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    Home » Rice

    South Indian Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

    Published: May 15, 2023 · Last Modified: May 15, 2023 by Kanan Patel / 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Lemon rice topped with peanuts, cashews, curry leaves with a spoon and lemon slices on the side

    Lemon rice is one of the easiest rice recipes that gets ready in just 10 minutes! It is made by mixing cooked rice with the tempering of whole spices, nuts and curry leaves. 

    This south Indian lemon rice is part of an everyday meal in Karnataka and it is known as Chitranna in the Kannada language. 

    Lemon rice topped with peanuts, cashews, curry leaves with a spoon and lemon slices on the side
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Lemon Rice Recipe?
    • 🧾 Ingredient Notes For Chitranna
    • 👩‍🍳 How To Make Indian Lemon Rice? (Stepwise Photos)
    • 💭Expert Tips
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • ⭐ Reviews

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Lemon Rice Recipe?

    Quick to make: As I said, you’ll need just 10 minutes to prepare this Indian lemon rice (if you have cooked rice ready). 

    Easy to make: No skills are required to make this simple rice dish. Even a beginner can make it without fail. You just need to make a tempering and mix it with cooked rice.

    Pack in a lunch box: Make rice a day before and keep it ready in the fridge. And in the morning, quickly whip up this Indian lemon rice to pack into kid's or adult’s lunch box. It tastes good on its own. But you can pack yogurt, pickle, salad or papad to go with it.

    Good as a travel food: You can pack it for a road trip or train travel as it stays good throughout the day and it tastes good at room temperature. 

    Taste & Flavor: This lemon rice has a mild flavor (spice level can be adjusted) with a delicate tang from the lemon. You’ll get a crunch of nuts in every bite.

    Dietary Info: This lemon rice is vegan and Gluten-free.

    🧾 Ingredient Notes For Chitranna

    Here is a pic of ingredients you’ll need to make this easy South Indian lemon rice recipe aka Chitranna.

    Indian lemon rice ingredients in bowls and spoons with labels.
    • Cooked rice:
      • You can cook the rice fresh or use leftover rice.
      • Use any variety of non-sticky rice that you use on daily basis. Usually, short-grain rice like sona masoori is used to make this dish. But you can use basmati rice if you have that one handy. 
      • Cook your rice until soft, tender and the grains are separated without getting mushy.
    • Oil: You can use any oil like peanut oil, sesame oil or even refined oil. In this recipe, you can use olive oil as well.
    • Green chilies: Adjust the amount as per your preferred spice level.
      • Mild: Use Indian long green chilies.
      • Medium to spicy: Use small spicy chilies (aka Thai chilies).
    • Peanuts & Cashews: Peanuts are used on daily basis. While cashew nuts are added for guests or on special occasions only.
    • Curry leaves: It adds a nice flavor and aroma to the rice.
    • Turmeric powder: It adds a nice yellow color. Plus, it acts as a preservative when taken for travel or lunch-box.
    • Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is highly recommended over the bottled juice.

    👩‍🍳 How To Make Indian Lemon Rice? (Stepwise Photos)

    1) Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

    2) Add urad dal and saute until they turn light brown.

    3) Add peanuts and cashews.

    4) Fry with stirring constantly until nuts turn golden brown.

    Collage of 4 images showing tempering on mustard, urad dal and frying peanuts, cashews.

    5) Add green chilies, curry leaves and dried red chili.

    6) Saute for 30-40 seconds or until chilies have some blisters.

    7, 8) Add turmeric powder and stir.

    Collage of 4 images showing sauteing rest tempering ingredients.

    9, 10, 11) Add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice.

    12) Toss the rice gently to mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is heated through. Then turn off the stove.

    Collage of 4 images showing adding rice, salt and lemon juice and mixing.

    💭Expert Tips

    • Never add lemon juice to hot tempering otherwise it will lose its delicate lemon flavor and alters the lemon’s tangy flavor to slightly bitter. 
    • Instead of lemon juice, you can use limes as well. But reduce the amount if using limes as they are a bit more tangier than lemons.
    • Storage: You can store this in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. But if you’ve made it using leftover rice (a day old) then it is not advisable to store it again in the refrigerator. In that case, make the required amount and consume all.
    • Adjust the salt amount if your cooked rice already has salt in it.
    Lemon rice in a black bowl.

    Check Out Other South Indian Rice Dishes

    • Raw mango rice
    • Tamarind rice
    • Bisi bele bath
    • Curd rice
    • Sambar rice

    Did you try this Indian lemon rice recipe (aka Chitranna)? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

    📋 Recipe Card

    Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!
    Lemon rice topped with peanuts, cashews, curry leaves with a spoon and lemon slices on the side
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    South Indian Lemon Rice Recipe (Chitranna)

    5 from 2 votes
    Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and/or give ★ ratings
    Lemon rice is one of the easiest rice recipes that gets ready in just 10 minutes! It is made by mixing cooked rice with the tempering of whole spices, nuts and curry leaves.
    Author: Kanan
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Calories: 415kcal
    Servings 3
    Prep Time 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 8 minutes minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes minutes
    US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

    Ingredients  

    • 3 cups Cooked rice 1 cup of raw rice gives around 3 cups of cooked rice
    • 2 tablespoons Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
    • ½ teaspoon Urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
    • ¼ cup Peanuts
    • 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts
    • 1 Dried red chilies
    • 2 Green chilies slit
    • 10 Curry leaves
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • ½ teaspoon Salt or less if cooked rice is already salted
    • 1 ½ tablespoons Lemon juice freshly squeezed
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    Instructions 

    • Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
    • Add urad dal and saute until they turn light brown.
    • Add peanuts and cashews. Fry with stirring constantly until nuts turn golden brown.
    • Add green chilies, curry leaves and dried red chili. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until chilies have some blisters.
    • Add turmeric powder and stir.
    • Add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice.
    • Toss the rice gently to mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is heated through. Then turn off the stove.

    Notes

    • Never add lemon juice to hot tempering otherwise it will lose its delicate lemon flavor and alters the lemon’s tangy flavor to slightly bitter.
    • Instead of lemon juice, you can use limes as well. But reduce the amount if using limes as they are a bit more tangier than lemons.
    • Storage: You can store this Indian lemon rice in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. But if you’ve made it using leftover rice (a day old) then it is not advisable to store it again in the refrigerator. In that case, make the required amount and consume all.
    • Adjust the salt amount if your cooked rice already has salt in it.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    *Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving
    Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.

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    1. Sharon Badian

      April 10, 2023 at 10:18 pm

      This is delicious. I had some peas to use up so I put those in instead of the peanuts and almonds instead of cashews. Sometimes you just don't want to go to the store. 😉 Next time, I'll try this with the nuts. I love how easy this is to throw together.5 stars

      Reply
      • Kanan Patel

        April 11, 2023 at 11:11 am

        Yup, this lemom rice recipe is so versatile. I like the idea of adding peas to add some veggies.
        Glad that recipe was helpful.

        Reply
    2. Tara Nair

      June 16, 2015 at 1:45 am

      WOW! This one is so simple and looks yummy too. I am gonna try this right away. Thanks for sharing the recipe Kanan 🙂

      Reply
      • Kanan

        June 16, 2015 at 10:24 am

        Thank you. Hope you like it

        Reply
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