Little Millet Lemon Rice (Samai Lemon Rice)

Little Millet Lemon Rice served in a bowl garnished with cilantro

4.80 from 5 votes

Little Millet Lemon Rice (Samai Lemon Rice)

South Indian style lemon rice made with little millets. Little millets or Samai are cooked and tossed in a tempering of mustard seeds, lentils, curry leaves, turmeric.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Keyword lemon millet rice, litttle millet lemon rice, millet lemon rice

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Stovetop

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 205kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Ingredients

To Cook Millets

½ cup little millet (samai)
1 cup water

For Millet Lemon Rice

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons peanuts
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
2 green chilies finely chopped
1 stalk curry leaves
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
1 medium onion finely chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
juice of half lemon
salt to taste

Instructions

Cooking Millets

Pressure Cooker Method: Wash little millet throughly 2-3 times and add 1 cup of water for ½ cup of little millet and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Let the pressure/steam release naturally.
Once cooled fluff it up nicely with a fork, so there are no lumps and the grains stay separate.

How to Make Little Millet Lemon Rice

In a Kadai, add oil once it's hot, add peanuts, and saute until they turn slightly golden brown.
Then, add mustard seeds, and cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add urad dal, and saute till they turn light golden brown.
Add green chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida, and saute for a few seconds.
Then, add finely chopped onions. Saute for a minute or two till the onion turns slightly brown.
Turn off the gas and then add turmeric powder. Stir quickly.
Add the cooked millet, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

1.You can make this recipe without onions too.

2.If you don't have a pressure cooker, then in an open pot add 1.5 cups of water bring water to boil, and add ½ cup of little millet. Close the lid and cook on medium flame till all water is absorbed. It should be slightly soggy. Once cooled fluff it up nicely with a fork, so there are no lumps and the grains stay separate.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition