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South Indian · Indian

Lemon rice

Vegetarian

ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ · citrānna

Cooked rice tossed with a turmeric-yellow tempering of mustard seeds, peanuts, lentils, curry leaves and chilli, then brightened with lemon juice.

Lemon rice is a South Indian rice dish, ready in about 30 minutes and made with long-grain white rice, peanuts and lemon juice. It serves 3 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Chitranna
Representative photo. Radhikapavan / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
5 min
Cook
25 min
Total
30 min
Serves
3
Level
Beginner
Calories
401

Ingredients

3 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the rice in the water until just tender and fluffy. Spread on a plate to cool so the grains stay separate.

    Food safety: If using leftover rice, make sure it was cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab). Add the urad (opens in a new tab) dal and peanuts (opens in a new tab) and fry until golden, then the dried and green chillies, ginger, curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab).

    Food deep-frying in hot oil
    How it looks · Photo: Riya Roy on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Take off the heat, stir in the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt, then add the rice and toss gently until evenly yellow.

    • 3 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Sprinkle over the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and coriander and toss again.

    • 1 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Karnataka / Tamil Nadu, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Breakfast · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Boiled, Stir-fried
Taste
citrusy, nutty, savoury, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Portable / lunchbox · Uses leftovers · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Long-grain white rice · Peanuts · Lemon juice · Mustard seeds · Black gram (urad dal) · Dried whole chillies
Techniques
Stir-frying · Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Peanutsfrom peanuts
  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

401 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 246 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 58%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy401 kcal163 kcal
Protein8.3 g3.4 g
Carbohydrate58.7 g23.9 g
Net carbohydrate56.1 g22.8 g
Sugars1.3 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.6 g1.1 g
Fat15 g6.1 g
Saturated fat1.5 g0.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium787 mg320 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
247 mg
Calcium
50 mg
Iron
4 mg
Magnesium
49 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
16 µg
Vitamin C
16 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
292 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add the lemon juice off the heat — cooking it turns it bitter.

Common mistakes

  • Using hot, freshly cooked rice — it turns mushy when tossed.

Serve with

  • Serve with yogurt, papad and a pickle; popular in lunchboxes and for travel.

Food safety

  • Cooked rice left at room temperature can grow Bacillus cereus; cool quickly and refrigerate within an hour.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Eat at room temperature or reheat until steaming hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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