Variety Rice - lemon/coconut/tomato

In my last post, I had shared the recipe for tamarind rice. Preparing tamarind rice is easy and very tasty, but we need to prepare the 'pulikaichal' beforehand which takes time. Once your 'pulikaichal' is ready, you can store it and tamarind rice becomes easy and instant. But there are other varieties of rice in South India - lemon rice, coconut rice, tomato rice. These are quick,instant, no beforehand preparations required and yes delicious too. These are also considered to be easy lunch box recipes. Let's see how to prepare them.

(Lemon Rice)

(Coconut Rice)

(Tomato Rice)

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

 
lemon  : 2
urad dal : 1 tsp
chana dal (kadala paruppu) : 1 tsp
curry leaves: few
kaju : 4-5 (optional) [or peanut : 2 tbsp (optional)]
Mutstard/rai : half tsp
salt to taste
asafoetida/hing : pinch
oil : 1.5 tbsp
green chilli : 1
red chilli : 1
Ginger : half inch
Fenugreek powder (fenugreek dry roasted & powdered) : quarter tsp

 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dal, chana dal. Saute for till it started turning golden. 

2. Now add peanuts/kaju if included and saute till they change colour, add broken red chilli, chopped green chilli, finely chopped ginger. Saute for few seconds. 

3. Add hing (asafoetida), curry leaves and switch off the flame. Squeeze the lemons into the sauted spices, add fenugreek powder & salt.
4. Mix with 1 cup of cooked rice. (Adjust rice quantity as per your taste. If you like it sour and spicy, add 1 cup cooked rice. If you like it medium sour or mild, mix more rice)

Coconut rice

Ingredients :

Fresh grated coconut : half cup
urad dal : 1 tsp
chana dal (kadala paruppu) : 1 tsp
curry leaves: few
Mutstard/rai : half tsp
salt to taste
oil : 1.5 tbsp
green chilli : 1
red chilli : 1
Ginger : half inch


Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dal, chana dal. Saute for few seconds till it starts turning golden brown.

2. Add broken red chilli, chopped green chilli, finely chopped ginger, curry leaves. Saute for few seconds. 

3. Add freshly grated coconut, saute for few seconds and switch off the flame.
4. Add some salt and mix it with 1 cup cooked rice.

Tomato Rice


Ingredients:

onion - 2 medium
tomato : 2 medium
green chillies : 2-3
red chilly : 1
sambhar powder : 1 tsp
rai : half tsp
urad dal : 1 tsp
chana dal (kadala paruppu) : 1 tsp
curry leaves: few
ginger (finely chopped) : half tsp
salt to taste
oil : 2 tbsp
Ghee : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Chop the onions and tomatoes. Do not chop too finely or too roughly.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add broken red chilly, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and ginger. Saute for few seconds or till dal starts turning golden brown.
3. Add the chopped onions and saute for 2 min. Then add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, salt and mix well.
4. Sprinkle little water and close the pan with lid, keep low to medium flame. Check and open lid every 2-3 min, mix well (sprinkle little water if required to avoid burning) and again close it. Repeat this till the onions and tomatoes seem mashed and soft.
5. Open the lid, add sambhar powder, mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes. (do not close the pan with lid anymore)
6. Switch off. Add little ghee to it and mix 1 cup of cooked rice (adjust rice quantity as per your taste).