South Indian cuisine defines comfort for all the right reasons. It is light, wholesome, and offers a burst of flavours to your palate. And the best part is, you have an option for every type of hunger at any time of the day. For lunch, there's a range of flavorful rice recipes, that are quick, uncomplicated, and of course, taste delicious. And the dish that tops this list is a classic lemon rice. Also called chitranna and elumichai sadam in different Southern regions, it is a light and tangy one-pot rice, with lemon juice used as the main ingredient. While the recipe looks easy, certain practices may end up ruining it completely. But don't you worry! We have listed some of the major points that one must keep in mind while planning a lemon rice meal. Take a look.
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5 Major Points To Remember While Making And Eating Lemon Rice:
1. Don't overboil the rice:
While curd rice tastes the best with overboiled rice which adds a mushy texture to the dish, it is the opposite for lemon rice. Make sure you cook the rice not more than 80 percent to keep it fluffy and light while enjoying the bite.
2. Add lemon juice at the right time:
Did your lemon rice ever turn bitter after cooking? If yes, then dear reader, you must be adding the juice before time. Always add lemon juice at the last step. When you feel the rice is ready and you have tasted the salt and sugar, switch off the flame and add the juice to it. This keeps your rice fresh and tasty.
3. Eat lemon rice at the right time of the day:
Visit any South Indian family, you will see them eating lemon rice for lunch, not dinner. Wonder why? It is because, as per Ayurveda, the acidic nature of lemon juice affects the digestive tract, leading to heartburn, acidity, and other digestion-related issues.
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4. Avoid milk after eating lemon rice:
As per health experts, lemon is acidic, which when paired with milk or other dairy products may lead to curdling, further affecting your digestion directly. Hence, it is always suggested to avoid having milk or other dairy products after eating citric food.
5. Pair it right:
To make the most of a dish, you also need to know how to eat it. It is important to pair lemon rice with the right kind of dish for better taste. You can have a simple raita, sambar, and papad on the sides or enjoy it dry with achar and papad. Avoid spicy sabzi, which may ruin the classic flavour of the rice.
Now that you have all the points handy, make a portion of lemon rice and enjoy a quick and delicious meal. Click here for the recipe.