You will need about 4 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. Leftover rice works just as well for making lemon rice. To cook rice from scratch, use the method below.
To cook basmati rice, rinse 1 cup dry rice in cold water once. Drain the water and transfer the rice to a 2 to 3-quart saucepan with lid. Add 2 cups cooking water. Let the rice soak for 15 minutes if you have time. Soaking helps with water absorption as the rice is cooking. It relaxes the rice and makes the cooking more even.
Add a pinch of salt, and ½ a teaspoon of ghee. Bring the rice to a boil uncovered on medium-high heat. Stir the rice once with a wooden spoon, turn the heat to very low, and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes until rice is fully cooked.
Use the warm rice to make the lemon rice.
Make the lemon rice
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee on low heat.
Sauté the cashews in the ghee until golden brown and then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the remaining ghee or oil in the skillet.
Turn the heat up to medium and add the mustard seeds and optional urad dal. Sauté until the seeds pop and the dal turns golden brown.
Add the red chili, onion, turmeric, and salt, and sauté until onions are translucent and just starting to brown.
Add the cooked rice and mix well to fully incorporate. Continue to cook and stir until rice is piping hot. Add the fresh lemon and mix. Taste, and adjust salt and lemon flavors to your taste.
To serve
Fold in the optional chopped coriander just before plating. Transfer hot lemon rice to a serving dish and top with roasted cashews and optional toasted coconut.
Notes
Black or brown mustard seeds are ubiquitous in South Indian cooking. They have a pungent and nutty flavor, much more so than the yellow mustard seeds commonly used in the West.If you do not have black mustard seeds, you can consider using cumin seeds if you have them. Otherwise, just leave them out.Spliturad dal looks like a tiny white lentil but it is actually a bean. It is used as a seasoning in South Indian cuisine. Its taste is nutty, and its texture is crunchy. There is no good substitute for urad dal as a seasoning. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.If you do not have ghee, substitute with a mixture of half butter and half vegetable oil. Ghee is a form of clarified butter with a nutty, buttery taste, that is commonly used in Indian cooking. Ghee is generally safe for people with lactose intolerance. It has a high smoke point of 485 degrees Fahrenheit and it is shelf stable at room temperature. Ghee is widely available outside India. To learn more about ghee and where to buy it, see Quality Ghee & Ghee Buying Tips.If you love the spices in lemon rice, check out my Masala Aloo post. It has the same flavor profile, except with potatoes. Yum ...For more information about Indian ingredients, substitutions, and where to buy them.