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    Home » Rice Recipes

    Lemon Pepper Rice | Temple Chitranna

    Published: Sep 16, 2016 · Modified: Jan 30, 2024 by Kushi · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Lemon Pepper Rice is a spicy and tangy rice recipe made by mixing cooked rice with a special seasoning. This dish is vegan and gluten-free and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. It is also a great recipe for lunchboxes or to use leftover rice.

    Best Lemon Pepper Rice | Indian Chitranna | No onion no garlic recipes | Lunchbox recipes.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe card
    • South Indian chitranna
    • Temple style chitranna
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Tips
    • More recipes using lemon
    • User Reviews

    Recipe card

    Vegan Lemon Pepper Rice Recipe | South Indian Temple Chitranna | Leftover rice recipes.

    Lemon Pepper Rice | Temple Chitranna

    Kushi
    Lemon Pepper Rice is a spicy and tangy rice recipe made by mixing cooked rice with a special seasoning. This dish is vegan and gluten-free and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. It is also a great recipe for lunchboxes or to use leftover rice.
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine South Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 274 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon Coconut oil plus additional ½ tsp
    • 1 teaspoon Black peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Urad dal
    • 1 tablespoon Chana dal Split chickpeas
    • 2 to 3 tablespoon Roasted peanuts chopped
    • 2 Green chilie chopped
    • 1 tablespoon ginger grated
    • 1 leaflet Curry leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida Hing
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 2 tablespoon Coconut grated (optional)
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 cup Rice 3 cups cooked rice
    • 3 to 4 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves Cilantro finely chopped

    Instructions
     

    Cook the rice or use leftover rice

    • Wash the rice and cook as per package instructions or the method you are comfortable with. Let the rice cool down completely.
    • Ignore this if using leftover or day-old rice.

    Saute the peppercorns

    • In a tadka or small pan, add ½ teaspoon coconut oil and peppercorns and saute it on a medium-low flame till you get a nice aroma.
      1 tablespoon Coconut oil, 1 teaspoon Black peppercorns
    • Crush sauteed peppercorns to a coarse powder using a pestle. Keep this aside.

    Making of lemon pepper rice

    • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan on low flame. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add urad dal and chana dal and saute until golden brown.
      1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 1 tablespoon Chana dal
    • Add roasted peanuts, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves, and saute for a minute.
      2 to 3 tablespoon Roasted peanuts, 2 Green chilie, 1 tablespoon ginger grated, 1 leaflet Curry leaves
    • Add hing, turmeric powder, coconut, a pinch of salt, and crushed peppercorns, and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. (If you are not adding coconut then just saute for few seconds)
      ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida, ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 2 tablespoon Coconut, Salt
    • Add the cooked rice, coriander leaves, and lemon juice and mix until combined.
      1 cup Rice, 3 to 4 tablespoon Lemon juice, 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves

    Notes

    • If you love it spicy, vary the amount of green chilies or peppercorns in the recipe.
    • I make this on vrat days like Navratri, varamahalakshmi vrat in form of prasadam. If made on any other day, you can even saute the onions along with green chilies till they become translucent. 
    • Use any rice. If making fresh, I prefer basmati, jasmine, or jeera for extra flavor. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 102mgPotassium: 192mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 85IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    South Indian chitranna

    Chitranna (yellow rice) is a popular recipe from Karnataka state of India. It is a rice dish where the cooked rice is mixed with seasoning called oggarane or gojju, made of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal peanuts or cashews, green chilies, ginger, lemon juice, coriander leaves, etc. 

    Eerulli Chitranna (onion lemon rice), Nimbehannu Chitranna (Plain Lemon rice), Mavinakayi Chitranna (raw mango rice), and temple-style Chitranna prasad are some of the popular varieties. 

    Today's recipe is a no-onion, no-garlic version specially offered to a god in the form of Naivedyam in temples or during festivals like Rama Navami, Navratri, and Ugadi and then served to devotees. You can check our nine days of South Indian Navratri recipes.

    The best part about this lemon pepper rice is that you really don't need any measurements. Use the spices according to your taste. This is a no-fuss recipe.

    Temple style chitranna

    • Each temple has its own style of making chitranna prasadam, which is made of firewood and has a signature taste.
    • The key to today's recipe is the flavor of lemon and pepper.
    • Simple temple chitranna made without pepper or coconut is shared here.
    • If you want to try Udupi temple kaayi masala chitranna (coconut spiced rice), then in a mixie jar, add 2 green chilies, ¼ cup coriander leaves, 1 inch ginger, ½ teaspoon jeera, and ¼ cup coconut and grind to a coarse paste without adding water. Add this to the tempering, cook for approximately 3 minutes, and then add the rice and lemon juice.
    Easy Lemon Pepper Rice | Indian Chitranna for vegetarian breakfast, lunch, dinner.

    Ingredients

    Tempering: Also called seasoning or oggarane, is a key to this recipe. Made with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, peanuts, green chilies, ginger, hing, curry leaves etc.

    Turmeric: The yellow color of the rice comes from turmeric powder.

    Rice: You can use any cooked rice, leftover rice, or day-old rice to make this lemon pepper rice. I prefer basmati, jasmine, or jeera for their flavor.

    Lemon: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavors.

    Peppercorns: peppercorns sauteed in oil and crushed will give better flavor than simply adding pepper powder.

    Check the recipe card for full list of ingredients.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Cook the rice or use leftover rice

    • Wash the rice and cook as per package instructions or the method you are comfortable with. Let the rice cool down completely.
    • Ignore this if using leftover or day-old rice.
    Simple lemon pepper rice with a day old rice recipe. How to make best Karnataka style chitranna.

    Saute the peppercorns

    • In a tadka or small pan, add ½ teaspoon coconut oil and peppercorns and saute it on a medium-low flame till you get a nice aroma.
    • Crush sauteed peppercorns to a coarse powder using a pestle. Keep this aside.

    Making of lemon pepper rice

    • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan on low flame. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add urad dal and chana dal and saute until golden brown.
    • Add roasted peanuts, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves, and saute for a minute.
    • Add hing, turmeric powder, coconut, a pinch of salt, and crushed peppercorns, and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. (If you are not adding coconut, then just saute for a few seconds)
    • Add the cooked rice, coriander leaves, and lemon juice and mix until combined. 

    Tips

    • If you love it spicy, vary the amount of green chilies or peppercorns in the recipe.
    • I make this on vrat days like Navratri, varamahalakshmi vrat in form of prasadam. If made on any other day, you can even saute the onions along with green chilies till they become translucent. 
    • Use any rice. If making fresh, I prefer basmati, jasmine, or jeera for extra flavor. 

    More recipes using lemon

    • Crispy lemon-roasted potatoes | Garlic herbed potatoes - Best side dish and appetizer for dinner.
      Lemon Roasted Potatoes | Herbed Potatoes
    • Best and easy lemon orzo pasta salad in a black bowl garnished with fresh basil.
      Lemon Orzo | Easy One Pot Pasta
    • easy healthy clear soup with vegetables, mix veg lemon coriander soup, detox soup for weight loss
      Clear Soup With Vegetables | Veg Lemon Coriander Soup
    • how to make simple & easy lemon rice or south indian chitranna recipe
      Lemon Rice | Chitranna Recipe | How to make Lemon Rice

    Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    Note: We originally posted this vegan lemon pepper rice or yellow rice recipe in Sept 2016. It has now been modified in Jan 2024 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.

    More Super Easy Rice Recipes - Rice Dish Ideas!

    • Jackfruit dosa recipe with ripe jackfruits (ponsa polo). Indian breakfast and snack recipe idea.
      Jackfruit Dosa Recipe
    • Easy Chettinad chicken biryani recipe - spicy one-pot chicken biryani with raita.
      Chettinad Chicken Biryani
    • Simple mushroom rice recipe. One pot rice dish for lunch and dinner with basmati or long grain rice.
      Simple Mushroom Rice - One Pot Rice Recipe
    • Egg rice recipe | Egg Pulao | Simple lunchbox and dinner ideas with boiled eggs and rice.
      Egg Rice | Egg Pulao | Lunchbox Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Seena Koshy

      September 23, 2016 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this lemon pepper rice looks so tempting and delicious Kushi.. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kushi

        September 23, 2016 at 11:13 pm

        Thank you Seena 🙂

        Reply
    2. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      September 06, 2022 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      This rice looks so delicious and I love the crunch of the peanuts too. perfect!

      Reply
    3. Jess

      September 06, 2022 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      We love rice in our house...always looking for new variations. This one is perfect!

      Reply
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    5 from 16 votes

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    Hi, I'm Sridevi! I am a Software Engineer by qualification, a full-time Food Blogger by passion, a self-published Author, and a happy person two kids (monsters) ago.

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