Also cook rice spread it in a plate to cool down then add it. You can even add a teaspoon of oil spread it to cool down.
I added peanuts with skin, you can add deskinned peanuts too.
Adding ginger not only gives flavor but helps in digestion too.
Use good quality turmeric powder. I used homemade turmeric powder.

Variations

Adding cashews will make lemon rice more rich.
Onions can be tempered with spices and added.
Mint leaves can be added for mint flavor.
Garlic can be minced and added for garlic flavored lemon rice.
Replace rice with poha for lemon poha.
You can replace red chilies with green chilies while tempering.

Storage & Serving

Lemon rice goes well with any vegetable fry, papad, vadagam, and pickle. Usually I make fry – potato fry as side dish for lunch box and papad when I prepare it in home.
Lemon rice is a good lunch menu at home and as well for lunch box. It could be made early in the morning and it would be good till night. Refrigeration is not needed.

FAQS

1.Is Lemon and Lime the same?

Lemon and Lime are similar. While lime is smaller, round green variety lemon is bit larger, oval shaped and yellow variety. Both Lemon and Lime can be used to make Lemon Rice.

2.Are peanuts necessarily to be added in the Lemon rice?

Roasted peanuts give a crunch feel to lemon rice – peanuts are preferred but not mandatory in the making of lemon rice. You can alternatively add cashew nuts too.

3.Can I use basmati rice?

Yes basmati rice could also be used replacing regular raw or boiled rice.

4. Can I use left over rice for making lemon rice?

Yes – we can use left over rice for making lemon rice. It will be equally good.

5.Can I make lemon rice as a one pot dish?

Rice can be cooked in Instant pot or pressure cooker or in pan and then mixed with spices & lemon. Cooking lemon rice with all spices, juice extract will not taste as good as cooked per the recipe. Hence cooking lemon rice as one pot dish is not recommended.

6.Can I cook lemon in cast iron skillet?

Acidic foods like lemon, tomato are not supposed to be cooked in cast iron or aluminium as they tend to pick metallic taste of the skillet. A stainless steel tawa is best suited, I have used a carbon steel pan.

7.What is the difference between lemon rice and chitranna?

Lemon rice is called as Chitranna in Karnataka and it is a common rice meal. It is most commonly served at homes and as prasad in temples. Chitranna is made with onions additionally while tempering the spices.

If you have any more questions about this Lemon Rice Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

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