Lemon Rice

The lemon is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants. The fruit is used primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, primarily in cooking and baking. Lemons are used to make lemonade, and as a garnish for drinks. Iced tea, soft drinks and water are often served with a wedge or slice of lemon in the glass or on the rim. The average lemon contains approximately 3 tablespoons of juice. Allowing lemons to come to room temperature before squeezing (or heating briefly in a microwave) makes the juice easier to extract. Lemons left unrefrigerated for long periods of time are susceptible to mold. They contain Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) which is essential for human health. 100 milliliters of lemon juice contains approximately 50 milligrams of Vitamin C and 5 grams of citric acid. Because of its high Vitamin C content, lemon has been touted in alternative medicine as a tonic for the digestive system, immune system, and skin. There is a belief in Ayurvedic medicine that a cup of hot water with lemon juice in it tonifies and purifies the liver. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon.











Ingredients:

Ponni or samba masoora rice-2 cups
Lemon juice-4 tablespoons
Ground nuts-1 tablespoon
Curry leaves-few
Green chillies-5
Red dry chillies-2 splitted into pieces
Seasoning ingredients-2 tablespoons (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chenna dal, fenugreek seeds)
Asafetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Salt-1 tablespoon or to taste
Oil-2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Cook the rice with water (not too soft) and allow it to cool in a broad vessel.

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the red dry chilli pieces, ground nuts, asafetida and the seasoning ingredients.

3. Fry them until brown and turn off the stove. Mix the rice with the remaining oil, salt, turmeric powder, curry leaves and lemon juice.

4. Add the fried ingredients to rice and mix well.

5. Cover with a lid and leave the rice for ten minutes. This will help the rice to absorb all the spices.

Note: You can use cashew nuts instead of ground nuts.