Curd Rice Recipe Restaurant Style

What is Curd Rice?

Curd Rice is a popular savory South Indian dish prepared with pre-cooked white rice and curd (yogurt). It is then tempered with oil (or ghee), mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, chilies, and cashews for the flavor. It is a staple everyday meal in the Southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Also known as Mosaranna (masruanna), Thayir Sadam, Daddojanam, Dahi Bhaat, Dahi Chawal in India. Curd rice is offered as prasadam in most South Indian temples. It is also the perfect food for infants, toddlers, and adults as it soothes the stomach and aids in digestion. To make the best Restaurant style curd rice recipe at home, add fresh or heavy whipping cream at the end, it makes it rich, creamy, and delicious.

Curd Rice Health Benefits

It aids in digestion. It is the best home remedy for an upset stomach because it is easy to digest and works against bloating and indigestion. It is rich in probiotics, maintaining the balance of gut-friendly bacteria and promoting digestive health. It is also rich in antioxidants, protein, calcium, and healthy fats.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients required to make the yogurt rice recipe at home.

Rice - Use short grains like sona masuri for making yogurt rice. You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or millet. If you have leftover cooked rice, then mash a bit with a few drops of water to a soft consistency. Curd (Yogurt) - Use full-fat homemade curd for the best, creamy flavor. You can also store-bought yogurt. Choose curd that is fresh and not too sour. You can also use plain Greek yogurt. Milk - Use regular boiled whole milk for curd rice. It prevents yogurt rice from turning sour. So don’t skip it. Tempering – Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, ginger, green & red chilies, and asafoetida (hing). Cream - Add fresh cream (malai) or heavy whipping cream to get rich, creamy restaurant-style curd rice. Garnish - I used fresh coriander leaves, and pomegranate for garnishing. You can also use green grapes, shredded carrots, cucumbers, or Khara boondi as other toppings.

How to Make Curd Rice/Yogurt Rice

Cooking Rice:

Firstly, rinse the rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear (removes extra starch), and drain the remaining water. In a Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook ½ cup of rice with 1.5 cups of water for 4-5 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally. The cooked rice should be softer than we cook regularly. In Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker): Pressure cook ½ cup of rice with 1 ½ cups of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. On Stovetop Pot: Cook ½ cup of rice with 1 ½ cups of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool a bit.

Prepare the Cooked Rice

When the pressure releases naturally, mash the rice well with the back of a spoon or masher. This helps to make yogurt rice creamy. Make sure no lumps are formed. If you don’t mash the rice, it may turn hard when the yogurt is added. Add pre-boiled and cooled whole milk to the mashed rice. It prevents the curd rice from turning sour when prepared in advance. I highly recommend not to skip adding milk. Mix everything well. You can increase the quantity of milk if required. Next, cool the rice completely otherwise, whey may get separated when the cold curd is added to the hot rice.

Making Curd Rice

Once the rice becomes lukewarm or comes to room temperature, add fresh curd (yogurt) and salt. Mix everything well. Add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream (malai). Adding cream is optional, but it makes the yogurt rice rich and extra creamy. Again mix everything well.

Tempering (Tadka) for Curd Rice:

Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan. Add mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Let them splutter. Then add urad dal, dried red chilies, and saute until the dal turns light brown. Now add chopped ginger, sliced green chilies, curry leaves, and hing (asafoetida) and saute for a few seconds. Mix and turn off the flame. Add coriander leaves, and pour the tempering/tadka into the curd rice mixture. Mix everything well. Garnish with pomegranate seeds or grapes and coriander leaves if using. Serve authentic Yogurt rice, or Thayir Saddam chilled, and enjoy with pickle and papad.

What to Serve with Yogurt Rice?

Serve Curd Rice as a main dish with papad, podi, pickles, and a salad. You can also serve it as a side dish in a South Indian Thali. If you are serving kids, then skip adding green chilies. It tastes great when served chilled, and you can pack it for the adults or school lunch box too.

Storage Suggestions

Fridge: You can store Curd Rice (or yogurt rice) in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container. Make sure to add a little milk (or water) if it’s thick. Freezer: I do not recommend freezing the yogurt rice as it will split after thawing. Reheating: Curd rice is always eaten at room temperature or cold. It should not be heated or warmed as the curd can likely break down and curdle.

Tips

Here are a few tips for making the best curd rice recipe

Variations

Vegetables: You can also add vegetables like grated carrots, finely chopped raw mango, cucumber, bottle gourd, and fruits like grapes, and pomegranates. It adds a nice taste and texture and increases the dish’s nutritional value. Vegan Curd Rice: Use almond milk yogurt, coconut milk yogurt, or cashew yogurt for Vegan-friendly curd rice. Other Grains: You can replace rice with brown rice, broken wheat, quinoa, millets, poha, vermicelli, couscous, or keto cauliflower rice. Cooking Oil: Ghee can be substituted for olive oil in the tempering. Cream: If you don’t have fresh cream, you can also use sour cream.