Lemon Rice and Peanut Cutney

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon urad dal
1 teaspoon chana dal
2 green chillies, chopped
2 dried red chilli
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
A few curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt as per taste
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Start by heating some oil in a small pan.
2. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter a bit.
3. Add urad dal and chana dal, and sauté until golden brown. Don’t let it cook any further than that or else the dals will turn brownish-black and will become hard to chew.
4. Add green chillies, dried red chilli, asafoetida, and curry leaves, sauté briefly. As you add these ingredients, be very careful of burns as the chillies and curry leaves might lead to droplets of hot oil splashing in the surroundings.
5. Add turmeric powder, mix well, and immediately remove the pan from the flame. With this, you’ve prepared the tempering. All of these steps need to take place in a quick sequence. You don’t need to cook anything for too long.
6. Take a bowl and add cooked rice, lemon juice, salt, roasted peanuts, and the tempering; mix thoroughly.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve warm.

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:
2 cup roasted peanuts
2 green chillies
1 small piece of tamarind
Salt as per taste
1/2 cup water (adjust as needed)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
1 dried red chilli
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Instructions:

1. Blend roasted peanuts, green chillies, tamarind, salt, and water to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a small pan.
2. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add dried red chilli, curry leaves, and asafoetida, sauté briefly.
3. Pour the tempering over the peanut chutney, mix well, and serve with lemon rice

Recipe by: Heema Arya