South Indian lemon rice (Chitranna)

1. Wash the rice and cook it in 450 ml salted water, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes. Spread it on a tray and let it cool so the grains don't stick together.

2. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan and add the mustard seeds; when they start to pop, add the chana dal and urad dal and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden.

3. Add the peanuts and fry for another 2 minutes until crunchy.

4. Add the green chillies, halved lengthways, the curry leaves and the asafoetida, let them sizzle for half a minute, then take off the heat and stir in the turmeric.

5. Add the cooled rice and the lemon juice to the spiced oil and turn gently with a fork until every grain is evenly yellow. Taste and add salt if needed.

6. Serve at room temperature or warm, with coconut chutney or a little yoghurt.

Tip: In Karnataka this is packed for festivals and journeys because it keeps well for days. The dal grains act as a seasoning here, a crunchy "crumb". Leftover rice is best, as cold grains don't break.