Another 10 days to get this pretty green giveaway and Today's recipe: Lemon Rice

Yup, today is the day when I tell you the cute little give away I have selected for the lucky winner. But do wait till the end of this post; suspense is thrilling isn't it? Hope you guys are having a great memorial day weekend with your family. I am enjoying the lovely weather and shopping is always on during such seasons along with site seeing. It is lovely here at upstate NY, with all the lovely rose bushes, ever greens, beautiful lakes and streams. So as travel seems to be in the agenda pretty much every weekend, we need to make some quick travel meals to pack and what can be better than the quick n light Indian flavored rice or kalanda saadam (in tamil)? 

Today' recipe is tangy lemon rice or elemichai saadam. Yup, the green little juicy fruit that is so ideal for hot and humid summers.

Sending this to my own green gourmet event. Do send in your recipes!

Ingredients:-
1.5 cups of rice
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of husked black gram
2 tbl spns of fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
6-7 peanuts
6-7 cashew nuts
4-5 curry leaves
3-4 green chillies (according to taste)
3-4 seeds of methi/ fenugreek seeds (tip courtesy-late Mrs. Meenakshi Ammal)
Coriander leaves to garnish
salt to taste


Method:-
Cook the rice such that the rice grains are separate and not sticky. I use 1:1.25 rice to water ratio in the electric rice cooker. Cool the rice and keep aside.
In a pan heat the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. Add the black gram, curry leaves, peanuts and cashews.
Add chopped green chillies and fry week for about 5 mins in medium flame. Stir frequently so that the cashews do not burn.
In low flame, add the turmeric powder, salt and rice. Mix well.
Add the lime juice and mix well.
Using a mortar and pestle, powder the 3 fenugreek seeds and add to the rice. Mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot or at room temperature with chips or papads.

So here is the lovely give away: this straw studio handbag/tote. These bags are handmade and environmentally friendly. They are made from natural materials such as husk and wheat straw. So shun your plastic bags and leather handbags and carry this fashionable bag to the farmers market. The bag is lined with a cotton lining with a crunch closing-which means you can fill your bag with fresh tomatoes and close it with the crunch thread tight so that they don't fall off. I got one for myself and I am loving it.