Cooked rice tossed through a bright tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and crunchy peanuts, then sharpened with lemon. A perfect use for leftover rice.
Prep
10 mins
Cook
12 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£0.55
Difficulty
easy
This is the South Indian answer to what to do with yesterday's rice, and it is genuinely better made with cold rice than freshly cooked. The grains stay separate and take on the turmeric evenly. It works as a light main with yoghurt alongside, or as a substantial side.
Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps at all. Any lumps left now will end up as pale, unseasoned pockets.
Heat the oil in a large wok or wide pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover loosely until they finish popping, about 30 seconds.
Add the chana dal and peanuts and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until both turn golden. They will crisp further as they cool.
The chana dal is there purely for crunch. It should snap between your teeth, not be chewy, so give it the full time.
Add the dried red chillies, curry leaves and slit green chillies and fry for 30 seconds until the leaves are translucent and crisp.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the turmeric and salt, and let it bloom in the residual heat for 10 seconds. Return to a low heat.
Tip in the rice and fold gently with a spatula for 3 to 4 minutes until every grain is evenly yellow and the rice is heated through.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and fold once more. Adding it off the heat keeps the flavour fresh rather than cooked.
Taste for salt and sharpness, scatter with coriander and serve warm or at room temperature.