Curd Rice

Ingredients

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Water - 3 cups
3. Cold Milk - 1.5 cups
4. Curd - 1.5 cup
5. Cream - 2 tbsp
6. Salt - as needed
7. Cilantro - handful (finely chopped)

For Tempering

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Channa Dal - 1 tsp
4. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
5. Dry Red Chillies - 2
6. Green Chilly - 1
7. Ginger - 1/2 "piece (minced)
8. Curry Leaves - 1 spring

Method

1.          Cook the rice with 3 cups of water and some salt. We need overcooked rice which gets easily mashed up. (Tip: If you have leftover rice, just reheat it with some additional water.)

2.          Once the rice is cooked, mix and mash up part of the rice.

3.          Add the milk and keep mixing till all the milk gets absorbed by the rice.

4.          Once you add the cold milk, the rice will cool down. If it is still hot, wait for it to become lukewarm before you add the curd. This will prevent the curd from curdling.

5.          Add the cream and yogurt and mix well.

6.          Heat oil for tempering in a small pan and splutter the mustard seeds.

7.          Add the channa dal and urad dal and wait for it to turn reddish brown.

8.          Now add the dry red chillies, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and finely chopped ginger. Fry for a minute. (You can add some raisins and cashews too.)

9.          Add this to the curd rice. Also add the finely chopped coriander leaves and mix together.

10.      Curd rice is ready to be served. You can also garnish it with more chopped cilantro or grated carrots or chopped cucumber or fresh fruits like pineapple, pomegranate, grapes, apples

Serving Suggestions

·             Most curd rice lovers like to enjoy it all by itself without any side.

·             In South India, Thayir Sadam is typically served with spicy pickle.

·             Some people like to have curd rice with some spicy gravies like chicken curry, sambhar, pulikulambu etc.