Soya Lemon Rice

Soya lemon rice is a South Indian rice dish prepared with steamed basmati rice, lentils, curry leaves, spices, soybeans, and lemon juice. Full of tangy and savory flavour, rice is easy to make within only 10 minutes if you have precooked the rice. Serve this at lunch, dinner, or as a snack.

About Soya Lemon Rice

This is commonly known as Chitranna in South India. It’s the most popular dish there. By the way, this lemon rice is prepared without soya chunks. But I like to substitute them here to make my dish more nutritious.

In India, rice is the most commonly eaten food. They cook every day in my home because all my family members are riceholics. They pair well with dals like sabut urad dal and chana dal. So mostly we have leftover rice in the freezer, and I usually use it to make this soya lemon rice. With leftover rice, they are easier to prepare.

I’m familiar with this recipe since my childhood. My mother prepares it for me. But she prepares it without soya chunks and lemon juice, which is called “namkeen chawal. When I cook this, then soya chunks are my favorite ingredient to add here. This version is very yummy if you try it once. You want more and more of it like mine.

This soya lemon rice is a good pack for school and office lunch boxes. Generally, we eat this alone, but with a bowl of yogurt, it’s a full meal for lunch.

Ingredients

• Rice – Long-grained basmati rice is ideal for use here.

• Soy Chunks- They make this dish more nutritious.

• Spices- I used mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and turmeric in spices.

• Lentils- Urad dal and chana dal are used in tempering for a crunchy taste.

• Curry leaves- These green leaves give a more aromatic flavour to the rice.

• Peanuts- Adding peanuts here is to make rice healthier.

• Salt- Regular white salt is good to use.

• Lemon juice- This is the main ingredient here. I add yellow lemon juice here, but lime juice can also be used.

How to make Soya Lemon Rice

1.First, take one cup of basmati rice and rinse it in clean water twice or thrice. Soak it for 15 to 20 minutes and keep it aside.

2. After 20 minutes, drain the water from the soaked rice and add it to the pressure cooker with 1 cup of water on medium heat. Cook it till one whistle comes, then turn off the flame.

3. Till the rice cooks, take 1 cup of water and warm it. Soak soybeans in it for at least 10 minutes. It helps to make them softer.

4. After 10 minutes, drain the water from the soybeans and also squeeze them with your palms.

5. When the pressure comes down, naturally open the cooker lid, and the rice cooks.

6. Now heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan or kadai with 1/2 tsp urad dal, 1/2 tsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and 2 dried red chilies. Let them splutter.

7. Add grated ginger and green chilies into it.

8. After that, add curry leaves and peanuts to it and saute them for a minute.

9. Pour 1 tbsp lemon juice into it, and stir it well.

10. Now add cooked basmati rice and soaked soybeans to it.

11. Season 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt to it.

12. Mix all of these ingredients well and turn off the flame. The soya lemon rice is ready.

Serve this soya lemon rice hot or warm as you like. You can serve them in lunch and snack time too, with yogurt or a cup of hot tea, which also tastes best.