Tuesday, July 17, 2012

South Indian Lemon Rice

Hello KTF! I'm back from my little vacation in Maine, and am pulling together some ideas for a blog post on camping food ideas. I'll have more to share with you on that subject soon, but for now I'm posting a super quick and easy lunch or picnic food, Lemon Rice!



This is my own version, inspired by the South Indian cooking I found when I was in India this past spring. Using leftover rice and then just a few minutes of cooking on the stove top, this is a great homecooked meal when you don't want to heat up your whole kitchen on these hot summer days.

I've mentioned this dish on the blog before and have had a reader request that I share the recipe, so here we go:

South Indian Lemon Rice
serves 2

1 cup Basmati or Brown Rice
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 heaping Tbsp peanuts
2 heaping Tbsp cashews
1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing (taste similar to garlic, found at asian grocery stores)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
3 red chillies, dried
1 small lemon, or half a large lemon, juiced
1 handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
salt to taste

Cook the basmati rice in 2 cups water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Allow to cool, so grains stay separate. Left over rice works best.

Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add mustard seeds. When seeds begin to splutter and pop, add peanuts, cashews, asafoetida, turmeric, ginger and chillies. Saute for a few minutes, just until peanuts and cashews begin to brown.

Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and salt. Add lemon mixture and cilantro leaves to the rice, mixing slowly so as not to break the rice grains. Serve at room temperature or pack it in your tiffin for a picnic lunch.








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