Lemon rice recipe | Tangy Spiced Rice

Name: Lemon rice recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 & ½ cup Cooked rice; 2 Lemon (small size Indian lemon); ¼ tsp Turmeric; Salt; 2 tbsp Sesame oil; ½ tsp Mustard; 1 tsp Urad dal; 1 tbsp Chana dal; 3 tbsp Peanuts; 3 Red chilli; 4 Green chilli; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida; 1 Curry leaves

Updated on April 25, 2023 by Raks Anand 48 Comments / Jump to Recipe

Lemon rice recipe is a popular south Indian dish, made by mixing cooked rice, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and a variety of spices like mustard, curry leaves. It is popular because of it's tangy, flavourful nature and easiness with which it can be prepared. Perfect for lunch box, lunch or breakfast.

This one pot rice recipe is delicious though all mixed rice varieties are my favorite. I can eat without getting tired even every day for lunch.

This most commonly found in Indian lunch box both in kids as well as adults, because it is that easy!

Jump to:

📖 About lemon rice
😍 Comfort food
🍛 Side dish for lemon rice
How to cook rice
📝 Variations
👩🏼‍🍳 Top tips
💬 Related recipes
🍋 Lemon rice method
Recipe card

📖 About lemon rice

Lemon rice is a south Indian style one pot dish (variety rice) packed with flavors with simple ingredients available at home. (I am talking about the south Indian lemon rice, though worldwide there can be different variations.)

Because of the fact it is easy to make, widely made in households and popular as well.

Lemon rice is also known as Elumichai sadam in Tamil and Chitranna in Kannada which has slight variations.

😍 Comfort food

I just hate the usual cooking sambar, poriyal, kootu, rasam 😯. Give me a mixed rice and some vadams, I will be the most happiest person in the world.

But I know most of the guys and kids hate this lemon rice. One main reason could be they got bored out of the frequency in their lunch box.

Even I have heard elders speaking about a wife giving lemon rice for the hubbys/ kids lunch box like a sin! At my home also no exception.

Vj never like variety rice, so do Aj. Aj don't even touch lemon rice or any other variety rice for that reason.

He likes only spicy, masala kind of rice like tomato rice/ pulao, biryani. Ah, look at the taste of this guy! Spicy food lover 😎.

🍛 Side dish for lemon rice

One fine day, when I was talking to Vj something about lemon rice, he told, who said I don't like lemon rice, I do like if I get thenga chutney (Coconut chutney) as side dish.

First I thought he is talking about thengai thogayal. Then he again said thengai chutney ground with pottukadalai and a bit watery to add (pottukadalai chutney).

I was surprised as I heard that for first time. Then when I was talking to Jeyashri, I was expecting her too to get surprised by that combination.

But when She too joined and said yeah I too like that combination and people DO eat like that. Then I knew, I only had no idea about that combination😌.

And yes I tried it twice after that with chutney, its really awesome. So you too can try this. Maybe you love it?!

Goes well with

I have seen some people eat it with lemon pickle. If you are looking for vegetable side dish, you can pair it up with Aviyal or mixed veg kootu.

Lemon rice goes best with some fryums/ vadam/ vathal/ appalam too. Many swear by south Indian Potato curry as well.

How to cook rice

1. Wash rice 2-3 times firstly. Drain water and cook rice with water ratio 1 :2 for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker.

Once done, transfer to a broad bowl and add a teaspoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt and mix carefully once and keep aside.

If you are cooking basmati rice, after washing, quickly soak in hot water for 10 mins for longer grains.

You can also reduce water quantity 1 & ½ cups for one cup of rice, if you want firmer rice.

Check out my detailed post on how to cook Basmati rice.

📝 Variations

Rice - Basmati, sona masuri, Parboiled rice, all goes well in this recipe.
Lemon - I use Indian lemon for desi flavor, you can use meyer lemon as well as lime.
Peanuts - You can use cashews in place of peanuts.

I add lemon in rice / after switching off the stove. My MIL adds to the tempering and give it a boil too.

You can add finely chopped ginger and coriander leaves for extra flavor. I also think of adding lemon zest, but never have tried.

👩🏼‍🍳 Top tips

Here are some of my notes for a perfect lemon rice: (Who else can give these other than an aderant fan of it?

Cook rice perfectly, not mushy. Basmati, sona masuri or ponni are good choices.
Do not mix when rice is hot. Let it cool with a teaspoon of sesame oil for perfect results.
Balance the taste - you know what most of the people's mistake? They do not add enough lemon juice or add too much. Lemon rice should have a tangy taste, not bland as well as not too much tangy that your tooth hurts!
So balance it with spice - add both green and red chilli for flavors.
Use fresh lemon for best flavour.
Add some crunch - The slow roasted dals and peanuts give good texture to the rice instead of boring.
Add lemon juice at the end rather than adding it to the heat as it will lose it's nutrients as well as flavors.
Use fresh curry leaves, enough turmeric and last but not least, good quality asafoetida.
More sesame oil gives rice that is not dry and makes it apt for lunch box.

🍋 Lemon rice method

How to cook rice for lemon rice:

1. Wash rice 2-3 times firstly. Drain water. Cook rice with water ratio 1 :2 for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker.

Once done, transfer to a broad bowl and add a teaspoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt and mix carefully once and keep aside.

2. Squeeze lemon and collect the juice. Heat a kadai/ pan with oil, add mustard, once spluttered, add urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and red chilli. Fry till golden.

3. Then add green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric. Give a quick stir and add the lemon juice. If you want you can add a tablespoon of water and switch off the stove. Add salt and mix well.

4. Add it to the cooled rice and mix well. Adjust salt, sesame oil as desired.

I totally love this simple quick lunch – Lemon rice, curd rice + mango thokku and homemade javvarisi vadam (thanks to mami). And ofcourse Vj’s favorite side for this is Coconut chutney!

Recipe card

Lemon rice - Tangy south Indian yellow rice with spices, curry leaves, mustard

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5 from 9 votes