Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is one of my favourite rice varieties that I pester my grandmother to cook for me often. She used to prepare it with the orange sized limes that we grow in our farm. The lime would be super tangy and would taste amazing with salt and red chilli powder which we used to enjoy when we were kids. The rice also tastes equally good with lemons and small limes. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Boiled rice - 2 cups
Lemon juice - Juice of 2 1/2 lemons
Shallots - 10 (roughly chopped)
Garlic - 5 pods (roughly chopped)
Dry red chilli - 5
Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 Teaspoon
White lentils/Urud dahl - 1 Tablespoon
Yellow split peas/Channa dahl- 1 Tablespoon
Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - 15
Fenugreek seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Water - 1/2 cup


Method
1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds in a medium hot pan and grind it into a fine powder and allow the cooked rice to cool.
2. Heat oil in a pan and allow the mustard seeds to splutter. Then add the urud dahl and yellow split peas and fry till they get the golden yellow colour.
3. Now add the red chillies and the curry leaves followed by asafoetida and fenugreek powder. You will smell the aroma of them raising up.
4. Add the shallots and fry for 3 minutes then add the garlic and turmeric powder and cook until the the onions ans garlic are completely cooked. (approx. 7 minutes)
5. Once they are cooked add the lemon juice, water and salt and wait for a minute and turn off the heat.
6. Add this lemon mix to the boiled rice (rice should not be hot) and mix thoroughly. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.
             Tangy lemon rice is ready to be served.
Note
* The rice should not be very soft, the rice grains should not touch each other. Add 1/4 less water than the usual ratio for cooking the rice.
* The rice should not be hot while mixing t with the lemon mix.
* Do not boil the lemon juice with the mix for a long time else it becomes less tangy.
* Boiled peanuts and roasted cashew nuts can be added before serving.