Curd Rice

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Curd Rice

Curd Rice also known as Thayir Sadam or Daddojanam or Bagala Bath in some South Indian languages is a popular South Indian dish which is well known in the Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

Curd Rice is as simple as it sounds! Basmati rice is mixed with curd and then tempered with spices. The word ‘curd’ in Indian English refers to unsweetened plain yogurt. It’s the simple ingredients and flavourings that makes this dish special. Fragrant curry leaves, nutty dal, peppery mustard seeds, and spicy whole red chilli lends flavour and texture to this scrumptious recipe.

Curd rice is typically served at the end of the meal, as it is believed to help aid digestion and soothe the stomach after eating spicy food. It is my husband’s favourite meal and I often make it as the main meal and enjoy it with pickles and poppadom.

Like mentioned before Curd Rice has lots of health benefits. It contains probiotics, antioxidants, and beneficial fats, and that is the reason why it is especially recommended for people who have an upset stomach.
This recipe is simple and easy to prepare which you can prepare in few minutes.

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Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup yoghurt
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For Tempering
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon split black gram (urad dal)
7-8 curry leaves
2-3 dry red chillies
1 teaspoon finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Directions

Step-1

Wash the rice under running water and then soak the rice in water for 20-30 minutes. After the rice has soaked, drain the water using a colander.

Boil 3-4 cups of water and add rice and 1 tablespoon oil and gently stir. Let it cook uncovered for 8-9 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and drain the rice in a colander. Set aside to cool it down.

Step-2

Take yogurt in a big bowl and add the milk and salt and whisk it to a smooth consistency.

Add the boiled rice and coriander to the whisked yogurt and gently mix. Keep it in the fridge for about 1-2 hours to cool it down (optional).

Step-3

Heat ghee in a pan and add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Once it begins to splutter, add the dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. When the urad dal turns golden brown, turn off the heat and keep it aside.

Step-4

Garnish the cold yogurt rice with coriander and add the tempering on top.

Serve the curd rice with pickle, sambhar, rasam or on its own.

Tips & Variations

I have used long grained basmati rice in this recipe. If you want, you can use jasmine rice or brown rice.
It is particularly important to prepare the rice well which means rinsing the rice at least three times till the water is clear. This helps to clear the excess starch and will make the rice non sticky.
I always recommend soaking the rice for an hour or if you are short of time then at least for 20 to 25 minutes because well soaked rice will expand and cook well, and each strand of rice will be long and fluffy.
Whisk the yoghurt and milk to form a smooth consistency.
You can serve curd rice chilled or at room temperature.
Ghee can be substituted with vegetable oil, coconut or olive oil
Let the rice cool down before mixing it to the yoghurt or else the rice grains will break, and it will be a mushy mess. I usually spread the rice in a tray to cool it down before adding the yogurt.
You can add roasted cashew nuts or peanuts also in this recipe.
You can also add green chillies and ginger in the tempering.
Instead of plain yogurt you can also use almond yogurt, coconut milk yogurt or cashew yogurt.