“At least Some Curd Rice?”
Most people consider a traditional South Indian meal “incomplete” if the grand finale is not curd rice. Yogurt is called curd in India, and in probably a few other countries.
I recall while growing up, when I fell sick or lost my appetite (jilted love, fight with best friend and all other incidents that seem so trivial now), my mother would say, “can you try to eat at least some mosaranna (curd rice)?”. It was as if mosaranna was the panacea to all fevers, colds, coughs and broken hearts!
Over time, as the palette of my palate changed, most of my meals did not end with curd rice. However, my parents and several family and friends I know continue to adhere to these routines. My mother will eat a slice of pizza for dinner on occasion. However, this needs to be immediately followed by some yogurt (she skips eating rice at night).
It makes sense on several fronts. For one, yogurt is a huge gut healer since it is a wonderful probiotic. For another, the weather is terribly hot and humid in the tropics, so eating yogurt has a cooling effect on the system. Also, Indian food can be reasonably spicy, so eating curd rice at the end of the meal helps cook down the fire in the belly, so to speak. It is also a palate cleanser, since it neutralizes the tastes in the mouth. All in all, a great way to end a traditional meal.
Comfort Food
To call curd rice a Comfort Food for South Indians, is an understatement. What makes a food a comfort food? It is food that invokes feelings of warm sentiments and nostalgia, usually associated with childhood memories. Experts think that most “comfort foods” are not all that healthy. A debatable point, but I get it. Comfort foods are usually high calorie, high sugar, high salt, low nutrition, quick to make things. French fries, chocolate, potato chips, chicken soup and ice cream are on the top in the US.
I checked Wiki and sure enough, Curd Rice vies for top dog position along with Masala Dosa (try our healthier dosa version) on the list of Indian comfort foods. Others are samosa (our wadas are much better!), biryani, sambar, kichidi, rasam and dal with rice.
Usually curd is set at home (a practice that I still follow to this day) with whole milk. To dig the spoon into that thick layer of golden yellow cream on top and dropping a generous dollop of it on a small pile of rice starts the process. Using the tips of your fingers and careful not to mess up the palm of your hand, you mix the curd and soft rice together.
Comfort Food Need not be Unhealthy
But what if we turn the tables and make our comfort foods healthier, and enjoy it in smaller quantities? I have listed several suggestions for you to try and experiment.
Rice
Indeed, people have stopped consuming rice since it is high in carbohydrates. In the good old days, rice was hand-pounded. My maternal grandfather was a farmer and his family consumed lightly polished rice where the bran was not entirely removed. Now, you can choose brown rice which retains more of the fiber. You can also add other seeds and grains to the rice to make it more wholesome. Explore quinoa, millets and amaranth. Vary the proportions and see what works for you. Another way to reduce the starch content of rice is to store it in the refrigerator for 8 hours before consuming it. Read up on several reasons why this makes rice healthier in my Healthy Kitchen Hacks.
Curd/Yogurt
Homemade Yogurt/Curd
If you can make yogurt at home, that’s a wonderful option. It is easy and doesn’t take much effort, once you have the process down. If you have access to raw milk from small farms in your area, you’ll find your yogurt turning out to be rich and creamy, without worrying about pesticides, herbicides and the ethical treatment of dairy cows. Homemade yogurt does not have the additions of gelatin nor are the active cultures killed, so that the yogurt doesn’t continue to sour. Homemade curd will sour over time, since the probiotics are constantly working on the fermentation process, even when the curd is refrigerated. I also substitute yogurt with Homemade Kefir for the additional probiotics and gut health. You’ll be none the wiser with this substitution.
Veggies/Fruits/Herbs/Spices
This is where you can do wonders to this recipe. You can add a variety of vegetables into this curd rice. A few ideas: carrots, cucumber, green peas and/or edamame. Fruits can include pomegranate arils, thinly sliced or diced pineapple or mango and red/green grapes. Fresh ginger juice or thinly sliced ginger root is a must-add. Tons of finely chopped cilantro take this recipe into the realm of antioxidants.
Accompaniments for Curd Rice
If you want to have a satisfying South Indian meal along with Curd Rice, here are a few suggestions:
Appetizers
- Cabbage Wada
- Crispy Air-Fried Masala Okra
- Crunchy Baked Banana Chips
- Crispy, Delicious Banana Nuggets
Salads
Chutneys/Pickles
- Flavorful Cilantro-Mint Chutney
- Zero Waste Butternut Squash Sippe (Peel) Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Ridgegourd Chutney
- Spicy Raw Carrot Pickle (Gajar ka Achar)
- Tart Spicy Pickled Cauliflower
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Pickle
Rice Dishes
Curries/Dals
- Yard-to-Table Beet Leaf Thoran
- Spicy Cilantro Ginger Eggplant Sauté
- Cabbage Kootu
- Opo Squash Yellow Mung Curry
- Sautéed Cabbage & Bell Pepper
- Raw Plantain with Yogurt Curry
- Spicy, Sweet, Tangy Pineapple Gojju
Dessert
- Akki-Haalu Payasa (Rice Kheer
- Gasagase Payasa (Poppy Seed Kheer)
- Mango Rasayana
- Sweet Pongal (Huggi)
- Hesarubele (Split Mung) Payasa
There are several good things going on with this dish. Brown rice provides body fuel in the form of carbohydrates and fiber. Yogurt is super-rich in probiotics and is helpful for maintaining good gut bacteria. Cucumber brings in a low-calorie source of water and soluble fiber. Pomegranate, ginger, and other herbs and spices bring in a rich chockablock of antioxidants.
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Curd (Yogurt) Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice - I use brown Basmati rice. You can also use millets, quinoa, steel cut oats, amaranth or other whole grains with rice or as a substitute
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
- 4 Cups Yogurt - Preferably homemade. Otherwise, unsweetened store-bought
- 1 Cup Cucumber - Grated. Don't peel the skin if organic. Other options are grated carrots, peas, edamame
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger - Grated or juiced
- 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Arils - Other options are pineapple, mango, grapes
Tempering
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/8 Teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing) - Add a tad more if you love Hing
- 2 Curry Leaves - Fronds
- 2 Green Chili Pepper - Or to taste. Chopped fine
- 1 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
Instructions
- Soak rice in water for 2-3 hours after washing thoroughly. Drain the water. If you are using brown rice, add 3.5 cups of filtered water to 1 cup of rice. White rice will need 2.5 cups of filtered water for 1 cup of rice. Add salt and coconut oil.
- Cook rice using any preferred method. I use a Rice Cooker. Rice needs to be a little mushy for curd rice.
- Remove from rice cooker.
- Mash the rice with a potato masher. The next step is purely optional: cover and place the rice in the refrigerator for 8 hours. This will reduce the starch from the rice. Read the science behind it here.
- When ready to eat, add yogurt (preferably homemade yogurt). Mix in thoroughly.
- Add grated cucumber.
- Add grated fresh ginger or ginger juice. Mix well.
Tempering
- Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and asafetida (hing).
- After the mustard seeds splutter, add green chili, dry red chili, curry leaves and allow them to wilt for 30 seconds on medium heat.
- Pour the tempering over the curd/yogurt rice. Mix well.
- Before serving, add pomegranate arils and mix.
- Serve with Cauliflower Pickle or Carrot Pickle and Banana Chips. See Notes on how to keep this curd rice from congealing and/or souring.
Notes
- Curd rice congeals quickly since the rice absorbs the curd. To prevent this from happening, and if you don't plan to consume it right after making it, stick several ice cubes into the yogurt rice. The ice cubes will melt slowly and will keep the rice both moist and cool.
- Other vegetables that will work well besides cucumber are grated carrots, peas and edamame.
- Fruits that are well-suited for this recipe are pomegranates, red/green/black grapes, pineapple or ripe mango. In fact, tiny pieces of raw mango may also taste swell!
