Everyday Kitchen

Indian · Dinner

Curd Rice

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
VegEasy

Diet: Veg

Cook white rice until very soft. Cool it before adding yogurt and a mustard-seed tempering.

Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Cool
15 min
Total
50 min
Servings
3
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Indian
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Representative photograph of curd rice
Pomegranate, papad and dried chili in the photograph are not included in this draft. This photograph is not a tested result of our draft recipe. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 3

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Main ingredients

Liquids

Seasoning and finishing

Equipment

Sieve; saucepan with lid; wide shallow bowl; small frying pan; spoon.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Cook the rice · About 25 min

  1. Rinse 120 ml uncooked white rice in the sieve.
  2. Put the drained rice and 480 ml water in the saucepan.
  3. Bring the water to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to low.
  5. Cover loosely.
  6. Simmer for 20–25 minutes.

    Check: The rice should be very soft and most water should be absorbed.

  7. Mash the rice lightly with the spoon.

Cool and mix · About 15 min

  1. Stir 120 ml whole milk into the rice.
  2. Spread the rice in the shallow bowl.
  3. Cool for about 15 minutes.

    Check: The rice should feel lukewarm rather than hot before yogurt is added.

  4. Fold in 120 ml plain yogurt, 2 tbsp finely chopped cucumber, 1 tbsp finely grated carrot, 1 tbsp chopped coriander and ½ tsp salt.

Make the tempering · About 2 min

  1. Heat 2 tsp neutral oil in the frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds.
  3. Cook for 30–60 seconds.

    Check: The mustard seeds should pop.

  4. Add 1 tsp urad dal and 1 tbsp cashews.
  5. Stir for 1–2 minutes.

    Check: The dal and cashews should turn pale gold.

  6. Add 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 1 whole finely chopped green chili, 8 leaves curry leaves and ⅛ tsp asafoetida carefully.
  7. Stir for 20 seconds.
  8. Pour the tempering over the yogurt rice.
  9. Fold gently to combine.
  10. Serve promptly.

Tips

  • The pictured pomegranate, papad and dried chili are serving variations, not required ingredients.

Substitutions

  • Use unsweetened coconut yogurt for a different vegan version.

Storage

  • Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.
  • Reheat rice only once, until steaming hot throughout. For this draft, check reheated food reaches 74°C / 165°F. Add a little water and cover while heating.

Make ahead

  • Cook rice ahead only within the rice storage limit; add yogurt after cooling.

FAQ

Can I add yogurt to hot rice?

Let rice cool first so yogurt does not split.

Why does it thicken?

Rice continues absorbing moisture; loosen with safe chilled yogurt or a little water.

How should I store curd rice?

Cool in small shallow portions and refrigerate promptly, ideally within one hour. Use within 24 hours.

Recipe source and adaptation

Measured home adaptation: Raks Anand: Curd Rice Recipe | Thayir Sadam | Yogurt Rice.

Stovetop adaptation; omits optional mango and butter and includes cooling before yogurt.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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