Chitranna

Chitranna is a very famous South Indian rice dish from Banglore.. We had a South Indian friend in college who used to bring this rich rice dish in her tiffin.. We used to love it and she used to just hand over her tiffin to us(which was twice a week) when it was Chitranna.. She said it was a very common item at her home and she had been eating it since childhood and so was bored to eat the same thing again and again :D We shameless people didnt even care to ask her the recipe, and would just ask to bring it more often..

And now time comes that you have to cook things yourself, I have learnt to cook some dishes from other regions as well.. And since my husband encourages me by eating everything without complaining (does he have any other option?? ;) ), I keep trying things.. When it comes to inviting friends for dinner, one rice dish is a must.. And when the same friends are invited more often, the menu should not be repeated. (Both of us agree on this rule!) That is how I learnt to make Chitranna, the flavourful lemon rice from the Karnataka Cuisine! The crispy dals, the munchy nuts and the zest of lemon have made this dish one of our favourite rice dish. Chitranna goes over to Sharmi for "JFI-Rice" and Asha for "RCI-Karnataka Cuisine"

Chitranna

reparation Time:

30 mins

Serves:

3-4

What you need:

2 cups Basmati Rice
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1 tbsp Urad Dal
1 tbsp Moong Dal
2 Onions, sliced
4 Green Chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
5-6 Cashews
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Cook Basmati rice in water until just done and then drain excess water..
2) Spread in a wide pan to cool
3) Heat oil, fry peanuts and cashews and keep aside
4) To remaining oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
5) When they start spluttering, add all 3 dals and fry until they turn golden
6) Add chilies and sliced onions and cook for a min
7) Add turmeric, salt, nuts and cashews
8) Now add rice and mix well
9) Squeeze juice of lemon over rice,mix well and turn off gas!

Serve hot wit tomato rasam or raitas..

Limbacha Loncha (Lemon Pickle)

Last week, Coffee announced the theme “Preserve it” for MBP July, and I was so glad about it.. I had just prepared something just fitting for the theme.. “No oil lemon pickle” using this recipe from Manisha. Actually I should thank Nupur’s post which leads me to the original recipe! The pickle is 6 days old now and is resting on my window sill for Sun God to shower His blessings on it ;) I loved the lovely pictorial step by step method by Manisha, used the same ingredients and proportions used by her, but changed some timelines while adding the ingredients.. Can update more on the taste as soon as its ripe.. I think It’ll take a month or so as the sun is not so hot regularly here.. But the pickle tastes yummy when I lick the fork after I mix it every morning! :)

Limbacha Loncha

What you need:

4 big Lemons
1/4 cup Salt
1/8 cup Red Chilli powder
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Methi Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Hing Powder
Juice of 1 lemon

How to proceed:
1) Take a glass jar (approx for 1 kg) and wash,clean and dry it totally
2) Wash and pat dry the lemons
3) Cut each lemon in 12-15 small pieces
4) Add these pieces to the glass jar and retain the lemon jucie that drips while cutting
5) When all pieces are added to the jar, shake the jar a well to settle down the pieces.
6) Now add salt and shake well
7) Add juice of one lemon and that juice while cutting lemons n mix well
8) Now close the jar and leave aside. Shake it on the second day using a dry spoon.
9) On day 3, add chilli powder, turmeric and sugar to the jar
10) Heat a pan, add methi seeds, mustard seeds and hing and saute till the methi seeds turn brown.
11) Grind these to a fine powder and add this powder to the pickle jar
12) Now use a dry sppon to mix the contents in the jar
13) When done, place the jar in a place where there is ample sun during day time
14) Shake the contents using a dry spoon every day until the pickle becomes ripe. This procedure might take a month or two depending on peel thickness of the lemons that are used.
15) These pickles can be stored for months, taken care that it does not come in contact with water.
Here's my first ever stock of home made lemon pickle proudly standing in the sun, awaiting to please me! ;)

* If the lemons have seeds in it, remove them while cutting