Lemon Rice

This Sunday (3/18) was Telugu New Year also known as Ugadi. It is usually celebrated with the reading of the New Years' almanac and traditional foods. 

You can read more about other years celebrations here:

 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

This year, we celebrated Ugadi a little smaller than usual. We had spicy tomato rasam, lemon rice, Green Bean Poriyal, Potato fry, Mixed Veggie Curd Salad, Masala Vada and Vegetable Bonda, and of course a little Ugadi Pachadi.

While Mango Rice is usually our staple dish, we weren't feeling it for this year's celebration so we decided to shake things up by making Lemon Rice instead. This rice dish was just the right amount of savory, tangy and spicy, evoking happy thoughts of Spring & Summer days to come. It was a perfect way to bring in the New Year, and celebrate the coming of Spring!

Here is my recipe for Tangy Lemon Rice:

Lemon Rice By Cooking for Kishore

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cooked Basmati Rice
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Ginger Paste
• 2 Lemons, zested & juiced
• 1 Green Chili, minced
• 3 Tbsp Raw Peanuts
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Red Chili, dried
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• a few curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp Ghee
• Bunch of Cilantro, chopped
• Salt to Taste

Instructions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp Ghee and sauté peanuts till golden brown, then set aside for later.
2. Heat the final 1 Tbsp Ghee and add the mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and red chili. 
3. When mustard seeds start to sputter add the cooked rice, turmeric, lemon zest & juice, peanuts, cilantro, and asafoetida. Mix thoroughly. and add salt to taste. Serve hot and sprinkle some chopped cilantro over the top.

Yield: Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 10 mins.

Cook time: 30 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: lemon rice recipes, lemon rice, Indian Cooking, rice dishes, south indian recipes, telugu recipes ugadi, ugadi dishes, vegan, Vegetarian