We get a lot of wildlife in our backyard from raccoons, foxes, deer, gophers to wild birds and squirrels. Over the years I have really enjoyed the wild birds in the backyard. During the winter months when food is scarce the birds flock to the feeder until the pesky chipmunks completely overtake them. Nothing can deter the chipmunks who apparently are fearless and indestructible. Some of the birds that visit and are the American gold finch, chickadee, cardinal, robin, blue jay, sparrow, nuthatch, and the hummingbird during the summer months.
Even though I like snow I am happy when winter ends and the beautiful forsythia usher in spring. It has been nice and pleasant for the last couple of days with forsythias in full bloom in the backyard and other flowering trees just ready to bloom. Looking at the beautiful and bright yellow flowers I decided to make lemon rice which is golden yellow. It doesn’t take too many ingredients and I already had some left over rice in the fridge.
Lemon rice is light and refreshing and it can be a complete meal if had with a bowl of rasam. Sometimes I add vegetables to it but today I did not.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice
a few peanuts or cashews
1tsp each of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal (soaked in water for half and hour)
1 sprig curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida
1 slit green chili
1-2 dried red chilies
juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
salt to taste
oil for cooking
Method
Heat oil in a pan and and add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the red chilies urad dal, peanuts, chana dal, curry leaves, cashews, asafoetida, green chili and turmeric. Stir well and and mix in the rice. Mix everything well and cook for about 1 minute till the rice is well coated with seasonings. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Garnish with cilantro.
I also add a little bit of crushed ginger with the dals and the mustard seeds - it gives a very different but yummy taste. No peanuts in that recipe though.
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