Nimmakaya Pulihora (Lemon Rice)

So when I decided I wanted to do something, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. There were a lot of different recipes I can try and make. There are a lot of recipes that my mom makes that I don’t make anymore and also a few that I don’t know how to make. My mom’s allam pachadi is the best and I still don’t want to experiment with it since I’m scared I’ll mess it up. First I thought I would do a pachadi marathon. Recipes of just various pachadi’s that I make. But I realized I already did that while I was in India. Since mom makes the best pachadi’s I let her make them while I took pictures. Though there are a ton more to cover, the main ones have been written down. And then I asked myself what’s the one thing South Indian’s love the most – RICE!!!

So for this entire month, we will focus on various recipes that can be made with leftover rice. You might be thinking that some of these recipes are so simple, why to bother posting them. But I’m posting them for those who are learning to cook and need simple recipes to go by. I will try and make these recipes as easy as possible, requiring a minimum number of ingredients and not too many steps. I chose Lemon Rice as the first one since it’s very easy to make and also it’s VJ’s favorite. Whenever there’s leftover rice he will ask me to make it. In India whenever VJ is visiting my parents my mom definitely make Lemon Rice or Nimmakaya Pulihora for him. Most of the ingredients needed are always already at home, and it’s the easiest to make. It’s so easy to make, even VJ wants to make it now and then. When I was visiting my parents in India, VJ made this at least once a week. I had written down everything in a journal and presented it to him before I left. He followed the book and wants me to add more recipes to the book.

Ingredients

Rice – 4 cups

Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt – As needed

Limes/Lemons – 2 big ones (or 4 small ones)

For Tempering:

Oil – 4 tablespoons

Channa Dal – 2 tablespoons

Urad Dal – 2 tablespoons

Peanuts – a handful

Mustard Seeds – 1 tablespoon

Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida – 1/4 teaspoon

Green Chilies – 6 or 8

Curry Leaves – a few (optional)

How To Make

Step 1: Fluff the rice and add turmeric, salt to it.

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Step 2: Squeeze the juice out of the lemons (I know I used limes, but I find them tangier than lemon) and add the juice over the rice.

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Step 3: In a small pan, add oil. Once hot, add Channa Dal and Urad Dal. As they start to brown add in the mustard seeds and Peanuts. As the peanuts start browning and the mustard seeds start spluttering, add cumin and asafoetida. Mix it a little and then add green chilies and curry leaves.

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Step 4: Add it to the rice and mix well. Serve with a side of pickle or just by itself.

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