Lemon Rice or Yellow Rice is a popular Andhra recipe. Tangy South Indian Nimakkaya Pulihora (sour rice) is a quick and easy rice dish. Give plain white rice a nice makeover with a spicy seasoning and zesty lemon juice! This lemony Indian rice dish without onion garlic, is full of flavour and healthy too!
South Indian Lemon Rice
Pulihora lemon rice is commonly made during festivals. In South India, Pulihora or Chitrannam is given as prasad after darshan.
Savoury Yellow Lemon Rice ingredients include curry leaves, green chillies, lemon juice, turmeric, asafoetida and ginger – all of which are effective in controlling blood pressure.
How to prepare lemon rice
Lemon Rice Authentic Recipe:
South Indian Lemon Rice can be made with leftover rice or you can cook fresh rice and season with lemon juice. Chitrannam lemon yellow rice can be prepared very quickly and tastes amazing.
How to make Andhra lemon rice:
To make lemon pulihora, keep the leftover rice or pre-cooked rice ready.
Heat oil in a pan and season with urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds. Sauté for a minute.
Add fresh curry leaves, broken dry red chillies and peanuts. Sauté for a minute or two. Add freshly grated ginger, slit green chillies and hing. Stir for half a minute. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
Tip in the leftover rice or pre-cooked rice and combine everything well.
Cook on low heat for a minute till the rice is nicely mixed with the ingredients. Turn off the gas.
Drizzle lemon juice and gently mix the no-onion Nimakkaya Pulihora well.
Andhra Chitrannam preparation
Remove and serve Yellow Lemon Rice Andhra style with Onion Raita and Poppadums for a healthy, flavourful meal.
Lemon Pulihora
If you are looking for more Andhra rice recipes, do try out Tomato Rice.
Andhra Lemon Pulihora Recipe details below:
- Cooked Rice – 2 cups
- Chana dal – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Curry leaves – 2 stalks
- Dry red chillies – 3
- Peanuts – 1/3 cup
- Asafoetida – a pinch
- Grated Ginger – ½ tsp
- Green chillies – 2
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
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To make Pulihora with lemon, keep the leftover rice ready. Otherwise just cook some rice and keep aside.
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Heat the oil in a deep pan and temper with urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds.
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Add curry leaves, peanuts and red chillies. Sauté for about a minute on medium heat.
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Add grated ginger, green chillies and asafoetida. Sauté for 30 seconds.
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Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
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Stir in the leftover or pre-cooked rice and combine well. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the gas.
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Add lemon juice and mix the Chitrannam well.
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Remove and serve Yellow Lemon Rice with coconut chutney and cabbage-carrot thoran as a side dish.
* To make onion pulihora, just add sliced onions alongwith grated ginger to the seasoning and fry well.
Shil is a freelance writer, professional blogger, foodie, health advocate and travel enthusiast.
Glad to have stumbled upon your blog. I spent time in Andhra a few years ago and really miss the food. Lime rice was one of the few dishes I learned to make while there. Can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
Hi Lindsay,
Nice to know you like Andhra cuisine and I do appreciate your feedback. I look forward to you trying out more recipes from our selection.