Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 3

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 cup rice (I used sona masuri)
2. 4 tbsp cooking oil
3. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4. 1 tsp urad dal
5. 1 tsp bengal gram dal or chana dal
6. 4 tbsp peanuts or groundnuts
7. 1 large onion finely chopped
8. 2 - 4 green chilies
9. 7 - 8 curry leaves
10. 2 tbsp coriander leaves
11. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
12. A big pinch of asafoetida
13. Lemon juice from a large lemon
14. Salt as per your taste

Instructions for making chitranna or lemon rice:

1. To beginwith cook the rice and keep it aside. Make sure the rice is cooked well but not mushy.
2. Keep other ingredients ready or handy before you start preparing the tempering.
3. Next take 4 tbsp of oil in a big wide frying pan and heat it. Add in peanuts (shenga) and wait until it starts crackling.
4. Once the peanut crackles, add in mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal. Wait until mustard seed splutters.
5. Add in curry leaves, slit green chilies and chopped onion. Give a quick mix.
6. Add in asafoetida (optional) and turmeric powder.
7. Fry until onions are soft under medium flame.
8. Add in salt and coriander leaves. Give a quick mix and switch off the stove.
9. Add in lemon juice and give a quick mix.
10. Add in cooked rice.
11. Optionally you can top it with some more coriander leaves.
12. Mix well gently. Take care not to make the rice mushy. Serve it as breakfast or pack it for the lunch box. This is a very healthy, easy and tasty ricebath recipe.

Dear reader, We have a brief Kannada description of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.