I grew up in a traditional South Indian family with roots in Bangalore, Karnataka. Although, I was raised in the United States, we always celebrated every South Indian festival similar to how my parents used to celebrate them with their families growing up in India.
In my dad’s side of the family, the special food for most Indian festivals was always: Chitranna/ Lemon Rice), Hurlikai Palya/ Green Beans Masala (click here), & Mosrubajji/ Raita/Yogurt Salad (click here). It’s a classic combination!
This classic Chitranna recipe was taught to me from my mother, passed down from my grandmother. In our family, we are big fans of using averakai/papdi lilva in chitranna. It is a lot more common to use peas. You could use either! But, once you start using averakai/papdi lilva, it’s hard to go back! 🙂
Averakai Chitranna (Lemon Rice)
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian4
servings5
minutes30
minutes200
kcalA South Indian style rich dish made with a lemon based masala and averakai/papdi lilva
Ingredients
3 cups cooked Basmati Rice (or 1 cup uncooked)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp urad dal/ split matpe beans
2-4 green chilis (minced)
A few curry leaves
2 medium yellow onion (finely diced)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup averakai/papdi lilva or green peas
A handful of finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice in a Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot, or Rice Cooker to get 3 cups of cooked rice (see “Notes” section below for cooking instructions).
- Once the rice is cool, add salt to taste and 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix well. Keep aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a sauté pan at a medium flame.
- Add 1 tsp mustard seeds to the oil.
- Once the mustard seeds crackle, add 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tbsp urad dal. Roast for a few minutes. The dal should change color slightly and become golden.
- Add 2-4 green chilis (minced), a few curry leaves, and 2 medium yellow onions (finely diced). Sauté till translucent.
- Add 1/2 tsp turmeric. Sauté till the raw smell of turmeric disappears.
- Add in 1/2 cup of averakai/papdi lilva (or green peas). Reduce the flame (to prevent the dal from burning), and cook for a few minutes.
- Once the papdi lilva/peas are cooked, take off flame and let the mixture cool down a bit. Then, mix it into the cooked rice.
- Add more salt and lemon if required. Garnish with a handful of finely chopped cilantro. Enjoy 😊
Notes
- Cook 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice with 1.5 cups water in a Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot, or Rice Cooker. It typically takes 20 min to cook the rice.
- If you already have cooked rice, it only takes 10 min to make Lemon Rice.
- As mentioned in the instructions, you could use green peas instead of averakai/papdi lilva.
- I prefer to mince my green chilis in a grinder. However, you can finely mince them by hand or even just slit them.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I learned from my Mother. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: This recipe is Vegan! 🙂
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
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