Lemon Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Mustard seeds
• Chana dal
• Urad dal
• Dried red chillies
• Curry leaves
• Peanuts
• Green chillies
• Ginger
• Oil
• Salt

Method

1. Cook and cool rice: Cook 2 cups raw rice with slightly less water for separate grains. Spread on a large plate and cool completely.
2. Make tempering: Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait until they pop. Add 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tbsp urad dal and fry until golden.
3. Add aromatics: Add 2 broken dried red chillies, 1 sprig curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida and 2 tbsp raw peanuts. Fry 2 minutes.
4. Add turmeric: Add half tsp turmeric to the tempering. Stir 10 seconds.
5. Squeeze lemons: Squeeze 3-4 lemons to get 4-5 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Do not use bottled lime juice.
6. Add rice to tempering: Add cold cooked rice to the pan. Gently fold with a flat spatula — do not press down.
7. Add lemon juice off heat: Remove pan from heat completely. Add lemon juice and fold gently through the rice.
8. Season: Add salt and fold gently. Lemon rice should be tangy, slightly salty and fragrant with curry leaves.
9. Rest: Allow to sit 5 minutes so flavours meld together.
10. Serve: Adjust lemon and salt. Garnish with fresh curry leaves. Serve with papad and pickle.