Andhra Lemon Rice (Nimmakaya Pulihora)

Rice is often an ordinary side dish. This Andhra Lemon Rice turns it into the star of the meal.

Fluffy rice is tossed with mustard seeds, toasted lentils and crunchy peanuts, then lifted with fresh lemon and turmeric. Every spoonful delivers something different — bright citrus, nutty crunch and warm spice.

The recipe comes from The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook, a collection built around the farms and producers behind Diaspora’s spices. The book’s authors, Sana Javeri Kadri and Arati Menon, co-founders of Diaspora Spice Co., travelled across India and Sri Lanka cooking with their spice partners and gathering family recipes from their kitchens.

This version comes from the Kasaraneni family in Andhra Pradesh. Often called Nimmakaya Pulihora, it’s a classic lemon rice known for its lively textures.

The Pragati turmeric used in the dish comes from farmer Prabhu Kasaraneni in Andhra Pradesh — the same farm that helped inspire the founding of Diaspora Spice Co.

One of the defining techniques is the tempering that finishes the dish. Mustard seeds, lentils and peanuts are briefly fried in hot oil until they crackle and toast, releasing deep nutty aromas that carry through every bite.

It’s a joyful dish — bright, textured and lively, and a reminder of how transformative good spices can be.

Andhra Lemon Rice (Nimmakaya Pulihora)

Recipe by Venkata Narasamma Kasaraneni*
Origin: Kankipati, Andhra Pradesh
Serves 4–6

1¼ cups jeera samba rice (or other short-grain rice)
2 lemons
3 tbsp untoasted sesame oil or other neutral oil
1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
¾ tsp ground turmeric
1 serrano pepper, quartered lengthwise
1¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste

¼ cup raw shelled peanuts
2 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp split urad dal
1½ tsp black mustard seeds

24 fresh curry leaves, divided
1–2 dried Guntur Sannam chilies, torn in half

⅓ cup roughly chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

1. Place the rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water, swishing it around with your fingers. Repeat until the water runs clear. Cover the rice with several inches of cold water and soak for 30 minutes.

2. Zest and juice the lemons. Keep the zest and juice separate and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 2–4 minutes.

4. Drain the soaked rice well and add it to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the grains look opaque and separated and the moisture has evaporated, about 3–6 minutes.

5. Stir in the turmeric and cook for about 30 seconds.

6. Add the serrano pepper, salt and reserved lemon zest along with 1¾ cups water. Stir, cover and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is just cooked and the water absorbed, about 14–19 minutes.

7. Add ¼ cup lemon juice, fluff the rice with a fork, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

8. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the peanuts, chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until the peanuts begin turning lightly golden, about 2–5 minutes.

9. Add 12 curry leaves and the dried chilies and cook until the curry leaves become bright green and fragrant.

10. Add this peanut mixture to the rice along with the cilantro. Tear the remaining curry leaves into the rice and gently mix everything together with a fork.

11. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Recipe and image from : The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook: Seasonal Home Cooking from South Asia's Best Spice Farms © 2026 by Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy. Photography © 2026 by Melati Citrawireja. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.