Lime rice (Andhra style)

While visiting a friend's resort, came across this tree with amazing lime (?) on it. He very generously offered me several fruit. They looked like nothing I have seen before. It was dark green in colour, hard to touch. When I cut one open, the juice started running out. It had half a centimeter thick skin, and huge seeds, infact several of them; sour to taste too. Immediately Lime rice came to mind. Prepared it the very next day, and here is the recipe.

Lime rice is tasty, easy to prepare, great for journeys, keeps well till the next day, and does not need accompaniments. You can adjust the sourness by adding more or less lime juice to suit your palate.

Pressure points: Rice should not be cooked, and enough oil should be used.

Ingredients:

Juice of Lemon / lime – 1 (jumbo size) or 1.5 (medium size)

Rice – 250 gms.

Oil – 4 tbs.

Peanuts / ground nuts – 1 tbs.

Curry leaves – small bunch

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp.

Bengal gram – 2 tsp.

Salt – to taste

Turmeric – ½ tsp.

Red chillies – 2-3 nos.

Asafetida – ¼ tsp.

Method:

Clean, wash and soak rice for half an hour. Cook until soft and firm. Empty into a bowl and let it cool. Heat 1 tbs. oil and pour over the rice. Mix turmeric and salt to the rice well. Pour the lime juice over the rice and mix.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan, and add peanuts, Bengal gram and let it fry for a few minutes, then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, and when they are all fried, take it off the stove. Sprinkle asafetida over it. Pour this over the rice. Gently mix, making sure rice grains do not break up. Let it rest for a few hours before serving. Best eaten at room temperature.