Fried rice is one of those things that I will eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Because of this, I always make extra. In fact, if you looked in my fridge right now, there is definitely some leftover cooked rice from two days ago. I’m not ashamed of it–there are just so many wonderful things that you can do with rice! Like other cultures, India has many versions of fried rice, such as tomato rice, onion garlic rice, egg rice, but my favorite is the turmeric lemon version with cashews and peanuts. You could pair it with an array of curries, serve it as a side or enjoy on its own, as I like to do. 

It’s fairly simple to throw together. You want to use cooked rice that's a day old because some of the moisture has dried out and that prevents the dish from being too soggy. Start off by tempering cumin and mustard seeds in oil. Then add chopped ginger and curry leaves and cook until fragrant. Add nuts, turmeric, salt, sugar and lemon. Toss in rice and cilantro and voila! You have the most delicious bright yellow, tangy, nutty and crunchy fried rice in minutes. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, an added bonus! 

Whether you want a late-night snack or something easy to bring to a party, this Turmeric Lemon Fried Rice is definitely the perfect treat for everyone!

Recipe and Headnote Rachel Gurjar