Curd rice, also called yogurt rice, is a dish originating from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. The word "

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...

" in

Indian English Indian English (IE) is a group of English dialects spoken in the republic of India and among the Indian diaspora. English is used by the Indian government for communication, along with Hindi, as enshrined in the Constitution of India. ...

refers to unsweetened

probiotic Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria-host i ...

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

. It is most popular in the South Indian states of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...

and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

; and also in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

.Chandra, Smita (1991). ''From Bengal to Punjab: The Cuisines of India''. Crossing Press, p. 121.Plunkett, Richard, Teresa Cannon, Peter Davis, Paul Greenway, and Paul Harding (2001). ''Lonely Planet: South India'', p. 127. In the state of Maharashtra it is known as ''dahi bhat''. In the state of Tamil Nadu it is called ''thayir saadam'', in

it is called ''tayire chōre'' and in

and

it is called ''perugannam/daddojanam''. In

, it is called ''mosaranna''. The dish is a staple of traditional cuisine, with the untempered version present at the end of almost every South Indian meal. The tempered version is often served during formal occasions and also offered as ''prasadam'' (blessed food) to devotees in temples.

Preparation

While it is most easily prepared by simply mixing steamed white rice and yogurt, more elaborate methods can be used when needed. Rice is prepared either via steaming or pressure cooking to be soft as in the South Indian style.Thayir Sadaam(Curd Rice):https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-thayir-saadam-curd-rice-218370 It is then allowed to cool to room temperature, after which it is seasoned with finely chopped green

chillies Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...

, and curry leaves, and sometimes along with the tempering of black gram,

mustard seeds Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are an important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three d ...

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

asafoetida Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex ( gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs growing tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Asafoetida is th ...

. Finally,

and salt are added. Alternatively, it can be prepared by mashing cooked plain rice (mostly leftovers) with some

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

, curd and (a little milk to lessen the sourness) garnishing it with fried

urad dal ''Vigna mungo'', also known as black gram, urad bean, urid bean, mash kalai, uzhunnu parippu, ulundu paruppu, minapa pappu, uddu, or black matpe, is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative, the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the ...

, green chilli and chopped

coriander Coriander (;

. Also, adding a few chopped onions in bigger slices will help the curd rice from fermenting too quickly. In some areas, curd rice is served in a unique style where steamed rice is mixed with mild curd, salted and then tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry chillies and black gram. Garnishing varies with region, and ranges from grated carrots, pomegranate seeds, raisins, green and purple grapes, fried cashews to grated raw mango and boondi. It can be served lukewarm or chilled. Additional options include a pinch of powdered and roasted asafoetida. Variations of the recipe are countless and are present in all states, reflecting the cuisine of each region. For example, in

, yogurt chillies (''sandige menasu'') are commonly added as part of the tempering. Regardless of this, the base components of rice, yogurt, tempered ingredients, and fresh ingredients are consistent, with the different ingredients included in each step varying.

Serving

Curd rice is often eaten accompanied by

South Asian pickles South Asian pickles, also known as avalehikā, pachchadi, achaar (sometimes spelled as aachaar), athaanu, loncha, oorugaai, or aavakaai, is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, an ...

. In South Indian cuisine, curd rice is traditionally eaten at the end of lunch and dinner, as this helps ease the effects of spicy food consumed prior. It is also said to aid digestion, as well as to balance the effects of the warm climate.

References

{{Indian Dishes Indian rice dishes South Indian cuisine

Preparation

Serving

See also

References