Nimbu Chawal (Lemon Rice)

2 servings

35 minutes

Nimbu Chawal is a refreshing and aromatic lemon rice with roots in Indian cuisine, despite its Chinese indication. This dish impresses with its vibrant flavor, where lemon juice and zest provide a light tang and freshness. Mustard seeds and cumin fill it with a spicy aroma, while turmeric adds a golden hue. The combination of raisins and rice offers subtle sweet notes, and ghee adds softness and depth of flavor. Lemon rice is often served as a side dish to vegetable or meat dishes.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 484.8
• Proteins: 7.8g
• Fats: 16.3g
• Carbohydrates: 77.9g

Ingredients

• Basmati rice: 150 g
• Raisin: 60 g
• Black mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Curry leaves: 1 pc
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Lemon juice: 50 ml
• Lemon zest: 1 pc
• Cinnamon sticks: 1 pc
• Salt: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste
• Melted butter: 30 g
• Turmeric: 1 tsp

Cooking steps

1. First, heat all the seeds in oil until the mustard seeds start to jump (it's very fun and aromatic). After that, you can start frying the rice. (for this dish, it is better to use clarified butter, but you can also replace it with any other oil)

   Required ingredients:

   • Black mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
   • Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
   • Melted butter: 30 g

2. Pour the rice into the spices and fry until the grains become transparent (this is needed for the rice to be fluffy). In general, if you always do this procedure before cooking, any type of rice will be fluffy in the finished dish. If the rice you chose becomes mushy during regular cooking, you need to generously use oil and fry it well.

   Required ingredients:

   • Basmati rice: 150 g

3. We add my beloved turmeric and mix it well into our rice.

   Required ingredients:

   • Turmeric: 1 teaspoon

4. I really love the combination of rice and raisins, so I added that too.

   Required ingredients:

   • Raisin: 60 g

5. Lemon zest pairs very well with rice, so it can't be omitted!

   Required ingredients:

   • Lemon zest: 1 piece

6. Pour water so that 2/3 of the pot is filled with rice and 1/3 above the rice is water... Ummm, one and a half centimeters of water should cover our rice. There! We close the lid and wait for the culinary fairies to make your rice the tastiest. This will take about 15-20 minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Basmati rice: 150 g

7. We should not forget to add lemon juice to our dish at the very end. We turn off the heat. Along with the juice, we need to salt everything well and gently mix it so as not to crush the rice grains, then leave it covered for a couple of minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Lemon juice: 50 ml
   • Salt:  to taste

8. Everything is ready! You can add fresh parsley, it will be very tasty for you!

   Required ingredients:

   • Ground black pepper:  to taste