NIMBU-RICE

NIMBU-RICE How to Prepare -Make -Cook ?

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NIMBU-RICE Recipe

Nimbu is ordinary lemon and this is a speciality for a journey or picnic and can be made as nourishing as desired.

Any kind of dal can go into this but the commonest version is to add freshly fried chana-dal to the cooked rice.

2 cups rice
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
6-8 karbev leaves
1-2 tablespoons udith-dal
1-2 oz. Ghee.
A large pinch of haldi, or a bit of the fresh root
½ cup freshly fried chana-dal
Salt
2-3 fresh lemons
A pinch of chilli powder or 2 red chillies.

This dish gets its name and personality entirely from the lemon and must not be spoilt by too much of any spice. Start this with the usual seasoning, with the fat and the mustard seeds, then the chilli and karbev leaves (if chilli powder is used it should go in laste) and the udith-dal and stir. Mix the rice and the emon juice and salt. Pour very slowly into the pan the required quantity of boiling water, and the sprinkle into this liquid the rice soaked in juice and salt. Stir for 2 or 3 minutes and then leave on a low heat to cook in the usual way or put it in the oven or cook by the hoop method. The rice must cook dry. Just before taking the stove Just before taking from the stove or oven, add the fried chana and do not put on the lid that. The chana when fried will be still a little soft. After gfrying it keep it on an open plate or tray taste is better if the dal remains crisp. Some people add a little hing to this dish, but I do not recommend that if it is to be eaten cold on a journey.

In one of the Anglo-Indian versions of this, onion rings boiled in milk with grated cheese make a sauce which is served over the rice like salad dressing. This would not do for a cold dish even in India. But if it is eaten hot it can be quite a success with freshly-made sauce, or you can try it with any of your own favourites sauces.

BESAN VERSION

Another similar version is to add some pieces of cooked fish to the cooked rice dish and make it a more “fillin” item. In this case you add the besan to the seasoning and put in the fish and cooked rice. The chana-dal is then optional. Green chilli blends better in this modified recipe. Or omit chilli and add ordinary black pepper. This dish must also be eaten hot.

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