Dear Friends,

Thanks for all the love, mails, personal queries and wishes while I was gone…I enjoyed my vacation to the core:) India trip was great, and I had good time with my family:) Ever since I landed there…was always on the run, visited too many places this year…temples and temples and more temples (Dad’s idea), met almost every possible distant cousin of mine and shopped like a maniac(scared to even see my bank balance now). I am cho tired…Finally…back to Oxford – Home Sweet Home Missed you all so much, can’t wait to see your blogs, see y’ll around buddies:)

Citron Rice:

Citron, is called as Narthangai or Nartham Pazham in Tamil. It is one of the fragrant species in Citrus family. Fruit has leathery skin and tangy pulp…both are edible, but the seeds are extremely bitter with traces of cyanide in it…so it will be good to omit the seeds while cooking.

I happened to taste this rice for the first time at my Hindi-Sanskrit class…one of my classmate brought this in her tiffin box. Ever since I wanted to try the same at home. By now, you all probably want to know about the recipe as well…simple – treat them like lemons…you got it:)

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Citron juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger 2″ peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1 few
Cashew nuts 1 few (optional)
Sesame oil 1 cup

Method:

1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.

3. Heat oil in a separate pan. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Further add ginger, chilies and curry leaves.

4. Now add little salt, turmeric and lemon juice. Bring to boil and remove from heat.

5. Mix this above concoction to the rice. Using blunt spatula….mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Pack them up in a small narrow vessel, and set aside for at least 1-2 hours…this actually brings up the flavor while serving.