Lemon rice is a mildly spiced rice dish made using leftover rice that is tempered with flavourful herbs and nuts.
Lemon rice popularly known as Chitranna is a South Indian rice recipe. This is a vegan, beginner-friendly, no onion no garlic recipe.
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About Lemon Rice
This is an easy, simple staple food that is frequently made in South Indian households typically for breakfast. This can also be served for light lunch or dinner aswell.
This amazingly delicious and refreshing dish uses only pantry staples. You just need 15-20 minutes and you are done with your chitranna / lemon rice.
Lemon rice is made using cooked rice and the tempering of curry leaves, green chillies, nuts, and lemon juice gives a delicate flavour to this dish.
This rice can be packed for road trips, for office lunch box or for kidโs tiffin box too. This lemon rice is eaten with curd, raita, koshimbir / salad or any pickle of your choice. I personally like to eat it as it is, love those delicate subtle flavours.
At home when we want to make it for light dinner, we serve it with kokam kadhi (solkadi) or buttermilk along with some fried poppadoms on the side. This dish is a complete meal in itself.
In Maharashtra too we make a similar kind of rice dish but without lemons, known as phodnicha bhaat, a kind of Maharashtrian fried rice, which is served for breakfast and evening snacks. To make phodnicha bhaat, onions and sometimes garlic are also added, unlike lemon rice.
Again there is a traditional authentic rice preparation like masale bhat, tondli bhat (Ivy Gourd Rice), pulao and many more. If you have steamed rice ready, you can toss this lemon rice just under 15-20 minutes. This is a comfort food kind of recipe.
The refreshingly tangy lemony flavour of this rice with nutty crunch from the peanuts and aroma from herbs is very appetizing.
Every household has its own unique version of preparing this rice. Some add garlic, curry leaves, and ginger as well.
You can use any kind of rice to make this recipe, I normally use basmati rice for this recipe.
This recipe is perfect to make for beginners. It hardly requires any ingredients the main one being plain leftover rice.
You can make this with freshly steamed rice as well but in that case, make sure that the rice is fully cooled down to room temperature.
In case you have kept the rice in the fridge, then thaw it for about 20 minutes before preparing the dish.
With absolutely minimum ingredients you will be amazed how this plain leftover rice is taken to a different level with its taste, color and flavour.
This rice is a perfect lunch Box option for adults as well as kids. Itโs that versatile!
Recipe Video
ingredients
Rice โ I have used pre-cooked basmati rice here. Make sure that your rice is not soggy or sticky. It will ruin the taste of this dish otherwise.
Lemon โ I have used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice here, but adjust to your preference.
Spices โ I used dry red chillies, asafoetida (hing), and turmeric to give a hint of spice to this rice.
Herbs โ I have used curry leaves, and green chillies to temper the rice.
Nuts โ For every day, we make use of roasted peanuts, for special occasions, we add lightly roasted cashews which give a nice flavour to this recipe.
Seasoning โ I have used salt and a pinch of sugar to balance the taste. Sugar is optional here. Sugar is normally not added to this dish but itโs my personal preference.
Oil โ I have used just 2 tablespoons of oil for this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of rice is best to make Lemon Rice?
Any medium to long-grain rice can be used to make lemon rice. Rice varieties like sona masoor, jasmine rice can be used. Also basmati rice is the most popular choice to make this dish.
Can I use leftover rice to make Lemon Rice?
Yes, leftover rice is perfect for making this dish.
How to prevent rice from becoming mushy?
Make sure the rice is cooked just until tender and the grains are separated.
Using room-temperature leftover rice works best for this recipe.
Variations
You increase the nutritional value of this rice, you may also add vegetables such as peas, carrots, beans, and bell peppers (capsicum).
Instead of peanuts, you can add slices of dry coconut and saute till they are golden brown. These give a mild sweet and nutty flavour to this lemon rice.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this lemon rice with cucumber or boondi raita, spicy Indian pickles (achar), fried papadums (papads) or with a bowl of sambar.
Storage Options
Lemon rice (chitranna) stays good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container.
Reheat before serving.
Related Recipes
No Onion No Garlic (Satvik) Recipes
More Rice Recipes
Tondli Bhaat (Ivy Gourd Pulao), Dalimbi Bhaat (Vaalachi Khichadi), Tawa Pulao (Vegetable Pilaf)
How to make Lemon Rice (Chitranna)
Note:
Avoid nuts if you are allergic to them
Itโs best to use leftover rice for making this recipe instead of making fresh rice.
You can make this with freshly steamed rice as well but in that case, make sure that the rice is fully cooled down to room temperature. In case you have kept the rice in the fridge, then thaw it for about 20 minutes before preparing the dish.
Normally short-grain rice is preferred to make this recipe, but you can use any rice that is available at your home. I have used basmati rice here.
Adjust lemon juice as per your choice. I like my rice quite tangy, hence I ended up adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
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Recipe Card
Lemon Rice | Chitranna | South Indian Lemon Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked Rice
- 1-2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoons Raw Peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Cashew Nuts
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Rai)
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/4th teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- 1 tablespoon Urad Dal (Split Black Gram)
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)
- 5-6 Curry Leaves
- 2 Green Chillies
- 2 Dry Red Chillies
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Oil
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and let them crackle, add hing (asafotida) and turmeric powder.
- Add urad dal (split black gram), chana dal and saute for a minute.
- Add chopped green chillies, curry leaves, and dry red chilles. Saute for another 15 seconds.
- Add raw peanuts and cashew nuts and roast for a minute or two till the peanuts are crispy.
- Make sure to make this tadka / tempering on low flame as we do not want our spices and herbs to burn.
- Add lemon juice and salt to the tadka.
- Add the cooked rice and mix well.
- Check for seasoning. Cover the rice with the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes on low to medium flame. Stir occasionally.
- Let the rice get steamed perfectly, this way it absorbs the flavours of curry leaves, nuts and spices.
- Lemon rice is ready.
- Serve with pickle, popadum or with solkadi.
