Nimmakaya Pulihora/Lemon Rice

Lemon rice/Nimmakaya pulihora
Lemon rice is so simple and easy recipe if cooked rice is readily available. Generally for the preparation of lemon rice, we add the tempering and lemon juice to the cooked rice. In addition to that I have added few tbsp of ground spice powder. Spice powder enhances the taste and flavour. To prepare the spice powder I’ve used the following ingredients urad dal(black gram lentils),chana dal(Bengal gram lentils),coriander seeds, sesame seeds and red chillies. Spice powder gives nice aroma and distinctive flavour to the lemon rice. Dussehra festival is forthcoming. Offer the naivedhyam to Goddess Durga with utmost devotion and get the showers of blessings. Here I present Spicy, Tangy n Flavorful lemon rice to serve as a breakfast or one pot meal. Njoy Cooking, Serving n Savoring!
Ingredients:
Lemons: 3 nos.
Rice: 2 1/2 cups
Turmeric: half tsp.
Hing: one third tea spoon
Water: 6 -6 1/2 cups
Tempering:
Oil: 2 tbsp
Mustard: 2 tsp
Chana dal: 1 tbsp
Urad dal: 1 tbsp
Curry leaves: few
Peanuts: 1 1/2 tbsp
Cashews: 15 -20 nos.
Green chillies: 3 nos.
For spice powder:
Chana dal: 1 tbsp
Urad dal: 3/4th tbsp
Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
Red chilli: 3 nos.
Method of preparation:
1. Rinse rice thoroughly with water and steam rice in a pressure cooker adding 6.25 cups of water. Rice and Water ratio is 1:2.5.(for 1 cup rice 2.5 cups of water)
2. Take a Small kadai, heat it.
3. Put few drops of oil and add Chana dal, Urad dal, coriander seeds and fry them till they change colour.
4. Transfer them onto a plate and allow to cool. In the same kadai roast red chillies.
5. Now roast sesame seeds and transfer them onto a plate.
6. Now pour oil, fry the tempering ingredients mustard seeds, Urad dal and chana dal. If raw peanuts are using fry them. Otherwise you can add them later.
7. If the Chana dal slightly changes colour add cashews into it. Fry the tempering till cashews change their colour. Add hing into it and transfer into a broad vessel.
8. Now transfer the cooked rice into the same vessel. Add turmeric and required amount of salt too.
9. Now grind roasted Chana dal, Urad dal n coriander seeds into fine powder.
10. Transfer the powder onto the cooked rice.
11.  Mix thoroughly the rice with tempering and spice powder.
12. Slit the green chillies and fry the green chillies, curry leaves for a minute. Transfer this also onto the rice.
13. Now grind the sesame seeds into coarse powder.
14. Transfer this also onto cooked rice and mix well.
15. Squeeze the juice of 3 lemons and add to the rice. Mix thoroughly the rice so that the tempering, spice powder coats well and gives nice flavour and vibrant colour to the lemon rice.
16. Now the flavoured lemon rice is ready to serve.
 
Tip:
1. The spice powder I’ve prepared for lemon rice can be used for tamarind rice. But the powder should be added when the tamarind pulp starts to boil. Instead of adding spice powder you can prepare the lemon rice just following the above procedure.
2. Whenever lemon juice is to be added to the cooked rice, allow  the rice completely to come down to normal temperature and then add the lemon juice. Otherwise the rice tastes bitter.
3. Lemon rice is ideal one pot meal for any occasion, travelling, evening snack or breakfast for school going kids.