Lemony Peanut Rice

O came over to cook with me last night. We had a ton of fun and ended up making quite a feast! Here is a simple rice dish that H really loves and got O hooked as well! My contribution to it was just typing this up! (This is H's recipe and O cooked it to perfection!)

Serves 2-3
Preparation time 20 minutes

1 cup uncooked basmati rice
Juice and Zest of 1 medium lemon (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup chana dal (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/chana-dal.jpg)
1 cup peanuts
1 tbsp coconut or sesame oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
1 dried red chili
1/2 cup curry leaves
Salt to taste

Cook the rice with a little less than 2 cups of water, fluff with a fork and set aside.
In a saute pan, heat the oil and add the chana dal, saute for about 2 minutes or until dal is crunchy.
Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Cover and let splutter for about a minute on medium low heat
Add the coconut and stir for about a minute. Careful, coconut burns quickly due to the high fat content. Add the peanuts and stir for about 2 minutes or until the nuts are lightly browned
Break the dried red chili and add to the mixture in the pan.
Add the cooked rice and mix gently to avoid breaking the rice grains
Mix in the turmeric to achieve an even color.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, zest and salt.
Adjust the seasonings serve hot with yogurt and Indian pickles or a curry.