Lemon rice or chitrannam or Yelumiccha Pazha Sadham is an important south Indian meal and plays a very important role during festival times like pongal, ugadi or any auspicious time and as a simple lunch meal or as a picnic or for a long journey. I still remember whenever we plan for picnic or journey by train or car, my mother prepares lemon rice, as it stays fresh for a longer time and can be eaten cold. It is best served with pickle or potato crisps. It is so simple and easy to make. There are varieties of rice like tamarind rice, tomato rice, coconut rice, curd rice, pea rice and many more; the most popular is lemon rice. My mother used to prepare for my lunch box also with some fried potato poriyal, which is my favourite food during lazy times, no need to spend much time in the kitchen.
Lemon rice can be prepared with leftover rice which is kept in the fridge. I never use boiled peanuts (groundnuts) or raw peanuts for my lemon rice, as I don’t like it in my lemon rice but my father says it is a must for him so always tug of war when my mother prepares lemon rice, the simple and easy way, I just pick all peanuts and transfer it to my dads serving plate. Lemon rice is yellow in colour and it flavours are fresh and appetizing.
