If you’re looking for a vibrant, refreshing and easy lemon rice recipe to brighten your table, this one’s for you. Bursting with delicious flavor and authentic South Indian spices, it’s quick to prepare, healthy and incredibly versatile.
For more rice dishes, check out our zarda (sweet orange rice), yogurt rice (South Indian-style dahi rice), Italian mushroom rice and our Indian-style flattened rice poha recipe.
When you’re in the mood for something quick, simple, and satisfying, this Indian lemon rice recipe will hit the spot.
This recipe comes from our original recipe for lemon rice, with the addition of onions, which enhance the flavor of the dish.
Using just a handful of fresh, affordable and simple ingredients, you can make this lemon rice pilaf that’s as nourishing as it is flavorful.
It’s the perfect choice for busy weeknights, relaxed weekend cooking, or whenever you want to bring vibrant, refreshing flavours to the table. Plus a great way to use leftover rice or extra cooked rice.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bright, zesty flavor: perfect for a refreshing meal.
- Quick & fuss-free: ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for last-minute meals.
- Versatile dish: an easy side dish or refreshing main dish.
- Budget-friendly: uses everyday pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients.
- Vegan & gluten-free: a wholesome dish everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Rice: basmati or long grain rice (plain rice/white rice) for fluffy results; brown rice for extra fibre. Cook fresh rice or use leftover rice (up to 1 day old) for best results.
- Oil: olive oil (extra virgin if possible). Alternatively use organic coconut oil, or ghee for a richer flavor.
- Tempering spices: including mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chilli and fresh curry leaves (kadi patha). This brings a delicious South Indian and nutty flavor to the dish.
- Asafoetida (hing): enhances depth of flavor.
- Onions: use yellow/brown onions, these are sliced and cooked to release flavor in this dish.
- Green chillies: for spice.
- Turmeric powder: for warm flavor and a yellow color.
- Salt: for seasoning.
- Coriander/cilantro: for a refreshing taste. Finely chop the coriander leaves with their stem.
- Tomato: use ripe tomatoes for their sweet, fresh and juicy taste. Tomatoes are also a great source of nutrients(including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants).
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice or bottled for a refreshing taste and lemon flavour. If using fresh lemon juice, use a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.
- Optional: Cashew nuts for crunch, pomegranate seeds for a refreshing garnish on top of the rice.
See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cashew nuts or peanuts: For extra richness and texture, add in a handful of cashew nuts or peanuts when cooking the spices. If using roasted cashew nuts or peanuts, add when mixing the rice.
- Spice: omit green chillies for a gentler spice level
- Lemon zest: add a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest when you mix the rice for a pronounced citrus flavor.
- Ginger: serve with fresh ginger slices if preferred.
- Coconut: for lemon and coconut rice, cook with coconut oil and top with toasted coconut flakes.
How to Prepare the Rice
You can steam, boil, or use the pasta method (boiling rice in plenty of water and draining). No matter your method, rinsing before and after cooking rice is key to fluffy, non-sticky rice. If preferred, you can also use a rice cooker.
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- Rinse the rice: place rice in a medium bowl or saucepan, cover with cold water, swirl, then pour off the cloudy water. Repeat 3–4 times until the water runs almost clear.
- Cook the rice: add rinsed rice to a saucepan and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 15–20 minutes until tender. Check and add a few extra minutes if needed.
- Drain and rinse again: once cooked, drain the rice in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water.
- Set Aside: let the rice continue draining in the colander (place a bowl or pan underneath to catch drips).
How to Make Lemon Rice
- Temper the spices: Heat oil in a medium/large pan. Add mustard seeds and dry red chillies, cook for 1 minute or until the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the urad dal and chana dal and cook for another 15 seconds.
- Add curry leaves and asafoetida (hing). Add the curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in asafoetida(hing), and stir to combine.
- Cook onions and chillies. Add the sliced onions and green chillies and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add one tablespoon of water to soften the ingredients while cooking the onions. Add turmeric and salt and stir to combine and cook for another 15-20 seconds.
- Cook tomatoes. Add tomatoes and cover and cook for 2-3 minutes (to soften the tomatoes and help them cook).
- Add fresh coriander/cilantro. Stir in the chopped coriander and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add rice and gently mix to combine. Add the rice and gently stir to mix. Add lemon juice and fresh coriander, garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy. Optional: top with pomegranate seeds.
Expert Tips
- Wash and rinse rice prior to cooking: rinse rice before cooking to remove excess starch, which helps achieve fluffy, separate grains.
- Use non-sticky rice: I recommend basmati rice (or long grain white rice) for the best results as these grains are long and separate. For more fiber, you can substitute with brown rice. Make sure you use non-sticky rice as you want the grains to be separate.
- Cook onions until translucent/slightly caramelised: this enhances the flavours in this dish.
- Tempering spices: mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, dry red chilli, asafoetida (hing) and curry leaves add a unique flavour to this dish – so I recommend using these tempering spices, particularly the mustard seeds, chana dal and curry leaves.
- Use a non-stick frying pan: this will help cook the ingredients evenly and ensure the rice does not stick to the pan.
- Coriander: When purchasing coriander from the grocery store, wherever possible, look for the bunched fresh coriander/cilantro which has more of a fresh and potent flavor (and aroma) compared with smaller packets.
How to Serve
This Indian lemon rice is perfectly paired with chilli paneer or paneer manchurian, cabbage curry, quinoa upma and cucumber raita.
This dish can also be served with dips including fresh mint chutney, easy blender salsa and guacamole (smashed avocado dip)!
You can also pair it with our South Indian coconut chutney or South Indian peanut chutney. Enjoy with a glass of fresh pear juice or apple, orange and carrot juice!
Recipe FAQs
For best freshness, allow the rice to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1–2 days. While lemon rice tastes best fresh, it still reheats beautifully.
You can reheat lemon rice in the microwave or on the stovetop. For the stovetop, warm it in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot. You may add a teaspoon of water to prevent the rice from drying out.
You can cook the rice and prepare the tempering in advance, then combine just before serving to preserve freshness and texture.
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Lemon Rice - Easy + Quick South Indian Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups cooked rice or 1 ⅓ cup uncooked
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 3 tablespoon chana dal
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 sprig curry leaves or ~12 leaves
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida hing
- 1 brown/yellow onion sliced
- 2 green chillies sliced
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus ¼ teaspoon if needed/more to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tomato chopped
- 4 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 tablespoon chopped coriander/cilantro 3 tablespoon after cooking tomatoes, 2 tablespoon after adding the rice
Optional:
- 2 tablespoon cashew nuts
- Handful of fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice and set aside (see above for detailed steps).
- Heat oil in a medium/large pan, add mustard seeds and dry red chillies, cook for 1 minute or until the mustard seeds start to crackle.
- Add the urad dal and chana dal and cook for another 15 seconds.
- the curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds, add asafoetida (hing), and stir to combine.
- Add the sliced onions and green chillies and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add one tablespoon of water to soften the ingredients while cooking the onions.
- Add turmeric and salt and stir to combine and cook for another 15-20 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and cover and cook for 2-3 minutes (to soften the tomatoes and help them cook).
- Stir in the chopped coriander and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and gently stir to mix. Add lemon juice and the remaining coriander, garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Wash and rinse rice prior to cooking: Rinse rice before cooking to remove excess starch, which helps achieve fluffy, separate grains.
- Cook onions until translucent/slightly caramelised: this enhances the flavors in this dish.
- Use a non-stick frying pan: this will help cook the ingredients evenly and ensure the rice does not stick to the pan.
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