South Indian Lemon Rice Recipe

South Indian Rice
The Spruce
  • 25 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins,
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yield: Serves 2
Ratings (179)

By Petrina Verma Sarkar

Updated 08/09/18

Lemon rice is one of the most common dishes in South India. It's usually eaten alone or with raita, yogurt, chutney or Kosambari (a type of salad).

You can easily throw together if you are in a hurry as it can be made with leftover rice. Add some poppadums on the side for a simple yet tasty meal.

What You'll Need

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola or sunflower cooking oil)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 3 to 4 curry leaves
  • 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise)
  • 1-inch piece ginger (grated)
  • 1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice (or leftover rice)

How to Make It

  1. Gently roast and then coarsely grind the coriander seeds into powder. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies. Fry the mixture until the spluttering stops.
  3. Add the ginger and peanuts. Fry the mixture for another minute.
  4. Add the turmeric powder and turn off the burner.
  5. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
  6. Add the rice, roasted coriander powder and salt to taste and mix thoroughly.
    Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
    Calories 1039
    Total Fat 21 g
    Saturated Fat 3 g
    Unsaturated Fat 10 g
    Cholesterol 0 mg
    Sodium 169,998 mg
    Carbohydrates 189 g
    Dietary Fiber 13 g
    Protein 28 g
    (The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)