Some inspiration for national vegetarian week with this yummy recipe for Indian-style lemon rice from Four Seasons Resorts Bali General Manager Uday Rao. This is his mother’s recipe and one of his favorites from childhood.
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
Cooked Basmati (long grain) rice – 1 cup or 300 grams
Peanuts – 50 grams or 1/4 cup, or you can add cashews as well or mix both
Lime juice – 5 tbsp
Dry red chili – 2
Sliced lengthwise green chili – 2
Fresh curry leaves – 8 to 10
1/2 red onion finely sliced
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/3 tsp
Cooking oil – 3 tbsp (not olive oil or mustard oil)
Salt to taste
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro
To Prepare:
Roast the peanuts for 2 minutes on low-medium flame and set aside.
Heat a pan, add oil and let it heat properly.
Add mustard seeds, dry red chili and green chili, fry it for a few seconds.
Add curry leaves and chopped onion, fry it on medium flame for 2 minutes.
Add roasted peanuts, turmeric powder and salt to taste, mix it and cook for 1/2 minute on low flame.
Add lime juice in small batches, mix it, cook it for 1/2 minute on low flame.
Taste it and if it’s lemony then no need to add more lime juice. Too lemony is also not nice.
Add cooked rice and mix it gently, cover the pan and cook on low flame for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the flame, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
I also add a dash of fresh melted ghee and mix it well before serving, but this is optional.