Easy Indian Lemon Rice Recipe (Chitranna)
This South Indian Lemon Rice recipe is a quick and easy dish made with cooked white rice, fresh lemon juice, and simple aromatic spices. This zesty Indian Lemon Rice is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for a light lunch, easy side dish, or snack. If you have leftover or precooked rice, you can whip up this flavorful Lemon Rice recipe in just 15 minutes!
Servings 4 people
Calories 194.12kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 teaspoon chana dal
- ½ teaspoon GF asafoetida
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 2 dried red chillies
- 2 green chilies
- 2 tablespoon peanuts or cashews
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
- You can precook the chawal in an Instant Pot, rice cooker, or pressure cooker a couple of hours ahead. Just make sure the grains are fluffy and grainy — not sticky or mushy.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Once hot, add black mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and gluten-free asafoetida. Sauté until the lentils turn light golden — remember, you’re adding the lentils dry, not soaked or cooked.
- Add fresh curry leaves, minced green chilies, and dried red chilies. Sauté for about 30 seconds to release their flavors.
- Next, add the peanuts and sauté for another 30 seconds until they’re lightly toasted and aromatic.
- Add the turmeric powder and mix it in.
- Then add the cooked rice and salt. Gently mix everything together until it is evenly coated with the spices and turns a beautiful yellow color.
- Once its well combined, take it off the heat.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Give it all a final mix, taste, and add a little more lemon juice if you’d like an extra tangy kick. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Notes
In Chitranna recipe, always try to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best tangy flavor. If fresh lemons aren’t available, you can use packaged lemon juice — but fresh is always preferred! When using chana dal, soak it for about 10 minutes before adding it to the pan. This makes sure the dal softens nicely and isn’t hard to chew once cooked.
Important: Always add the lemon juice at the end and never cook it. Cooking the lemon juice can make the dish taste bitter. Adjust the amount of lemon juice based on how tangy you like your Elumichai Sadam to be.
Nutrition
Calories: 194.12kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.94g | Protein: 4.78g | Fat: 6.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.75g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.58g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 77.77mg | Potassium: 98.11mg | Fiber: 3.04g | Sugar: 1.23g | Vitamin A: 128.42IU | Vitamin C: 31.08mg | Calcium: 29.87mg | Iron: 1mg