Still rainy, still overcast. But warm!

Yesterday, on my way home, I thought that it was going to be cold, so I was bundled up nice and snug inside my coat. Little did I realise that although it was certainly still overcast, it was also warming up considerably. With a joyful shout (in my head, of course; wouldn't do to attract weird stares from strangers) I threw off the shackles of my coat, stuffed said coat into my bag, and bounced all the way home.

When I got in, I noticed that there was scarcely anything around. I hadn't had any time to go shopping this week, so the fridge was more or less empty. My pantry, however, saved me.

I pulled out some leftover rice from the night before, and made a really quick lemon rice. I borrowed heavily from my pantry, because I didn't have much in the way of groceries. D'oh!

2 TB canola or peanut oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seed
1/3 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp urad daal, split peas, or tuvar daal
3/4 tsp sesame seed
1/2 cup cashews (I used broken cashews, because that's what I had)
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 lemon, juiced and zested
4 cups cooked rice, preferably chilled in the fridge overnight

Start in a wok (preferable) or a skillet over highest heat. Add the oil, and wait for the oil to get very hot. Add the mustard seed, STEP BACK, and wait for about 30 seconds or so, until they pop and crackle. They will fily all over the place. Add the cumin seed, urad daal, and sesame seed. These will also pop violently. This is good, and means that it'll be giving more flavour.

Add the cashews, turmeric, salt, and red pepper flakes, and turn down the heat to medium. Toss the cashews constantly, to prevent burning. Add the lemon juice when the cashews are toasted, and add the rice too. Stir everything around until the rice is steamy and cooked through. Ideally, eat this dish with a salad, or some other kind of cooked vegetable. Or, if you're hungry now, and don't want to go back down four flights to stairs to walk to the market three blocks away, just eat that by itself, and have a smoothie to drink to get some actual nutrition into yourself.