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    Home » Recipes » Variety Rice

    Lemon rice recipe | South Indian Lemon rice

    December 13, 2012 by Raks Anand 48 Comments / Jump to Recipe

    Lemon rice recipe is the simplest and easiest of all south Indian variety rice. If you are looking for comfort food for your soul as well as to prepare.

    lemon rice

    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
    • 💬 Related recipes
    • Recipe card
    • 🍋 Lemon rice method

    📖 About lemon rice

    Lemon rice is a south Indian style one pot dish (variety rice) packed with flavors with simple ingredients available at home.

    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 😎.

    lemon rice recipe

    🍛 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 thenga chutney ground with pottu kadalai 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. May be 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 sweat 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.

    cook 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.

    💬 Related recipes

    • capsicum rice
      Easy capsicum rice recipe | Capsicum bath
    • blue rice south Indian
      Blue rice, South Indian style | Butterfly pea flower rice
    • kids-friendly-fried-rice-feat
      Kids friendly Fried rice recipe, American fried rice style
    • Carrot rice recipe | Easy variety rice for kids

    Recipe card

    lemon-rice-recipe
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Lemon rice recipe

    Lemon rice recipe is the simplest and best of all variety rice. I love it, so enjoy the process of making. Step by step recipes.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian, South Indian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Servings 3
    Cup measurements

    Ingredients

    • 2 & ½ cup Cooked rice
    • 2 Lemon small size Indian lemon
    • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
    • Salt

    To temper

    • 2 tablespoon Sesame oil
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon Urad dal
    • 1 tablespoon Chana dal
    • 3 tablespoon Peanuts
    • 3 Red chilli
    • 4 Green chilli
    • ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
    • 1 Curry leaves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook rice with water ratio 1 :2 for 3 whistles. After done, transfer to a broad bowl and add a teaspoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt and mix carefully once and keep aside.
    • Squeeze lemon and collect the juice. Heat a kadai/ pan with oil, add mustard, once spluttered, add urad dal, channa dal, peanuts and redchilli. Fry till golden.
    • 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.
    • Add it to the cooled rice and mix well. Adjust salt, sesame oil as desired.

    Video

    Notes

    • After tempering, just switch off the stove and add lemon juice if you don’t want to loose the vitamins. You can also directly squeeze the lemon over the cooked rice like my mom does.
    • Add turmeric generously. Then only you may get the colour.
    • Adding red chillies and green chillies help a lot in flavour + spiciness.
    • I used basmati rice , but you can use any rice or even do with left over rice.
    • Give some standing time for the lemon rice to get the tastes incorporated well.
    • Usually the tanginess should be more when you taste immediately. But later it will get absorbed and taste balanced.
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    🍋 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.

    cook rice

    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.

    temper

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

    mix

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

    lemon-rice-recipe

    Other Easy Indian Rice Recipes

    • Ghee rice
      Ghee rice recipe, South Indian nei sadam
    • milaagu-jeeraga-sadam
      Pepper cumin rice, milagu jeeraga sadam
    • cucumber-rice-recipe
      Cucumber rice, easy vellarikka sadam
    • pattani-rice
      Pattani sadam, masala pattani sadam

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. dishesfrommykitchen

      December 13, 2012 at 4:56 am

      Raji Seriously we used to make this combination always..and particularly dad love to eat lemon rice only with this combo.. Its really wonderful combo 🙂

      Reply
    2. uma shankar

      December 13, 2012 at 4:56 am

      Yummy lemon rice!well captured!

      Reply
    3. Veena Theagarajan

      December 13, 2012 at 5:01 am

      I love to have it with Coconut chutney also..nice clicks
      http://great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

      Reply
    4. Premalatha Aravindhan

      December 13, 2012 at 5:05 am

      wow Aishu's fav,most of the time she ask me to pack lemon rice...wonderful spread...

      Reply
    5. prathibha Garre

      December 13, 2012 at 5:11 am

      I love lemon rice- i prefer it to be spicy,tangy,hot and soft at the same time..nice spread

      Reply
    6. Nivedhanams Sowmya

      December 13, 2012 at 5:21 am

      We love lemon rice too.. Quick, simple and tongue tickling!!! love your tips and notes!!!
      Sowmya
      Ongoing Event - Let's Party - Eggless Bakes and Treats
      Ongoing Event - SYF & HWS - Ginger

      Reply
    7. lata raja

      December 13, 2012 at 5:35 am

      Same scenario here; I like variety rice and raja does not so I hardly make. But I will soon convince him just for a day showing your picture with the thayir sadham and the vadams, that may tempt him too.

      Reply
    8. Chitra

      December 13, 2012 at 6:11 am

      Its my fav , but sen is like anna. Have to ask whether he too likes with coconut chutney. Feeling hungry now, u tempted me a lot 😉

      Reply
    9. Janani

      December 13, 2012 at 6:13 am

      Looks really good. And the rice is so perfectly cooked. May I know how you get so fluffy and thin grained rice? What brand of Basmati rice you use?

      Reply
    10. Gayathri NG

      December 13, 2012 at 6:18 am

      Hi Raji How r u?
      Nice combo and neatly presented...

      Reply
    11. Jeyashrisuresh

      December 13, 2012 at 7:22 am

      Though i am not a big fan of Lemon rice i love this when there is coconut chutney.

      Reply
    12. APARNARAJESHKUMAR

      December 13, 2012 at 7:55 am

      Raks have u tried the same thengai chutney with Vegetable fried rice and pulao ? if not pls try now ! divine ! my fav combination ! tooo thengai chutney well go with variety rice

      Reply
    13. Shama Nagarajan

      December 13, 2012 at 7:58 am

      super inviting

      Reply
    14. Priti S

      December 13, 2012 at 9:10 am

      Love this too....the spread looks so yum

      Reply
    15. Hamaree Rasoi

      December 13, 2012 at 9:17 am

      WE love lemon rice at home very much. My son likes to take it in his tiffin box.

      Reply
    16. Aruna Manikandan

      December 13, 2012 at 9:28 am

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Reply
    17. Aruna Manikandan

      December 13, 2012 at 9:29 am

      simple and delicious rice raji, We also love to have with coconut chutney, but I prepare it slightly in a different way 🙂

      Reply
    18. Nithu Bala

      December 13, 2012 at 9:49 am

      Wonderful Combo which I never miss! Beautiful Clicks.

      Reply
    19. Kaveri Venkatesh

      December 13, 2012 at 11:11 am

      Lemon rice and coconut chutney sounds yum Raji...like the sabudana vadam on the pic..its my favorite...Nice pictures

      Reply
    20. revathi

      December 13, 2012 at 11:11 am

      So that is the secret combo ..:) I too didn't have an the slightest clue about this combo.. Your spread looks very inviting..:))
      Reva

      Reply
    21. Priya

      December 13, 2012 at 11:45 am

      Serve me this rice with spicy potato fry,i can have it anytime.

      Reply
    22. RAKS KITCHEN

      December 13, 2012 at 1:36 pm

      Janani, I used India gate Super Basmati rice in this one.

      Reply
    23. Uma Ramanujam

      December 13, 2012 at 1:58 pm

      ha ha..yeah. All guys have strange combination when it comes to eating. Never had chutney along with lemon rice. But i like tangy lemon rice. love the pictures.

      Reply
    24. divya

      December 13, 2012 at 2:17 pm

      Looks absolutely mouthwatering!!

      Reply
    25. Suja Manoj

      December 13, 2012 at 4:46 pm

      Mouthwatering,yummy tangy rice.

      Reply
    26. Mano Saminathan

      December 13, 2012 at 5:35 pm

      Looks delicious! The photograph is beautiful!

      Reply
    27. Sushma Madhuchandra

      December 13, 2012 at 6:01 pm

      looks very tempting! I always make lemon rice with sona masoori or ponni rice.

      Reply
    28. Sudha Sabarish

      December 13, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Even me too never heard about this combo.Need to try out next time.

      Reply
    29. Sireesha Puppala

      December 13, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      thats fantastic and simple lunch menu..:)

      Grand Giveaway at SIRISFOOD.COM-Link in recipes and Win exciting prizes

      Reply
    30. Leena

      December 13, 2012 at 10:34 pm

      One of my favourite love the pics..

      Reply
    31. runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com

      December 14, 2012 at 2:56 am

      I make this whenever I am in a hurry.. its so simple and yet flavourfull that we just love it!

      Reply
    32. Sridhar Natarajan

      December 17, 2012 at 5:28 am

      Very good website. I recently started accessing to ur website and it is really handy and useful

      Reply
    33. Sharmilee! :)

      December 20, 2012 at 2:02 pm

      Wow looks so tempting....have to try lemon rice with coconut chutney next time...beautiful clicks and awesome clarity!

      Reply
    34. kamrul hasan

      December 24, 2012 at 1:06 pm

      i was the looking for the same and related info, what you describe on your article. I found your site through google search. Its helps me a lots and i understood that you are one of skill article writer/ blogger. I wish to follow your way for my own blog http://shironam24.com/ , So I have book marked your blog and hope to visit again to learn more. Thanks for your valuable efforts and time.

      Reply
    35. Bhuvana Keyan

      January 26, 2013 at 11:15 am

      hai Raji. Im bhuvaneswari from salem. ur dishes are excellent& very simple. which place R U lived in salem. reply.

      Reply
    36. RAKS KITCHEN

      January 26, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Near Junction.

      Reply
    37. Shalini Mahesh

      February 01, 2013 at 2:24 pm

      thanks for posting lemon rice 🙂 really liked and tasted it lot 🙂

      Reply
    38. Revathi

      February 22, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Beautiful presented ... May I knw wher did u get those wooden bowl.. Looks nice..

      Reply
    39. RAKS KITCHEN

      February 22, 2013 at 11:19 am

      I bought it in Bali, Indonesia

      Reply
    40. Revathi

      February 24, 2013 at 2:26 pm

      Thanks raks...

      Reply
    41. Archana Jathan Karkera

      March 28, 2013 at 12:34 pm

      Are they really wooden? or plastic with the wooden-like design?

      Reply
    42. Prasad Shrivatsa

      August 29, 2013 at 12:58 pm

      Cooking has been my hobby (not an obligation). Being a man has its advantages as far as kitchen is concerned. Though I have always loved lemon rice, I have never tried cooking it myself. Today, I thought I should learn cooking it and my search engine came up with a few recipe pages including yours.

      You have nicely explained with clear instructions and additional tips. I particularly like the things you have mentioned under "notes".

      Great job! And thanks.

      Reply
    43. Thilak saravanan

      May 08, 2015 at 12:04 am

      Loved the prologue.. More like a neighbor share what happened in their home across the compound wall. ☺, love lemon rice.. Can live with just this.. Anytime!!

      Reply
    44. kamalaveni

      February 04, 2016 at 1:11 pm

      It's a book marked recipe. It's really useful for me thanks for sharing

      Reply
    45. Ashley

      February 07, 2016 at 4:33 am

      Rak you ROCK!! I seriously love every recipe you make. Trust me I've tried a lot of them. I've only been cooking Indian food for the past few years and you have made it so much easier for me! Just so you know I am a white American married to a handsome south Indian. Thanks to you he loves my cooking. 😉 I always talk about how I need to meet you someday. Thanks again!!

      Reply
    46. Jeyasri Juyapragason

      February 07, 2016 at 4:33 am

      I've tried this recipe twice. Very nice and healthy dish. It's simple to cook as well.

      Reply
    47. Dr. Ruchi Jain

      March 29, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      I made this..it turned out really well..looked just like in the snap...very easy recipie...and described in a very simple manner...even an amateur will be able to follow

      Reply
    48. Alka Pandey

      March 30, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Reply

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

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