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Chitranna
Lemon rice
ಚಿತ್ರಾನ್ನ: Karnataka's bright lemon rice with peanuts, chana dal and curry leaves
Chitranna, 'colourful rice', is the dish Karnataka mothers make when there is leftover rice and a school tiffin box to fill: cooked rice tossed in a yellow turmeric tempering with roasted peanuts, crunchy dals, green chilli, curry leaves and plenty of lemon. It appears at temple festivals as prasada, on train journeys wrapped in banana leaf, and on every Bengaluru darshini breakfast counter. It tastes even better an hour after it's made, when the lemon has soaked in. Tamil Nadu's elumichai sadam is a close cousin. Chef's tip: spread the rice out on a plate to cool before mixing; warm, steamy rice turns sticky and breaks when you toss it.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked ricefrom about 220 g raw rice, cooled
For the tempering
- 3 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 ⅜ oz raw peanuts
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 15 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
To finish
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp lemon juicefrom 1–2 lemons
- 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Spread 1 ⅓ lb cooked rice out on a large plate and let it cool completely, gently separating any clumps with a fork.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp groundnut oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 ⅜ oz raw peanuts and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until they turn a shade darker and crackle; lift out half to scatter on top later.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds to the same oil. When it crackles, add 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal and stir for about 1 minute, until they turn golden; they burn quickly, so keep the heat at medium.
1 minStep 4: Add 2 dried red chillies, 3 green chillies, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 15 curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds, until the leaves turn crisp. Add ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and ½ tsp ground turmeric, stir for 10 seconds and take the pan off the heat. Common mistake: frying turmeric for too long, which makes it taste bitter and turn brown instead of bright yellow.
Step 5: Stir 1 tsp salt and 3 tbsp lemon juice into the tempering in the pan, then add the cooled rice. Fold gently with a spatula for 1–2 minutes over a low heat until every grain is yellow.
2 minStep 6: Taste and add more salt or lemon. Scatter the reserved peanuts, 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut if using and 2 tbsp fresh coriander on top. Serve warm or at room temperature with pickle and papad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chitranna take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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