Recipe card
South Indian chitranna
Chitranna (yellow rice) is a popular recipe from Karnataka state of India. It is a rice dish where the cooked rice is mixed with seasoning called oggarane or gojju, made of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal peanuts or cashews, green chilies, ginger, lemon juice, coriander leaves, etc. Eerulli Chitranna (onion lemon rice), Nimbehannu Chitranna (Plain Lemon rice), Mavinakayi Chitranna (raw mango rice), and temple-style Chitranna prasad are some of the popular varieties. Today’s recipe is a no-onion, no-garlic version specially offered to a god in the form of Naivedyam in temples or during festivals like Rama Navami, Navratri, and Ugadi and then served to devotees. You can check our nine days of South Indian Navratri recipes. The best part about this lemon pepper rice is that you really don’t need any measurements. Use the spices according to your taste. This is a no-fuss recipe.
Temple style chitranna
Each temple has its own style of making chitranna prasadam, which is made of firewood and has a signature taste. The key to today’s recipe is the flavor of lemon and pepper. Simple temple chitranna made without pepper or coconut is shared here. If you want to try Udupi temple kaayi masala chitranna (coconut spiced rice), then in a mixie jar, add 2 green chilies, ¼ cup coriander leaves, 1 inch ginger, ½ teaspoon jeera, and ¼ cup coconut and grind to a coarse paste without adding water. Add this to the tempering, cook for approximately 3 minutes, and then add the rice and lemon juice.
Ingredients
Tempering: Also called seasoning or oggarane, is a key to this recipe. Made with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, peanuts, green chilies, ginger, hing, curry leaves etc.
Turmeric: The yellow color of the rice comes from turmeric powder.
Rice: You can use any cooked rice, leftover rice, or day-old rice to make this lemon pepper rice. I prefer basmati, jasmine, or jeera for their flavor.
Lemon: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavors.
Peppercorns: peppercorns sauteed in oil and crushed will give better flavor than simply adding pepper powder.
Check the recipe card for full list of ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
Cook the rice or use leftover rice
Wash the rice and cook as per package instructions or the method you are comfortable with. Let the rice cool down completely. Ignore this if using leftover or day-old rice.
Saute the peppercorns
In a tadka or small pan, add ½ teaspoon coconut oil and peppercorns and saute it on a medium-low flame till you get a nice aroma. Crush sauteed peppercorns to a coarse powder using a pestle. Keep this aside.
Making of lemon pepper rice
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan on low flame. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add urad dal and chana dal and saute until golden brown. Add roasted peanuts, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves, and saute for a minute. Add hing, turmeric powder, coconut, a pinch of salt, and crushed peppercorns, and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. (If you are not adding coconut, then just saute for a few seconds) Add the cooked rice, coriander leaves, and lemon juice and mix until combined.
Tips
If you love it spicy, vary the amount of green chilies or peppercorns in the recipe. I make this on vrat days like Navratri, varamahalakshmi vrat in form of prasadam. If made on any other day, you can even saute the onions along with green chilies till they become translucent. Use any rice. If making fresh, I prefer basmati, jasmine, or jeera for extra flavor.
More recipes using lemon
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