Paati’s Lemon Rice/Quinoa

4.7 ✓ Thanks!

Serves2

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

35 mins

DifficultyEasy

Recipe by Jonali Everyday Cook!

Rooted in Shillong’s farming traditions, Jonali shares the fresh, soulful spices she grew up with — cook her recipes and experience true authenticity.

About This Dish

Lemon rice is a South Indian staple built on a simple formula: cooked grain, fresh lemon juice, turmeric, and a hot oil tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, dried chillies, and peanuts. This version swaps rice for quinoa, which adds a nuttier flavor and firmer texture while keeping the same technique — season the warm grain with lemon, turmeric, and salt, then pour a crackling tempering over the top and fold it through. The tempering is the moment the dish comes alive: mustard seeds pop, curry leaves sizzle, peanuts toast, and the hot, fragrant oil coats every grain.

What makes this version different from standard lemon rice is the quinoa swap and the way the seasoning gets layered. The turmeric and lemon juice go into the grain while it's still warm — not hot, not cold — so the quinoa absorbs both evenly and turns a uniform gold without any patchy streaks. Then the tempering goes on top while the oil is still crackling, and you fold it through gently so the grains stay intact. The whole thing comes together in about fifteen minutes once the quinoa is cooked, and it holds at room temperature for hours, which is why lemon rice has been a South Indian lunchbox and travel staple for generations.

This recipe uses Lakadong Turmeric from Meghalaya (7.61% curcumin), which gives the quinoa a deep gold color and a warm earthiness that sits underneath the lemon rather than disappearing into it. Topped with fresh grated coconut for sweetness and crunch, it's the kind of dish that takes fifteen minutes, uses one pan, and tastes like someone's grandmother made it — because it is. This is Paati's recipe, adapted with quinoa for a nutritious twist on the original.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
½ tsp Lakadong turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Grated fresh coconut for garnishing Tempering
2 tbsp Avocado oil (Any oil will do)
1 tsp mustard seed
A pinch of hing (asofeotida)
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp split urad daal
⅛ tsp Tura black pepper
10-12 curry leaves
1 whole red chilly or green chilly
A handful of peanuts

Instructions

Soak 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water for at least 30 minutes.
Rinse and drain the soaked quinoa. Cook it on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot with 1 ½ cups of water. Once done, let it cool—or if you're impatient like me, skip to the next step!
Add lemon juice, Lakadong turmeric, and salt to the quinoa. Let it sit for a few minutes.
Heat your preferred oil on high. Once hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds—patience is key, let them splutter. Then, add the rest of your tempering ingredients, reducing the flame to avoid burning.
Pour the tempering over the quinoa and mix well.
Top with fresh grated coconut and enjoy!

Personal Notes:

Whenever my son craves comfort food, his Paati quickly whips up this simple, satisfying recipe. I’ve added a twist by swapping out the rice for quinoa, giving it a nutritious boost. We’re guilty of making it almost every other day—it’s that good!

This Recipe Features

Lakadong Turmeric

$11.00

Tura Black Pepper

$11.00

Ways to Make It Your Own

Peanut and Curry Leaf Crunch Topping

Fry an extra handful of raw peanuts and a sprig of curry leaves in oil until the peanuts are golden and the curry leaves are crispy and translucent — about two minutes over medium heat. Drain on paper towels and scatter over the finished quinoa as a crunchy garnish. The double dose of peanuts (in the tempering and on top) adds a textural contrast that makes each bite more interesting, and the crispy curry leaves shatter into fragrant, savory flakes. This is a simple addition but it elevates the dish from home-style comfort food to something you'd serve to guests.

Lemon Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Toss cubed sweet potato, cauliflower florets, or diced carrots with a drizzle of oil and roast at 425°F until charred at the edges, about 25 minutes. Fold the roasted vegetables into the finished lemon quinoa after the tempering. The caramelized sweetness and slightly smoky flavor of roasted vegetables adds a dimension the original doesn't have, and it turns a side dish into a complete one-bowl meal. This version is especially good for meal prep — the roasted vegetables hold their texture well over several days in the fridge.

Coconut Milk Lemon Quinoa

Replace half the cooking water for the quinoa with full-fat coconut milk. The quinoa absorbs the coconut fat as it cooks, producing a richer, creamier grain with a subtle sweetness that softens the lemon's sharpness. The dish leans slightly toward a South Indian coconut rice (thengai sadam) in character while keeping the lemony brightness. Reduce the fresh coconut garnish slightly since the coconut flavor is already in the grain. This version pairs well with spicy curries where the richness of the coconut acts as a cooling counterpoint.

Vegan Version (Already Almost There)

The base recipe is already vegan as written - quinoa, lemon, oil, and spices. The only thing to confirm is that your tempering ingredients are plant-based, which they typically are: mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, dried chillies, peanuts, and urad dal are all vegan. The fresh coconut garnish is vegan. If your version uses ghee in the tempering, swap it for coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil. Coconut oil adds a mild richness that mimics ghee's mouthfeel better than other neutral oils.

Why These Ingredients Matter

Lakadong Turmeric

Grown in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills, Lakadong Turmeric is lab-tested at 7.61% curcumin — roughly three times the concentration of standard grocery-store turmeric. In lemon rice, the turmeric goes into the grain while it's still warm, which opens the curcumin to absorption into the starchy surface. The result is quinoa that turns a deep, even gold rather than a patchy pale yellow. Higher curcumin content also means a more distinct earthy warmth underneath the lemon's brightness — the turmeric should register as its own flavor layer, not just a coloring agent. A half teaspoon is enough for a full cup of cooked quinoa without turning the dish bitter.

Quinoa

This recipe swaps traditional rice for quinoa, which has a nuttier, slightly grassy flavor and a firmer texture that holds up well to the tempering oil and lemon juice. Soaking for at least 30 minutes before cooking is essential — it softens the outer coating of saponins that can make quinoa taste bitter or soapy, and it shortens the cooking time. Rinse the soaked quinoa thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. White quinoa works best here; red and black varieties have a stronger, more assertive flavor that can compete with the tempering spices.

Mustard Seeds and Cumin Seeds

The tempering is the soul of this dish — mustard seeds and cumin seeds fried in hot oil until they splutter and pop, releasing their volatile oils into the fat. Mustard seeds provide a sharp, pungent bite and a nutty crunch, while cumin adds a warm, smoky earthiness. The oil must be hot enough that the mustard seeds pop within seconds of hitting the pan; if they just sit and sizzle, the oil isn't hot enough and the seeds will taste raw and harsh. Once the seeds start spluttering, reduce the heat immediately before adding the remaining tempering ingredients — curry leaves, dried chillies, peanuts, and urad dal burn quickly at high heat.

Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon juice is the defining flavor of this dish — it should taste bright and distinctly lemony, not just vaguely sour. Add the juice to the warm quinoa along with the turmeric and salt, before the tempering goes on top. The warmth helps the lemon juice absorb into the grain rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Use fresh-squeezed only; bottled lemon juice has a flat, slightly metallic taste that's immediately noticeable in a dish this simple. Two tablespoons is a good starting point for one cup of dry quinoa — adjust after the tempering is added, since the oil and spices will mellow the acidity slightly.

Fresh Grated Coconut

The coconut garnish isn't optional — it adds a sweet, fatty richness that balances the sour lemon and earthy turmeric and gives each bite textural contrast against the soft quinoa. Fresh grated coconut has a clean, milky sweetness that desiccated coconut can't replicate; the dried version is too chewy and lacks moisture. If fresh coconut isn't available, frozen grated coconut (thawed) is the best substitute — it retains most of the moisture and flavor of fresh. A generous handful scattered over the top just before serving keeps it from absorbing the tempering oil and going soft.

Tips & Storage

Get the Tempering Oil Hot Enough

The single most important moment in this recipe is the temperature of the oil when the mustard seeds go in. Heat the oil over high heat until it shimmers — then drop in one or two mustard seeds as a test. If they pop immediately, the oil is ready. If they sink and sit quietly, wait longer. Mustard seeds that don't splutter will taste raw and bitter in the finished dish. Once the seeds start popping, work quickly: reduce the heat, add the cumin seeds, and follow immediately with the curry leaves, dried chillies, and peanuts. The whole tempering process takes about 60 seconds from start to finish.

Add Turmeric and Lemon to Warm — Not Hot — Quinoa

The quinoa should be warm when you add the lemon juice, turmeric, and salt, but not steaming hot. Warm grain absorbs the lemon and turmeric evenly, producing a uniform golden color and consistent flavor throughout. Steaming-hot grain can cause the lemon juice to evaporate and the turmeric to clump. If you've just cooked the quinoa, spread it on a sheet pan for five minutes to cool it to warm-but-not-hot before seasoning.

Don't Stir Too Aggressively

Quinoa is softer and more delicate than rice, and aggressive stirring after adding the tempering will mash the grains into a sticky paste. Use a gentle folding motion with a spatula or flat spoon — lift from the bottom, fold over the top, rotate the bowl, repeat. The goal is to distribute the tempering oil and spices evenly without crushing the individual grains. This is especially important if your quinoa is slightly overcooked; gentle handling preserves the texture.

A Great Make-Ahead and Travel Meal

Lemon rice is one of the classic South Indian travel and packed-lunch dishes because it holds well at room temperature for hours without losing flavor. The lemon juice acts as a mild preservative, and the tempering oil coats the grains and prevents them from drying out. Pack it in a container with the fresh coconut on the side, and it's a complete, satisfying meal that doesn't need reheating. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days - reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the grains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular rice instead of quinoa for lemon rice?

Yes — this recipe is a quinoa adaptation of traditional South Indian lemon rice, which uses cooked white rice. Substitute equal amounts of cooked and cooled basmati or sona masoori rice for the quinoa. Day-old refrigerated rice actually works best because the dried-out grains absorb the lemon juice and turmeric more evenly and stay separate rather than clumping. The rest of the recipe — tempering, seasoning, garnish — stays identical.

Why soak quinoa before cooking?

Soaking quinoa for at least 30 minutes softens the outer coating of saponins — naturally occurring compounds that give unsoaked quinoa a bitter, soapy taste. Soaking followed by a thorough rinse under running water removes most of the saponins and also reduces cooking time. Some packaged quinoa is labeled "pre-rinsed" but soaking still improves the texture and flavor, especially in a simple dish like lemon rice where the grain's taste is front and center.

What is tempering (tadka) and why does it matter in lemon rice?

Tempering is the technique of frying whole spices — mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chillies, curry leaves — in hot oil to release their fat-soluble volatile compounds. The flavored oil is then poured over the dish, distributing the spice aroma and flavor evenly. In lemon rice, the tempering provides the warm, aromatic layer that transforms plain lemony grain into a complete dish. The oil must be hot enough to make the mustard seeds pop within seconds; if they don't splutter, the temperature is too low and the spices will taste raw.

How long does lemon quinoa keep in the fridge?

Lemon quinoa keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and actually travels well at room temperature for several hours, making it a good packed-lunch option. The flavors meld and improve after resting. Reheat gently in a microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the grains. Add the fresh coconut garnish after reheating rather than storing it with the quinoa, as it softens and loses its texture overnight.

Why Our Spices Make a Difference

Every spice in this recipe comes from a farmer we know by name. Lab-tested for purity, harvested at peak season, and shipped within weeks, unlike the years it takes for grocery stores to stock their spices. Meet our farmers

✓ Lab Tested ✓ Direct Trade ✓ Single Origin

Published August 25, 2024 Updated February 12, 2026