Nimmakaya Annam ~ Lemon Rice

 One of the dishes Amma prepared for varalakshmi vratham as part , was lemon rice. Goes by the name Nimakaya annam in parts of Andhra.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice, cook rice with each grain separate

8-10 curry leaves

juice of 3 lemons (approx 6-7 tbsps) adjust

3-4 tbsps roasted peanuts

salt to taste

Tempering/Poppu/Tadka:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 1/2 tsps urad dal/minappa pappu/split gram dal

1 tbsp channa dal/senaga pappu/bengal gram

2 dry chillis, tear and de-seed

pinch of hing

1/2 tsp grated ginger

2 green chillis, slit

1/4 tsp haldi/turmeric pwd/pasupu

1 Heat oil in a vessel, add the mustard seeds and as they begin to sizzle, add the dals and allow them to turn slightly red, add curry leaves, green chillis, grated ginger, red chillis and stir fry for few more secs. Add asafoetida and turmeric pwd, roasted peanuts and combine. Turn off heat.
2 Add salt to taste and 3/4th of the lemon juice and combine well. Add the seasoning and combine that it coats the rice well.
3 Taste and if you feel that it needs more tang, add more lemon juice accordingly.
4 Serve with any curry of your choice, yogurt and appadam.