Nimmakaya Pulihora | Elumichai Sadam | Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice or Nimmakaya Pulihora is a perennial favourite in my family. Known as Elumichai Sadam in Tamil Nadu, this rice dish has also become a favourite with my colleagues at work. So popular in fact, that they request it for every pot luck. Me thinks many on my team feel this is all I can cook!

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Some Tips to Make a Great Lemon Rice

• At home, we use Surti Kolam or Wada Kolam (which we eat regularly) to make this dish. It is just not the same if you make it with Basmati.
• To keep the cooked rice grains and to ensure that the rice does not become “wet” when we add lemon juice, I cook the rice with just a little less water than usual. So if you usually use 1 cup rice and 2 cups water, make it 1 cup rice and 1.75 cups water.
• When you make the lemon rice, do ensure that rice must is hot; this help all flavours to be absorbed well. So even if you are using left over rice, heat it in a pressure cooker and then use it to make Nimmakaya Pulihora.
• Add the turmeric to the hot rice and mix it well. You could also add it to the tempering but that gives the rice just a hint of bitterness if the oil was too hot when you added the turmeric. Also, if the rice is hot when you mix in the turmeric, you will not taste the raw turmeric.
• Add generous amounts of lemon juice. As you can see I add 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice for 1 cup of cooked rice. This is because the tanginess will subside when you rest the Nimmakaya Pulihora a bit. If you add less lemon juice then the rice will be very insipid to taste when served.
• Crush the fried red chillies in the tempering to add a bit of spiciness to the rice.

Other Pulihora Recipes

In fact, in Andhra, we use Pulihora for any rice flavoured with a sour or tangy ingredient. I have a range of such recipes on this blog that you can try out!

• Chintapandu Pulihora | Tamarind Rice
• Mammidikaya Pulihora | Raw Mango Rice
• Usirikaya Annam | Usiri Pulihora
• Gongura Pulihora

How to Make Nimmakaya Pulihora | Elumichai Sadam | South Indian Lemon Rice

Ingredients

1. Rice – 1 Cup
2. Lemon Juice – 2 to 3 tbsp
3. Rai/Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
4. Udad Dal/Split Black Gram – 1/2 tsp
5. Chana Dal/Split Green Gram – 1/2 tsp
6. Peanuts – 2 to 3 tbsp
7. Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
8. Curry Leaves – 10 to 12
9. Red Chillies – 4 to 5
10. Salt – To taste
11. Til/Gingelly Oil – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Cook rice as usual.
2. Spread warm rice out in a plate.
3. Drizzle about 1 tbsp oil on the rice.
4. Mix well.
5. Add salt, turmeric, and curry leaves to the rice.
6. Mix well.
7. Heat the remaining oil till it is medium hot.
8. Add mustard seeds to it.
9. When the mustard seed sputter, add Udad dal and Chana dal.
10. Fry till light brown.
11. Add peanuts and fry till they start to split.
12. Add split red chillies and fry for a few seconds.
13. Add to the rice and mix well.
14. Squeeze the lemon over the rice and mix well.
15. Let the rice “sit” for at least one hour before eating.

Tips:

• The Nimmakaya Pulihora may taste khatta/sour if eaten immediately, but the lemon juice gets absorbed with time.
• If you add “just enough” lemon when making Lemon Rice, it will become bland later.
• If you like your food spicy, crush the fried red chillies before mixing in rice.

Add 2 tbsp Nuvvula Podi to lemon rice and taste the difference!

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Nimmakaya Pulihora, Elumichai Sadam, Lemon Rice

Aruna

This is the recipe for Nimmakaya Pulihora or Lemon Rice from Andhra Pradesh. This one-dish meal, called Elumichai Sadam in Tamil Nadu, is crowd pleaser and very easy to make.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Mains

Cuisine Andhra, Indian, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 2 People

Calories 659 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Cup Rice
• 3 to 4 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• Salt To taste
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 10 to 12 Curry Leaves

For the Tempering

• 1/2 tsp Rai/Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Udad Dal/Split Black Gram
• 1/2 tsp Chana Dal/Split Green Gram
• 2 to 3 cup Peanuts
• 4 to 5 Red Chillies
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Instructions

 

Getting the Rice Ready

• Cook rice as usual.
• Spread warm rice out in a plate.
• Drizzle about 1 tbsp oil on the rice.
• Mix well.
• Add salt, turmeric, and curry leaves to the rice.
• Mix well.

Adding the Tempering

• Heat the remaining oil till it is medium hot.
• Add mustard seeds to it.
• When the mustard seed sputter, add udad dal and chana dal.
• Fry till light brown.
• Add peanuts and fry till they start to split.
• Add split red chillies and fry for a few seconds.
• Add to the rice and mix well.

The Final Touch

• Pour the lemon juice over the rice and mix well.
• Let the Lemon Rice | Nimmakaya Pulihora rest for at least 30 mins before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 659 kcalCarbohydrates: 51 gProtein: 23 gFat: 44 gSaturated Fat: 7 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16 gMonounsaturated Fat: 19 gSodium: 164 mgPotassium: 626 mgFiber: 8 gSugar: 1 gVitamin A: 228 IUVitamin C: 55 mgCalcium: 105 mgIron: 3 mg

Keyword Elumichai Sadam, Lemon Rice, Nimmakaya Pulihora

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!