Lemon Rice

My son these days gives his orders and I have to make them ASAP coz he is quite an impatient customer. He loves rice items and for the last 2-3 days it has been ghee rice and mandhi rice. Yesterday night while checking out Eliza's, Lincy's Cook Art, my son caught sight of the lemon rice... and he wanted me to make it. He was like, "Take recipe! Go to kitchen!!" :D
He has always seen me checking out recipes for whatever I want to make and he thinks I can make anything... even fruits. Yesterday he was asking for oranges. Told me to check for recipe... :D

Lincy's Cook Art is one of the many lovely blogs I came across while checking for recipes. Her blog is such a pleasure for the eyes. The clicks are just perfect. This is the first recipe I've taken from her and I must say its a simple one too. I had all the ingredients with me. I didnt make any changes what-so-ever.... wasnt in any mood for trying out new stuff coz to be honest I have never had lemon rice before and I didnt know what it tastes like :D

So this is how mine turned out. And I got an A+ from both my son and husband(who unlike me has had it before :P).

There were times when I used to get too excited with my turmeric and almost always add a bit too much... but those days are long back. Now I add the littlest possible. I was a bit reluctant to add mustard seeds to this coz I dont like seeing mustard seeds in anything... only chutneys and thoran's. But as I wasnt sure if lemon rice usually had mustard seed it in or if it was just a malayali thing. I had a neighbour back in Bahrah, Saudi Arabia, who used to put mustard seed in spaghetti. The spaghetti was yum, but I felt odd seeing mustard seed in it. She was an extremely caring lady from Thrissure... :)

Anyway, here's the recipe I took from Eliza...

Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
• 1 big onion chopped
• 1 inch ginger chopped finely
• 2 green chillies
• 1tsp mustard seed
• 1/4 turmeric powder
• 2 tsp urud daal
• 2 tsp moong daal (the original recipe from Eliza said chana daal, but I had only moong daals)
• 6-7 roasted cashew nuts
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 3-4 tbsp oil (I used sunflower oil)
• Juice of 2 lemon

Directions to make: 

• Boil the basmati rice in water with salt and a tbsp oil. Drain when it is almost cooked. Dont let it fully cook or when they sit for a minute or 2 they'd become over-cooked (which is soo not what u would want for ur lemon rice)
• Take a big pan, big enough to contain all the cooked rice, and heat oil in it. Add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the urud daal and moon daal. Roast for a minute or two until they turn a light shade of golden brown (Don't let it burn).
• Add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Give that also a minute then add in the onions and ginger. Add salt and turmeric. Now cook this until the onions start turning slightly brown(That would take only a minute or 2). Add a few drops of water. Mix well. Switch off flame. Add rice. mix well. Check salt. Add lemon juice. Garnish with  roasted cashews. 
• It's done!

It is a must to add lemon juice only after u have taken the pan off the stove. Coz the heat will turn the lemon juice bitter.. which would spoil the whole rice.

We had this with grilled chicken, yogurt and garlic achaar.

Now, I dont know if my opinion is coz I'm pregnant with my taste buds having a will of their own, but I didnt find it so 'wow'. Don't put much stock in my food opinions these days. I have always been a chocolate and sweets lover... used to crave them when I was pregnant with Ayaan. But in this pregnancy I dont want any. But I sure can eat as much dahi batata puri as possible :D.

Considering lemon rice: Yes, it was nice; but no, I wouldn't want to make it again unless my husband or son or anyone else wants it. It's biryani for me. Nothing can compare. I can have biryani for breakfast, lunch and dinner.. and even in the evening with tea :P I have had it that way when my mom used to make it back in Saudi :). I miss my mom's cooking. Especially her gravy chicken 65, which she makes in a yogurt gravy. Mouth-watering! Mine just never comes out as good as hers.

Anyway, for the rice lovers this would definitely be a must try recipe... :)