This aromatic lemon rice features long grains of basmati rice tempered with mustard seeds, lentils, chili peppers and nuts. Tangy lemon juice ties the vibrant flavors together.
Table of Contents
Authentic South Indian lemon rice
Lemon rice is a simple south Indian rice dish made by mixing aromatic basmati rice with lemon juice and a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and nuts. It has a bold yet delicate flavor, with the boldness coming from the lemon and the lemony curry leaves while the few spices play a secondary but important role.
This is quintessential Tamil tiffin food - a light dish served as a snack or light dinner - just like tomato rice, tamarind rice, coconut rice, curd rice and turmeric rice. It was a few of these rice dishes that my mom-in-law always made for the road when we traveled together in India. They were easily prepared, easily packed and easily eaten with no need for fussing around with curries and dals.
I learned how to make lemon rice, or elumichai sadam as it's known in Tamil, from my mom-in-law, who was by far the best Tamil cook I've ever known. While I've tried to make a few tweaks to her recipe over the years, I've always come back to the original - which I am sharing here - because it really cannot be bested.
One of the reasons I make lemon rice in my kitchen several times each month is not just because it's delicious, which it absolutely is, and not just because Desi can't get enough of it. 😉 I love it because it is a versatile dish that lends itself extraordinarily well to weeknight dinners and rushed weekend lunches. All you need to serve with it is poppadum or an Indian pickle, like my lime pickle or mango thokku.
This is a very beginner-friendly dish and it is a sure picky-eater-pleaser because lemons and rice? Yummm!! It's also soy-free, gluten-free, and you can make it nut-free by skipping the nuts.
Here's the recipe.
Recipe card
South Indian Lemon Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw basmati rice (Or other long-grain rice)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon urad dal (split black gram dal)
- 2 dry red chili peppers (broken into 1-inch pieces. Or use red pepper flakes)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves (coarsely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds or methi seeds (optional. These are bitter so don't use too much)
- 4 tablespoon cashew nut pieces
- 4 tablespoon peanuts
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4-5 large lemons. Start out by adding about half of this to the rice and add more depending on how lemony you want the rice to be)
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly under running water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then add rice. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the rice about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain out all water and set aside. You can also cook the rice in the rice cooker or in an Instant Pot but make sure it doesn't get too soft and mushy. You want the grains to be cooked but separate.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the cooked rice. Add the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds sputter, add the curry leaves followed by the urad dal, dry red chili peppers and curry leaves.
- As soon as the dal is lightly blonde, lower the heat and add the fenugreek seeds and the nuts. Saute until the nuts just start to turn color. Keep an eye on the fenugreek and don't let it brown because it can char and turn intensely bitter.
- As soon as the nuts are lightly golden, add the turmeric and salt and stir. To the pot add the cooked rice and the lemon juice.
- Turn off the heat and mix gently, taking care not to mash the rice. Cover with a lid and set aside until ready to serve.
- Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork, Garnish with cilantro and serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- Add 1 cup frozen green peas of finely chopped green bell peppers to the pot along with the rice for more crunch and texture.
- Use brown basmati works instead of white rice. It works just as well, but will need a longer cooking time (see recipe card).
- Use dill or parsley for garnish instead of cilantro for a fresh, unique flavor.
- Use other nuts instead of cashews and/or peanuts in this recipe. Chopped walnuts and almonds or pistachios would work beautifully.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
My top tips for lemon rice
- Use basmati rice: You can make lemon rice with most rice varieties but I prefer basmati rice, which is both aromatic and doesn't clump together, like shorter- and medium-grain varieties of rice do. This makes it easy to mix the tempering and the lemon juice into the rice without mushing it up, and it makes a nicer presentation.
- Chop the curry leaves. Traditionally south Indian cooks use curry leaves whole in dishes like sambar but I like cutting them into thin ribbons when I add them to prepared rice dishes, like lemon rice. This way they crisp up nicely in the pan and they are easier to eat.
- Add some lemon zest. Traditionally Indians do not use lemon zest in recipes, but I think it's a marvelous addition to dishes like lemon rice. The aromatic oils in lemon zest add a brighter, more lemony flavor. Don't overdo it--the zest of one small or medium lemon is more than enough.
- Don't add too many spices. Lemon rice should have a delicate flavor without being overwhelmed by spices. Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric and red chili peppers are the only spices you need for this recipe and they perfectly complement the rice and lemon.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Be sure to cook the brown rice before mixing it with the tempered spices and lemon juice.
Yes, lemon rice is a great recipe to use leftover rice for. Use a fork to separate the rice grains before mixing with the tempering and lemon juice.
Use long-grain rice, like basmati rice, instead of shorter- or medium-grain varieties of rice. Also don't overcook the rice - it should be tender but the grains should not clump together. Check out my post on how to cook basmati rice to learn how to make perfect cooked rice for this and other Indian rice dishes.
Serve lemon rice with crunchy poppadum or south Indian crackers called vadam, or with Indian style pickles. You can also serve it alongside a south Indian curry like this chickpea curry.
Lemon rice also goes remarkably well with north Indian curries like chana masala, tofu makhani and tofu palak paneer.
Yes, if you are nut-free just skip the peanuts and instead use an additional tablespoon of urad dal. If you can eat nuts you can substitute chopped cashew nuts for peanuts.
Store the lemon rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container or in a freezer bag for up to three months. To reheat, sprinkle a few droplets of water over the lemon rice and heat in the microwave or in a saucepan.
Jamini says
Hi. It would be really helpful if you could add the weight of the ingredients. Since I tend to cook for only one person. Really love your recipes. Keep it up.❤️
Vaishali says
Hi Jamini, added!
Merri says
Hi - I'm making the lemon rice tonight. In the overall photo for the lemon rice, there appears to be a simple green bean dish as well.
Can you please share that recipe? THANKS!
Vaishali says
Hi Merri, so happy you asked about the green beans. 🙂 It's my favorite quickie vegetable side for curries and Indian rice dishes. It's really simple--use a pound of chopped green beans, frozen work perfectly. Heat a teaspoon of oil, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds and asafetida, if you have it. When it sputters, add a couple of broken dry red chili peppers to season the oil and, optionally, 1/4th tsp of turmeric. Add the beans and salt to taste and stir fry them until they are tender but still al dente. You can make them as tender as you like--if you want them softer, place a lid on the wok, turn the heat to the lowest point, and let them cook until they reached the desired doneness for you, stirring frequently to make sure they don't stick. Check if you need more salt and sprinkle on some shredded coconut and turn off heat. Hope you try it!
Merri says
That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Kc says
So when you say urad dal do you mean whole urad or split the recipe should Specify
Vaishali says
Hi, urad dal--or any dal--refers to a split lentil. Whole urad is called saboot urad. Just a handy tip on Indian cooking. 🙂 One more thing to keep in mind is tha you never use the whole lentil when you use it for seasoning--it simply won't cook as fast.
I've clarified it's the split kind in the recipe for those who don't know.
Mary says
Hi! Looking forward to trying this. I can access fenugreek and regular mustard seeds if that’s okay (love the aroma when toasted!) but would need to use red pepper flakes – how much? and curry powder for curry leaves..? Is that a good idea? If so, how much? ...
Also, the dal... don’t know if I can find them. I live on an island. Any suggestions for a substitute, if I can’t?
Thx,
Mary
Vaishali says
Hi Mary, skip the dal, use a few more nuts instead. You can use between a fourth to 1 tsp of red pepper flakes based on your tolerance for heat. And don’t sub curry powder for leaves; they are completely different. Use a couple of tablespoons of cilantro instead.
KK says
This sounds so yummy.
Someone gave me something called "hing" and told me it's good for lemon rice. I've been wanting to try lemon rice since. I don't see it in your recipe though. Is there any truth to what he says or is he just imagining things?
Vaishali says
Hi KK, you can add hing—asafetida—to many Indian dals and it’s great in lemon rice. Add a generous pinch when you sputter the mustard seeds.
KK says
Update:
I've made this recipe so many times since my first post using the hing powder as you suggested. Wow! This is such an amazing flavored dish. It's one of our regular go-to's now as a side. Yummy!!!
shobana says
It the same we do but with a little twist just like what u have mentioned here
1/4 tsp of mustardd seeds and 1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds dry roasted and powdered
we just drizzle that 1/2 tsp when the rice is completely mixed to enhance the flavor and it will be out of the world lemon rice .
Vaishali says
I must try it your way sometime!
Donna says
This looks delicious! I will try it tonight. And, I have a question... Do you know where might one might be able to buy the iron pot you use for the rice? It looks like it would be the perfect kitchen utensil. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Vaishali says
Hi Donna, are you referring to the wok in the photo? That's actually a steel wok I got from a relative who was returning to India --she had used it for lots of deep frying and it had turned dark with the grease on the inside, which makes for a good photo, so that's mainly what I use it for. 🙂 It's quite small, so I don't actually cook rice in it. Larger Indian woks, called kadhais, are usually easily available online or at Indian grocery stores and they're great to saute veggies in. I usually cook rice in the microwave or a pressure cooker and then mix it with the spices in a large saute pan or pot.
Donna says
Thank you for the info. I'll look for a kadhai. Your site is really wonderful and all the recipies I have tried from it are DELICIOUS!
Vaishali says
Thank you! 🙂
Kate Myers says
I love use Indian recipes. However the spices are expensive and hard to find. I don’t have enough money to buy spices for a recipe I might use once a month.
Is there anyway that you might tweak these recipes to have more familiar grocery store spaces?
I love all of the lemon recipes!
Vaishali says
Hi Kate, you can leave out the mustard seeds and the fenugreek in this recipe, and saute some cilantro instead of the curry leaves. Red pepper flakes from the supermarket are a fine substitute for the dry red chili peppers. The main flavor here is the lemon, and so long as you put it together with some nuts and the cilantro and red pepper flakes you will have a yummy dish.
Hope that helps! 🙂
PamelaB says
If you have a local food coop you should be able to buy the spices in the quantities you need. I love being able to buy & try unfamiliar spices in small quantities.
Tho during the pandemic the way bulk departments work have been adjusted for safety. So maybe for future use.
marita says
My first lemon rice ever! Love it. So tasty. We had it as a main alongside a salad.
Vaishali says
Marita, so happy to hear!