Simple Lemon Rice

In my opinion, this is the easiest of all the variety rice dishes. I make it my Mom's way, which is nothing complicated, but I just like it for its simplicity. I have had one other variety of lemon rice though, which had a coarse ground powder of dried red chillies, coriander seeds, channa dhal and a few other ingredients that I don't remember now. I would love to try it if someone can pass me the recipe for that :-).

Ingredients (about 2 servings):

Rice - 1 cup (using a measuring cup)
Cooking oil - 3 tablespoons
Turmeric - 1/8 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1.5 teaspoons
Green chillies - 2 to 3 cut into visible pieces
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Lemon juice - about 4 to 5 tablespoons (you can adjust it to suit your taste)
Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook rice such that it is NOT mushy (you can add a few drops of oil to the rice and just mix it lightly so that it doesn't stick and break) and set it aside in a wide vessel.
2. Add turmeric and curry leaves to the rice, just on one spot, but don't mix it. Not yet!!!
3. Heat oil in a small pan, pop mustard seeds and add the channa dhal, asafoetida and green chillies and fry until the channa dhal turns light golden brown in color. Now pour the hot contents of the pan right on the turmeric in the rice container.
4. Add lemon juice and salt to the rice and mix everything well.
5. Set aside the rice mixture for about 30 minutes and it is ready to serve.

Note:
My Mom doesn't add turmeric to the oil, but pours the hot oil with its contents on the turmeric, for whatever reason, and I blindly follow that :-).

Whenever I long for variety rice dishes for lunch, this is the first thing that comes to my mind. Goes very well with any fry type sides, chips or raita.