Lemon Rice also referred to as Chitranna or Nimmakaya Pulihora in a few South Indian languages is a crunchy, flavorful, tasty and tangy dish that is easy to make and tastes so good. Lemon juice, fried nuts, aromatic herbs and spices combine perfectly to give this steamed rice an amazing spicy, tangy and nutty flavor. The nuts add a crunch for the perfect rice dish texture. This vegan lemon rice recipe is sure to become one of your favorite rice dishes.
What is Lemon Rice
This is one of the most popular and commonly made rice recipes from the South Indian cuisine. I have had lemon rice in many restaurants and even in a few South Indian temples.
Easy to make, my lemon rice recipe includes a mixture of fried mustard seeds, urad dal (black gram), chilies (hot green peppers), herbs and spices.
This fried tempering mixture is then poured over steamed rice. Fried peanuts and cashews are added, along with lemon juice, and everything is mixed together.
You can make chitranna with freshly cooked rice or even with leftover rice. The peanuts and cashews add crunch to this tangy and fragrant chitranna recipe.
I prefer to fully cook the rice. You can cook rice grains al dente if you prefer that texture. Apart from Fried Rice, Pulao or Biryani, in all other rice recipes, I prefer to cook rice grains fully.
For the rice you can choose to use any variety of non-sticky rice that you prefer or is a staple in your kitchen. Long grained fragrant rice like Basmati rice also work well in the recipe.
How to make Lemon Rice
Cook Rice
1. First rinse 1 cup heaped rice a couple of times and then soak in enough water for about 20 to 30 minutes. You can use short grained rice or a long grained rice like basmati.
In my step-by-step photo guide, I have added short grained rice. In the video, basmati rice is used.
2. Then drain all the water from the soaked rice. Add rice in a 2-litre or 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add ¼ teaspoon salt or add salt as required.
3. Add 1.75 to 2 cups water.
4. Pressure cook rice for 8 to 10 minutes or for 2 to 3 whistles on a medium to medium-high heat. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid.
You can even cook rice in a pan or in the Instant Pot. Follow the steps as listed below:
- Pan method: Take rice, salt and 2 cups water in a pan. Cover and simmer until all the water has been absorbed and rice grains are tender and fluffy. Check when the rice is simmering and if the water has dried up with rice grains undercooked, add some more hot water and continue to cook.
- Instant Pot method: Add rice, salt and 1 or 1.25 cups water (depending on rice type and quality) in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high. Do a quick pressure release after 5 minutes.
5. Empty the cooked rice in a bowl or plate and set aside so that it becomes warm or cool at room temperature. You can also fluff the cooked rice and let it cool in the cooker itself.
1 heaped cup of raw rice will yield 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice. However, this can very depending on the type of rice.
6. Squeeze juice from 1 lime or 1 small lemon into a small bowl. You will need about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice.
If you want a more tangy taste, then you can add more lemon juice. Set aside.
Fry Nuts
7. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a pan. Add ¼ cup peanuts. The sesame oil that is added is made from raw sesame seeds and is also known as gingelly oil. It has a totally different flavor and aroma than the south-asian toasted sesame oil.
If you do not have sesame oil, then add sunflower oil, canola oil, avocado oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil.
If you have roasted peanuts ready, then you can give a miss to this step. I sometimes have extra roasted peanuts in the pantry to be had as a snack or to be added in recipes like these.
8. Fry the peanuts on a low to medium heat until they become golden and crunchy.
9. Remove and set aside.
10. In the same pan add 1 tablespoon cashews.
11. Fry cashews until they turn golden. Set aside.
Fry Lentils, Seeds, Spices
12. Now add 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same pan. When the oil becomes hot, lower the heat and add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
12. When the mustard seeds begun to crackle, then add 1 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and skinned black gram).
I don’t add chana dal (split and skinned bengal gram) to my lemon rice recipe, but if you want to add these, soak the lentils in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the water and then add them to the oil at this step.
Make sure they are pat dried or the extra water or moisture in them will make the oil splutter too much.
13. On a low heat, fry the urad dal till they turn golden.
14. Next add 12 to 15 curry leaves, 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies and 2 dry red chilies (preferably seeds removed).
15. Sauté for some seconds until the red chilies change color.
16. Switch off the heat and add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 generous pinch asafetida (hing).
17. Mix very well.
Make Lemon Rice
18. Now pour this tempering mixture in the cooked rice.
19. Add the fried peanuts and cashews.
20. Add lemon juice – about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons.
21. Add salt as required.
22. Mix very well.
23. Check the taste and add more lemon juice or salt if you like. Keep the lemon rice or chitranna covered for the flavors to blend for 4 to 5 minutes.
While serving garnish with some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) if you prefer.
24. Serve lemon rice with papaddums or vadams and coconut chutney or just have it plain. You can even pack lemon rice in tiffin or for a travel journey.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chitranna with pappadums or with a side vegetable salad or even Coconut Chutney also goes great with this dish.
It can also be made as a tiffin box. As lemon rice can be served at room temperature, it also makes a great picnic lunch item. It’s a light dish and you can have it as a light lunch or breakfast also.
Make Ahead & Storing
If you have any leftovers then store in the refrigerator for a day. Leftover rice is not good for health and may not suit some people health-wise.
So I suggest to finish the lemon rice in a day. For this reason I also suggest not to make a large batch of lemon rice to freeze or refrigerate.
Expert Tips
- Rice: Any non-sticky variety of rice grains can be used in lemon rice recipe. This means you can use short-grained rice or even long grained rice like basmati.
- Soaking rice: For any rice recipes, I always suggest to soak rice. It helps in cooking rice faster and the rice grains cook beautifully. If you do not soak rice, then increase the cooking time and add a bit more water.
- Overcooked rice: If in case you overcook rice and they become lumpy, then do not worry. Simply break the lumps when the cooked rice is cooled.
- Leftover rice: Some hours old or a day old leftover rice works excellently in the recipe. Add about 3 to 4 cups of leftover cooked rice.
- Spices and lentils: Spices like mustard seeds and either dry red chillies or green chillies are absolutely needed in chitranna recipe. You can still let go of urad dal and asafoetida (hing) if they are not available to you.
- Herbs: Curry leaves add a unique aroma. If you find it difficult to procure them, then you can skip them. Though I have not added coriander leaves (cilantro), you can add them. About 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger also adds a good flavor to the chitranna recipe.
- Nuts: Both cashews and peanuts add a lot of texture and crunch in lemon rice. You can also just use one type of nut. Do not use nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts etc as the authenticity of the recipe will be lost.
- Lemons: Use lemons which are ripe and fresh. You can also use limes.
- Fats: The fat used to make lemon rice is oil. The oil that is traditionally used is sesame oil made from wood pressed raw sesame seeds. This sesame oil is also called as gingelly oil and is very different from the south-asian toasted sesame oil. Sesame oil adds a great deal of nutty flavor. If you do not have sesame oil, then simply use sunflower oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any neutral oil.
- Gluten-free version: Skip adding the asafoetida or use a gluten-free asafoetida in the recipe.
More South Indian Rice Recipes To Try!
South Indian Food
Rice Recipes
Rice Recipes
Rice Recipes
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Lemon Rice (Tangy Flavorful Rice)
Ingredients
For cooking rice
- 1 cup rice (heaped) or 3 to 4 cups cooked rice
- 1.75 to 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required
Other ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice or add as required
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and skinned black gram)
- 2 dry red chilies – preferably seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chillies – chopped
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon cashews – halved or chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup peanuts – optional
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) or any neutral oil
- salt as required
Instructions
Soaking rice
- Rinse rice grains a couple of times and soak in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Then drain all the water from the soaked rice.
Stove-top pressure cooking
- Cook rice in a 2-litre or 3-litre pressure cooker with salt and 1.75 to 2 cups water for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes on medium to medium-high heat.
- When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. Remove the cooked rice in a plate or in a bowl.
- 1 heaped cup rice will yield 3 to 4 cups rice. This will depend on the type and quality of rice.
- Let the cooked rice become warm or cool at room temperature
Cooking rice a pan or pot
- Take rice, salt and 2 cups water in a pan. Cover and simmer until all the water has been absorbed and rice grains are tender and fluffy.
- Do keep a check when rice is simmering and if the water has dried leaving the rice grains undercooked, add some more hot water and continue to cook.
- Place the cooked rice in a tray or bowl to cool it.
Instant pot method
- Add rice, salt and 1 or 1.25 cups water (depending on rice type and quality) in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high. Do a quick pressure release after 5 minutes.
- Empty the cooked rice in a plate or bowl to cool at room temperature.
Frying nuts
- In a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil. First fry the peanuts until crunchy and then set them aside.
- In the same oil, then fry cashews until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Now add 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same pan. Keep the flame to a low.
- Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Once the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add the urad dal.
- Fry until the urad dal turns golden. Fry everything on a low flame, so that the lentils do not burn.
- Then add the red chilies, green chilies (chopped) and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until the red chilies change color.
- Switch off the heat and add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Mix very well
Making lemon rice
- Immediately pour this tempering mixture on cooked and cooled rice. Add the fried peanuts and cashews, lemon juice, salt. Mix very well.
- Keep the bowl or pan covered for the flavors to blend for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Then serve the lemon rice.
- While serving you can choose to garnish chitranna with some chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).
Serving suggestions
- Serve lemon rice with pappadums or with a side vegetable salad or even coconut chutney also goes great with this dish.
- It can also be packed in the tiffin box. As lemon rice can be served at room temperature, it also makes a great picnic lunch item. It’s a light dish and you can have it as a light lunch or breakfast too.
Storing
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a day. Leftover rice is not good for health, so I suggest to finish the lemon rice in a day.
Video
Notes
- Rice: Any non-sticky variety of rice can be added. If in case you overcook the rice and they become lumpy, then do not worry. Simply break the lumps when the rice grains are cooled. Leftover rice works excellently in the recipe. Add about 3 to 4 cups of leftover cooked rice.
- Spices and lentils: Spices like mustard seeds and either dry red chillies or green chillies are essential. You can still let go of urad dal and asafoetida (hing) if they are not available to you. About 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger also add a good flavor to the chitranna recipe.
- Herbs: Curry leaves add a unique aroma. If you find it difficult to procure them, then you can skip them. You can also add coriander leaves (cilantro).
- Nuts: Both cashews and peanuts add a lot of texture and crunch in lemon rice. You can also just use one type of nut. Do not use nuts like almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts etc as the authenticity of the recipe will be lost.
- Lemons: Use lemons or limes which are ripe and fresh.
- Oil: The oil that is traditionally used in sesame oil made from wood pressed raw sesame seeds. This sesame oil, also known as gingelly oil is very different from the south-asian toasted sesame oil. If you do not have sesame oil, then simply use sunflower oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or any neutral oil.
- Gluten-free version: To make a gluten-free lemon rice simply skip the asafetida or use a gluten-free asafetida.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Lemon Rice post from the archives first published in August 2013 has been republished and updated on November 2022.
This is exactly like mom’s recipe! 5 stars!
Super and thanks for sharing this lovely feedback.
Thank you Dassana for this recipe. It is a fantastic tangy lemon rice and one of the best I have made.
Welcome and thanks a lot.
rice and lemon 🍋
sounds perfect to me !!
thank you for interesting recipe
Tried it first in kerala… And for a long time tried to find proper recipe. Finally I got. Thank you!
Welcome and I hope you like the recipe when you make it.
I will be try to get make the recipe. It must be a good and tasteful one.
Hope you like the recipe.
Made the lemon rice following your recipe this afternoon and it turned out amazingly delicious. Thanks you!!!
Great and thank for sharing the feedback as well as the rating too.
Hi.. your website is a boon to a “barely in the kitchen before marriage” person like me! I cook from your website everyday!
I had a question, I have a little girl whose online classes and homework takes up my evening time, if I prepare the entire rice and mixture and keep it ready for later.. like post 2 hours to eat… should I add the lemon in at the time of preparing or should I heat the rice and add lemon prior to serving?
Thank you Anu. Add lemon prior to serving as the freshness of the lemon juice is what makes up this dish.
Your recipe of tomato rice was awesome.last night,I made it.it was so delicious.thanku for it
thanks a lot deepa. glad to know. welcome and happy cooking.
I’m trying your lemon rice recipe for the first time. Hope my family members also enjoy this new style of cooking lemon rice. I always warm lemon juice and mix it with peanut masala. I also do as Ashwini has written in the post. Thanks.
thanks bhanulatha. i hope your family liked the lemon rice recipe. warming lemon juice makes it mellow and the sharpness is reduced. actually it is a personal preference. if one likes a less sharp taste and flavor of lemon juice, then it can be warmed before adding.
Hi Dassana akka,
I tried this recipe and it came out really well.. my husband liked it too.. thank u..
thanks a lot haru for both the rating and feedback. glad to know. welcome.
Hello Ma’am,
I really appreciate the way your recipes are so easy to follow and turn out to be great dishes so effortlessly.i am still learning how to cook . I referred to your recipes for veg pulao and jeera rice… They were an instant hit and ppl couldn’t believe that This is the first time that I have made a rice dish.
I do have one question however . In this recipe of lemon rice, is there any specific reason for not adding the rice to the masala mixture and having that other way round, like in the case jeera rice and veg pulao .
Your response is awaited.
Thanks,
Ashwini
thanks a lot, ashwini. glad to read your experience. lemon rice and other south indian rice varieties are all made this way. the rice is cooked and then the tempering or masala is added. the crunchiness of the mustard, urad dal and peanuts is felt when added to rice and this gives lemon rice a varied texture which tastes good. also, lemon juice if added earlier can make the rice taste bitter and the taste also mellows after cooking lemon juice. the sour taste of lemon juice is very much fresh and intense when added to cooked rice. thus giving a lovely tangy taste to the rice. hope this helps.
Easy to cook recipe. Thank you.
Hi mam,
Can i make this using brown rice ?
hi sandeepta, yes you can use brown rice to make lemon rice. soak the rice for 1 to 2 hours before cooking.
Hey! My mom and I followed your recipe. Thanks for the help. It turned out to be really good.
that is nice to know deeya and thanks for sharing this feedback and for rating the recipe too. welcome and happy cooking.
I don’t have sesame oil, will olive or mustard oil do?
don’t use mustard oil. you can use olive oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil.
Tried a version of this lemon rice on my blog and I am now a big fan of it. I love how tangy and flavourful this rice is
Nicely explained
Very nice recipe. Very easy to make. Very tasty. ????
thank you sukanya for the rating and feedback. glad to know.
Hello,
I’m new to Indian cuisine. I’ve made lemon rice before but never with urad dal. I am only able to purchase dried gram. Do I need to cook / boil the gram first?
Thank you
no need to cook or boil the gram. the urad dal added is raw and not cooked.
Dassana,
I can only get dry curry leaf where I live. Can I use them in this recipe or is it better to just not use them at all? I’m new to Indian cooking and am really enjoying your site! It’s awsome!
Dassana,
Can I use dry curry leaves? It is most impossible to get fresh leaves where I live. Is it better to just leave them out of recipes?
I’m quite new to Indian cooking and am really enjoying your site!
jacquie, you can use dry curry leaves in any recipe that calls for fresh curry leaves. even i used to add dry curry leaves when i would not get fresh leaves. thanks.
instead of sesame oil can we use mustard oil..
with mustard oil, the taste may not come out well. you can use peanut oil or sunflower oil instead. even olive oil can be used.
thank you sonal for positive views.
Hey,,, nice & easy recipe of lemon rice…. even when ever I wanna try to something new,,, firstly refer your recipe….keep posting… thank u & many more time thanks… with lots of love…
very pleased to know this dhvani 🙂 glad you refer us always for recipes. thankyou for your kind words and you are always welcome.
Thankyou so much as i wanted to eat this lemon rice from many days, from ur receipe it could possible.
pleased to know this kundan thankyou so much 🙂
Super mam
thankyou kokila 🙂
Hi can we use Chana dal instead of urad dal ??
kavi, yes you can add chana dal. just fry them well.
Hi. Thanks a lot for your quick receipies which has helped me a lot in past and specially the lemon rice receipe has solved my problem for tonight’s dinner
pleased to know this rimpal 🙂 you liked the lemon rice recipe. thankyou for your kind words.
Thank u so mch ur recipe helped a lot as my husband is frm bnglore and wanted me to make lemon rice for him and just because of ur recipe I was able to make it.
welcome aastha. nice to know that recipe helped you in making lemon rice.
Hi Dassana
Have tried couple of your recipes all were good… would request a bread dahi vada recipe to be posted as could not find any good on other sites
thanks vaishali. i have noted down the recipe request and will try to post it.
Thank you so much.. I am a student.. And I have prepared lemon rice .but when added lemon juice it smells bad.anyways by your direction I have prepared it.
welcome nivedita. it does not smell bad. was the lemon fresh? lemon must be getting spoilt.
Hi Dassana….thanks once again for a quick, simple and delicious recipe. I have tried so many of ur recipes but not one of them has been disappointing. Keep up the good work!
welcome jyoti. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on recipes.
Hi Dassana
So quick n simple recepie.. Just a simple query if til oil is not available what could b the option for it.
thanks deepti. use peanut oil or sun flower oil.
please can you provide your recipes ,in Tamil language also
v.vairavan, i don’t know tamil language so won’t be able to do it.
I think this is very easy and simple, i like this and i will try this.
And, my personal choice for this as a combo is thick coconut chutney with just fresh coconut, green chillies and curry leaves, and then some fried pappad/chips..:)
anu, i usually serve with pappad. but coconut chutney is a good addition. good to know this.
Perfect recipe…it’s the same way that I make it here…only small addition is that I add 2-3 spoonful of grated coconut and coriander leaves, if it need not be kept for long. My son loves this and to make it wholesome, sometimes I add paneer cubes and fresh veggies also to it.
thanks anu for sharing your variation. you are making the dish more healthy.
i love sabudan khichidi………
Good & it is a brand new recipe for me.
In our village we do this with left over rice for morning breakfast. Lemon rice, mango or Makali beru pickle and curd rice heaven on earth!
madhusudhan, thats good to know. i always make with fresh rice. but the food combo you mentioned must be delicious.
Nice& easy
thanks sujan
very nice recipes i loved it.
thanks pushpa
supper
thank u dassana fr this recipe,i will prepare fr my lovely sis who loves lemon rice hope she likes it
welcome abhijeet
Hi Dassana, before turning off the flame add grated coconut. Fry the coconut for 1-2 mins and add rice, lemon juice and mix well in the pan itself. This tastes much better and stays for a long time.. I’m sure you’ll love this typical karnataka style lemon rice.
thanks padma for sharing your variation. i will give it a try.
This is so, SO good! I never thought to use peanuts and lemon together before.
I didn’t have light sesame oil or cashews so I left them out (used vegetable oil instead) – I can just imagine how good it would be with the toasted cashews as well. Here in the UK cashews can be a little expensive but I know it will be worth it.
Thank you Dassana as always!
welcome liz. peanuts are a cheap but a good substitute to cashews. with both peanuts and cashews, the lemon rice taste equally good.
Hey, I love your receipes .. Wen Eva I wana try anythin new I refer your recipe first…:) thanks a lot..;) keep posting more..:) I love the lemon rice as Al ua others recipe..:)
thanks shahnaz for this positive feedback.
Thanks for the recipe– going to make it tomorrow. Just picked up some Hing. Looks so good.
Question– do I need to soak and or cook the urad dal beforehand? Or can I just add the dried lentils straight to fry pan?
Thanks so much!
Matt
welcome matt. no need to soak or cook urad dal. just add them to the pan and saute on a low flame, till they become a maroonish color.
I love lemon rice so much, that I eat it every meal.
Delicious and simple recipe.
thanks sangeeta
Good
Tried your recipe for today’s breakfast. My husband liked it very much. Thanks a lot.
welcome gopika
wow&thanks
welcome
Can we make this recipe with wild rice instead of the regular white rice?
kailash, you can try but i have never tried. so not sure about the texture.
lamen rise resepi vary nise prabhu ji
This recipe sounds wonderful, but I have a question about it. Do you use plain sesame oil or toasted (like east Asian) sesame oil. Thanks.
susan, it is plain sesame oil and not the east asian ones.
Thank you!
i make lemon rice very often.. once in a while i add dates to it.. gives a sweet touch now and then in ur mouth..
thanks renu for sharing your tip. i will give it a try next time.
love lemon rice and such a greatly made one you shared here.
My all time fav breakfast-lunch-dinner:))
xx
I make maximum recipes from this site. Really very easy and helpful. Thank you very much.
welcome madhu. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.