Lemon Rice! Fluffy grains of aromatic Basmati rice flavored with mustard seeds, curry leaves and fresh lemon juice. Here's an easy 30-minute Instant Pot and stovetop recipe for this flavorful vegan and gluten-free side dish.
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Delicious 30-Minute Vegan + Gluten-Free Dish
Lemon Rice or Lemon Rice Pilaf is an extremely popular side-dish from southern India. In this simple pressure cooker recipe, I infuse long grain basmati rice is infused with fresh curry leaves, mustard seeds and earthy ginger.
I stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice after cooking and that brings this whole dish to life. Using this Instant Pot Lemon Rice recipe, you can make this flavorful rice side dish in 30 minutes!
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
This recipe is so easy to customize based on taste and availability of ingredients. Here are a few notes and alternatives for ingredients:
- Rice: I like to make this dish with long grain Basmati Rice, but it works just as well with Jasmine Rice.
- Dal: This recipe is traditionally made with split black gram lentils (urad), but sometimes I add other lentils for variety, like chana dal (split chickpeas).
- Oil: Any clear oil like avocado or olive works great here. Feel free to use ghee or coconut oil.
- Nuts: I enjoy the sweet & nutty flavor of cashews in this rice pilaf recipe, but you can make it nut-free by skipping them altogether. You can also substitute cashews with any other nut of your choice, like peanuts, almonds etc.
- Aromatics:
- Green Chili: I use 1 serrano or half a jalapeno for this dish. Feel free to skip to make it mild.
- Ginger: Freshly grated ginger is ideal for this recipe. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon ground ginger, but please note that the flavor will be slightly different.
- Curry leaves: These leaves add a citrusy aroma and flavor to the dish. Lemongrass and lime are close alternatives. Read below for detailed description on how to substitute.
- Lemon Juice: For best results, add fresh lemon juice.
- Mustard Seeds: Brown mustard seeds are most commonly used on Indian cooking. If using light mustard seeds, add 1.5 times the suggested quantity. I wouldn't recommend using mustard paste here.
- Spices: I use common Indian spices to flavor this dish, including turmeric and ground cumin.
What is a Substitute for Curry Leaves
Curry leaves add a great floral aroma and taste to Instant Pot Lemon Rice. But, depending on where you live, curry leaves can be tricky to find.
It took me years to find a close-enough taste match for curry leaves. I found a few, so feel free to substitute based on what's most convenient for you.
- A 4 to 5 inch piece of lemongrass stalk, when sautéed, gives a very similar aroma and taste as curry leaves. You can remove it before serving.
- If you cannot find curry leaves or lemongrass stalk, then add 3 to 4 lime skin peels to the pot. Make sure that you only get the skin, not the white part.
Why Make Lemon Rice in an Instant Pot
Ok, confession time guys... I have never owned a rice cooker! Yup! I have always made rice on the stove-top using my mom's recipe, or in the microwave, till I purchased an electric pressure cooker.
When I bought my first Instant Pot , I experimented with cook-times and water-rice ratio, and was very skeptical about the results. I thought using a pressure cooker for rice was overkill!
But, Instant pot rice came out so pillowy soft and fluffy and that changed the way I cook rice forever. I love how each kernel of rice is cooked perfectly and stays separated.
Check out my detailed post on cooking perfect Rice, where I discuss different textures and water ratio, with results.
If you'd like to learn more about the Instant pot, check out my Instant Pot FAQ and Terminology post.
You might also like: 15+ Instant Pot Rice Recipes
How to Make Instant Pot Lemon Rice
- Soak basmati rice 10 minutes for best results. Rinse 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside. Do the same with split lentils.
- Turn Instant Pot on SAUTE mode (high). Wait till it reads "hot", and add ghee (or oil), mustard seeds and split black gram lentils. (pic 1)
- When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds. (pic 2)
- Add drained rice and water, stir and close the lid. (pic 3 & 4)
- Set Manual/Pressure cook for 6 minutes. Vent at Sealing position (DUO). If using ULTRA model, press START. Manually release pressure after 5 minutes (NPR 5). Open lid after pin has dropped and pot is completely depressurized. (pic 5)
- Add lemon juice and fluff the rice with a fork, mixing in the lemon juice gently. (pic 6)
Stovetop Lemon Rice Recipe
- Rinse the white rice 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside. Do the same with split lentils.
- Heat a sauce pot on medium-high heat. Wait till it's hot, and add ghee/butter or oil.
- Add mustard seeds and split black gram lentils (urad).
- When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, open lid, fluff up the rice with a fork.
- Add fresh lemon juice and mix well. That's it!
Serving Suggestion- What to Serve with Lemon Rice
Lemon rice pairs very well with Indian food and middle-eastern or Greek entrees. Here are some of my favorite pairings for this rice side dish.
Vegetarian Entree
Chicken, Meat & Fish Entree
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use long grain rice (Basmati or Jasmine) for best results and fluffy rice.
- Fresh lemon juice is recommended for authentic fresh flavors.
- If fresh ginger is not available, use half the quantity of dried ginger powder.
- Curry leaves add a citrusy zing to the recipe. If unavailable, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste or 1 teaspoon lime zest instead.
- Brown mustard seeds are the traditional choice for this recipe. If using light brown seeds, use 1.5 times the suggested quantity.
More Rice Recipes on the Blog
- Spinach rice
- Saffron Rice
- Mexican Rice
- Steamed Basmati Rice
- Brown rice- Basmati & Jasmine
- Coconut Rice
- Rice Pudding
- More Rice recipes
📖 Recipe
Lemon Rice (Indian)- Instant Pot / Stove
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ghee (use olive oil for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (or black)
- 2 teaspoon Urad dal split split black gram lentils, rinsed and dried
- 3 whole green chillies tops off (this way they release aroma, not spice)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons cashews (optional)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger (about ½ inch)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup Basmati rice Soaked 20 mins, rinsed 2-3 times
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoon water : this ratio works better for me than 1:1
- 1 lemon juiced, to add after cooking
Instructions
- Soak basmati rice 10 minutes for best results. Rinse 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside. Do the same with split lentils.
- Turn Instant Pot on SAUTE mode (high). Wait till it reads "hot", and add ghee, mustard seeds and split black gram lentils.
- When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds.
- Manually release pressure after 5 minutes (NPR 5). Open lid after pin has dropped and pot is completely depressurized. Add lemon juice and fluff the rice with a fork, mixing in the lemon juice gently.
Stovetop recipe
- Rinse rice 2-3 times till the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside. Do the same with split lentils. Heat a sauce pot on medium-high heat. Wait till it's hot, and add ghee/butter or oil. Add mustard seeds and split black gram lentils (urad).
- When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, open lid, fluff up the rice with a fork. Add fresh lemon juice and mix well. That's it!
Notes
- Use long grain rice (Basmati or Jasmine) for best results and fluffy rice.
- Fresh lemon juice is recommended for authentic fresh flavors.
- If fresh ginger is not available, use half the quantity of dried ginger powder.
- Curry leaves add a citrusy zing to the recipe. If unavailable, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste or 1 teaspoon lime zest instead.
- Brown mustard seeds are the traditional choice for this recipe. If using light brown seeds, use 1.5 times the suggested quantity.
- This recipe has been updated with process shots and updated content.
Nikki says
Hi! I am new to instapot cooking. Does it matter if you use a 6 qt or a 9qt instapot for the recipe? If so, what would I adjust to make this fabulous lemon rice?
Aneesha says
Hi Nikki, this recipe works best for a 6qt, for a 9qt it will be best to double the recipe. And trust me, you won't mind having leftovers 🙂 Enjoy!
Josie says
Aneesha, This is wonderful, thanks! Can I use yellow moong dal or slit red lentils instead? Thanks.
Aneesha says
Hi Josie, thank you! Either of those lentils will work fine. Enjoy!
Ken says
Aneesha - this recipe looks great, and I will try it for sure. Maybe some peanuts instead of or in addition to the channa dal, and maybe some curry leaves since I just got my hands one some this week.
one question - your instructions never specify when to use the ghee. I am assuming the dal and mustard seeds get sautéed in it. Can you confirm? Thanks.
aneeshasg says
Hi Ken, good catch- thanks for pointing that out. I've updated the recipe. Yes, the mustard and dal is sautéed in ghee. I often add cashews to this dish, so yes peanuts would be great. Curry leaves would go really well in here too, you can add them with the mustard seeds. Hope you enjoy this dish. Would love to hear how you liked it!