Recipe: Lemon Rice

Try this easy to prepare mouth-watering dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice or other long-grain white rice
2 cups water
1 t salt
1/2 t turmeric
3 T ghee or oil
1/2 cup raw cashew halves or bits
1 t Black mustard seeds
1 1/2 t Split urad dal
1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup shredded fresh or dried coconut

Procedure:

Wash, drain, and dry the rice.

Boil water, salt, and turmeric in a 2 quart saucepan over moderate heat.

Heat ghee or oil over moderately low heat in another 2 quart saucepan. Sauté the raw cashew halves or bits in the hot ghee until they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Sauté the mustard seeds and urad dal in the remaining hot oil until mustard seeds crackle and dal darkens to a rich golden brown.

Add the rice and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the grains are evenly whitish in color.

Add the boiling salted turmeric water. Stir, raise the heat, and bring the water to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and gently simmer, without stirring, for 15-20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender and flaky.

Remove the rice from the heat, leaving the lid on for another 5 minutes to allow the rice to firm.

Add cashew nuts, lemon or lime juice, and fresh herbs. Mix well and garnish each serving with coconut.