I made this lemon rice dish to eat with the Rendang Style Beef I made recently. A local Indian restaurant serves lemon rice, and I always order it but felt it was time I learned to make it myself. As a vegetarian dish it would stand pretty well alongside some vegetables, and is great with many other dishes, not just curries.
Ingredients (to serve 4-6)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (optional)
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 long green chilli (finely chopped and deseeded too if you prefer it less hot)
- 10g fresh ginger, peeled and grated or chopped finely
- About 10 fresh curry leaves
- 100g unsalted cashew nuts
- About 500g cooked and cooled basmati rice
- juice of 1 large lemon plus the zest of ½ the lemonfinely grated
- Optional – finely chop the remaining half of the juiced lemon
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and add the mustard seeds, turmeric and asafoetida. Fry, stirring constantly, until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
Now add the onion, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and the nuts and fry for a couple of minutes until the nuts take on some colour and the onion has softened.
Add the rice into the pan and stir fry until hot (a few minutes) then add the lemon juice, zest and lemon pieces. Mix well and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Inspired by a recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Great Curries.
Chica Andaluza 
That looks delicious and makes me want to go straight to Roti King for lunch… again! 🙂
Could do with Roti King here today – Big Man is dong a temporary fix in our horrible kitchen and knocking through a hole in the chimney breast to put a chimney hood in before Christmas. This is a very dusty house right now!
What a nightmare. I image that no matter what you do the dust gets everywhere 😦
I have developed a talent for looking beyond it (or is that called “ignoring”?!) 😉
I haven’t tried this in our local Indian restaurant but I will now. Your recipe looks delicious.
I’ve become a bit addicted!
Wow, I could eat that rice all by itself and be pretty happy. Though with a curry or stir fry…very yummy. This looks way better than any rice I’ve ever seen in our local Indian, Thai or Malaysian restaurants. What is asafoetida? I have never heard of that!
Asafoetida is better known as ‘hing powder’: it comes in two kinds and although very little is needed, it makes a huge flavour difference in mostly Indian vegetarian food . . .but is also used elsewhere: I could not cook without it 🙂 !
Will have to see if I can find some and try it out!
I’m new to this spice and was a bit dubious as to how much difference such a small quantity could make – but it does and it’s wonderful!
Tanya – would you believe it s a form of large fennel: gives garlicky softened to oniony flavour . . . I was surprised also 🙂 !
No, hadn’t realised – surprising!
I would make this to eat on my own with both fists. “YUM!” doesn’t quite cut the mustard here. “UBER YUM!” Might come a little bit closer. I am pinning this sucker so that it doesn’t squirm away out of sight. I need this recipe in my life. I think we are going to have a beautiful future together.
I do sometimes eat lemon rice: a South Indian vegetarian dish most often consumed with a vegetable salad, poppadums and possibly a tasty coconut chutney. Personally [and I mean personally] I would not mix Malaysian and South Indian food and tho” I use a variety of side dishes with my oft-cooked Rendang, I prefer it with plain rice as served both in Malaysia and Indonesia: its birthplace.. Your recipe is classic and lovely . . . enjoy!!
It wasn’t an authentic combination – more a meal of experimentation! I agree though that it’s probably better to keep the cuisines separate in order to better appreciate them J
I was mad at myself for having spoken up, so actually checked: about 3-4 of my favourite gurus all just have coconut rice and Asian pickled cucumbers + sambal oelek with the rendang, ’cause the latter has such a pronounced flavour – when you try again, don’t make sauce: almost ‘boil’ the meat in the coconut milk and then cook dry caramelizing the coconut . . . that is where the real flavour lies: ’nuff said :S !!
Thank you for checking! I know when I was looking at recipes several people said “if it has sauce, it’s not rendang”! I am infamous at home for enjoying “saucy” food and would quite happily leave the meat for everyone else. However, I do need to make it the more authentic way as I am sure this would make an amazing difference to the flavour.
Sounds fabulous Tanya – must add a nice complexity and little zing as a side dish to curries!
It has such a lovely flavour!
OMG, this sounds and smells so wonderful, I will make it next weekend, thank you for sharing
Thank you J
I seriously have to give this a try 🙂
Hope you enjoy it if you do Tandy!
What a fragrant rice! The mustard seeds, curry and ginger. I know I would love this and need to give it a try. Great recipe!
yummy …..
my tongue feels can not wait to taste this special menu
certainly it was very enjoyable
What a feast! 🙂 Even though I’ve never heard of asafo-thingy 😦
My son said he might do a bit of cooking when he’s home next week (if he’s sufficiently bored 🙂 ). I’ll have to introduce him to your recipes. I know he’ll be a fan.
Have a lovely Christmas with your folks, Tanya, and my very best wishes for 2016.
And the same to you and your family Jo! The asafoetida was new to me too but delicious 🙂
OH yes – I’m making this! Feliz Navidad to you and yours, Tanya 🙂
I do like the sound of this rice dish, Tanya. I love lemony dishes in winter. Helps me to forget how cold it is, I’ve a new favorite Indian restaurant and just checked their menu. No, they do not serve lemon rice. Drat! I’m going to suggest they add it to their menu. After all, if they wish to remain my favorite Indian restaurant, they’ll have to adjust to my every whim. I think that’s fair. 🙂
Only fair John! Mind you, you never know, they might put it on the menu and it will be a roaring success J
hmm… delicious
I could see why you would want to learn to make this yourself…it sounds wonderful. Merry Christmas to you and Big Man.
Wanted to stop back by to wish you and Big Man the happiest of new years.
Thank you Karen – hope yours is going well!
Qué buena pinta!!! Me encantan los anacardos 🙂
Ola Chica!
Lovely recipe…I am addict to Indian food…I will cook it ; -) Thanks
Thank you – do hope you enjoy it!
look interest,…..
if in indonesian as Nasi Kuning 🙂
always new recipe,…
if we here used to cook rice with lemon given the feeling , the old man that does not quickly stale . rasanyapun does not change , whether it tastes sour lemon rice ?
Lemon Rice ?? It’s a good innovation..
i dont know lemon can be cook with rice.. very inovative.. cool
i like rice
food that makes the stomach reads, because of the picture already looks very good.