Lemon rice is a kind of Pulihora. Pulihora consists of all kinds of tastes. Sweet, sour, salt etc everything is found in Pulihora. Pulihora is prepared at home during weekends or during festivals. In Andhra Pradesh weddings Pulihora is served to people. Pulihora in modern form is called as lemon rice. Lemon rice is made form lemon juice. Lemon rice is summer special; it’s prepared to tackle the heat of the sun. Lemon is good for body; lemon juice helps in maintaining water level inside the body. Lemon rice is also called as chitranna; it’s also famous in Karnataka. Ugadi is a famous festival, on this occasion lemon rice or Pulihora is prepared.
Ingredients:
Basmati rice 250gms
Lemons 4 or 5
Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
Urad daal 1 tsp
Chana daal 1 tsp
Dried red chilies 3
Asafetida 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Roasted peanuts 4
Curry leaves 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut 2
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil 2 tsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Popular Accompaniments:
Lemon rice does not require any accompaniments; if lemon juice is not sufficient, then you can add extra lemon juice to the rice. Serve lemon rice with raita or coconut chutney. Garnish the lemon rice with freshly grated coconuts.
Preparation:
Wash rice properly at least twice with pure water.
Remove the water from the rice, pour fresh water and keep it in cooker. Pour less water so that rice gets cooked well.
Take lemon juice and put it beside the stove. See that lemons are proper, and check the taste of lemon juice.
Main Cooking:
Take a pan and add some oil to it.
Allow oil to get heated, now add asafetida, dried red chilies, chana dal and urad dal to it.
Fry it till dals change their color to brown.
Now add mustard seeds and peanuts. Add curry leaves after mustard seeds start to flutter. Fry them for few seconds.
Add turmeric powder and stir the mixture well.
Now remove the cooked rice, put it in a vessel.
Stop the flame under the pan, and put the fried mixture into cooked rice.
Mix the rice and the mixture well.
Add salt and lemon juice and mix the whole combination once again.
See that the grains don’t break, be delicate while mixing the rice.
Your lemon rice is ready to be served.
Presentation:
Best way to present lemon rice is in a bowl, which has two plates. You can also serve lemon rice in a banana leaf. Chutney should be place separately along with lemon rice.
