Lemon Rice

I love rice and like to try different rice dishes all the time. My husband on the other hand, doesnt like rice in general. One of my favourite rice dishes is lemon rice, and luckily, my husband likes it too. So we make lemon rice quiet often; especially when we are out of veggies, and when we need to cook something quickly.

A couple of things to keep in mind while making this rice.
The rice is cooked separately without any spices except the turmeric and salt. The tadka (tempering) is the one which gives spicy flavor to the rice, so make sure to use enough amount of chili per your taste. the lemon juice is added at the end of the preparation to prevent the dish from turning bitter.

Ingredients:
Rice:
1 Cup Uncooked Basmati Rice
2 Cups Water
Salt to Taste,
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Tempering:
1.5 Tabslepsoon Oil,
2 Teaspoon Peanuts
1 Teaspoon Chana Dal (Split Gram)
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds,
6-7 Green Chilies, Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
3-4 Dried Red Chilies, Broken in Halves
1/8th Teaspoon Asafoetida
3-4 Curry Leaves
Freshly Sqeezed Juice from about 3/4 Lemon

Method:
Wash the rice in running water until the water runs clear. Add 2 cups water to a cooking pan, add the rice and cook on high flame until water starts boiling. Stir once. Turn the flame to low (such that the flame just touches the cooking pan). Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid before 20 minutes, and do not stir at all. After 20 minutes, open the lid. The cooked rice on top surface should be in "standing position"; i.e the grain is in vertical direction. Turn off the stove and fluff it up with fork. Now spread the rice on a plate.
Now the tempering. Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Once it is hot, add the peanuts and cook briefly until the peanuts turn light brown. Then, take out of the pan with the help of a slotted spoon. Now add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. After that, add the cumin seeds, green chilies, and chana daal. Turn the heat to medium low in order to not burn the dal. Cook for a minute or two until the dal turns light brown in color. Now add the red chilies and currly leaves. Turn the heat to medium high and cook for 20-30 seconds. Take off of the stove and spread on the cooked rice. Pour the lemon juice on top and mix well with the help of a fork making sure not to break the rice. Taste for salt and lemon juice once. and serve hot with curd on side.

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