Curd rice is made with rice mixed with curd and milk along with pieces of ginger, green chilies, and a couple of spices. Fried cashew nuts and fresh pomegranate seeds are also added for a rich taste and flavor. The steps to make curd rice at home are very few and easy. Follow my recipe to learn them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Curd rice is a very popular dish of South India.
- Serve it with any pickle, papad, salad, fried green chilies, or a simple vegetable stir-fry.
- Curd rice tastes creamy, slightly tangy, and salty.
- Other similar recipes are coconut rice, lemon rice, and tamarind rice.
The Ingredients:
For making the curd rice:
- 1 cup rice (small grain)
- 1.75 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup curd
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tbsp green chili (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper (crushed or powder)
- Coriander leaves (a handful)
For making the tadka for the curd rice:
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tbsp chana dal (raw)
- 1 tbsp urad dal (raw)
- 4 pieces dry red chilies
- Curry leaves (a few)
For serving curd rice:
- Pomegranate seeds (anardana)—a handful
- Cashew nuts (a few, fried)
- ½ tsp cooking oil (to fry cashew nuts)
- Mango pickle
- Roasted papad
This recipe was shared by a woman I met at a local temple during Diwali last year. She had brought homemade curd rice with her to eat after puja and offered me some on a plate. It was very nice to taste and gave a cool feeling. I insisted she teach me the recipe, and she happily narrated it to me, which I recorded on my phone.
I made it that Sunday. My husband said it was rejuvenating, and the boys liked the lightness. Now, it is our frequent recipe in summer. That experience reminded me that kindness doesn’t always come from God alone. It exists in the children of God and is shown sometimes through the food shared with quiet compassion.
How to Make Curd Rice? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 1 cup of small-grain rice in a pressure cooker and add 1.75 cups of water and ½ tsp of salt. Close the lid and cook it on a high flame for up to 2 to 3 whistles.
(Pro tip: Soak the rice for 20 minutes to expedite the cooking process).
Step 2: Take out the boiled rice in a bowl and add 1 cup of curd to it. Mix nicely.
Step 3: Then, add ½ cup of milk in it. Mix again nicely.
(Pro tip: Milk is used in the recipe to make the rice soft).
Step 4: Now, add 1 tbsp of green chili (finely chopped), 1 tsp of ginger (finely chopped), salt to taste, 1 tsp of black pepper (crushed or powdered), and a handful of coriander leaves to it.
(Pro tip: Do not use ginger paste or fried ginger in the recipe. The small pieces of raw ginger will add to the taste. Also, use a generous amount of coriander leaves).
Step 5: Mix them all with the rice mixture nicely and keep it in the fridge for some time.
Step 6: In the meantime, make the tadka for the curd rice. Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, ½ tsp of cumin seeds, ¼ tsp of asafoetida (hing), 1 tbsp of raw chana dal, and 1 tbsp of raw urad dal. Stir and fry them for about a minute or two.
Step 7: Now, add 4 pieces of dry red chilies to the tadka and a few fresh curry leaves and cook them nicely on a medium flame.
(Pro tip: For additional taste, you may add cashew nuts and raisins at this stage to make a traditional curd rice served in the temples).
Step 8: Take out the curd rice from the fridge and pour the tadka on it. Mix it nicely.
Step 9: For additional flavor and taste, put some pomegranate seeds (anardana) and mix them nicely with the rice.
Step 10: Check the consistency. Add more curd and milk to it if you do not want a thick consistency in your curd rice.
Step 11: Finally, heat ½ tsp of cooking oil in a pan and fry 10 to 15 cashew nuts in it. Put it on the curd rice.
Step 12: Your tasty homemade curd rice is ready to enjoy. Serve it along with roasted papad and mango pickle.
Recipe Card
Curd Rice | Dahi Chawal
Ingredients
For making the curd rice:
- 1 cup rice small grain
- 1.75 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup curd
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tbsp green chili finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper crushed or powder
- Coriander leaves a handful
For making the tadka for the curd rice:
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida hing
- 1 tbsp chana dal raw
- 1 tbsp urad dal raw
- 4 pieces dry red chilies
- Curry leaves a few
For serving curd rice:
- Pomegranate seeds anardana – a handful
- Cashew nuts a few, fried
- ½ tsp cooking oil to fry cashew nuts
- Mango pickle
- Roasted papad
Instructions
- Take 1 cup of small grain rice in a pressure cooker and add 1.75 cups of water and ½ tsp of salt. Close the lid and cook it on a high flame for up to 2 to 3 whistles. (Pro tip: Soak the rice for 20 minutes to expedite the cooking process).
- Take out the boiled rice in a bowl and add 1 cup of curd to it. Mix nicely.
- Then, add ½ cup of milk in it. Mix again nicely. (Pro tip: Milk is used in the recipe to make the rice soft).
- Now, add 1 tbsp of green chili (finely chopped), 1 tsp of ginger (finely chopped), salt to taste, 1 tsp of black pepper (crushed or powder), and a handful of coriander leaves to it. (Pro tip: Do not use ginger paste or fried ginger in the recipe. The small pieces of raw ginger will add to the taste. Also, use a generous amount of coriander leaves).
- Mix them all with the rice mixture nicely and keep it in the fridge for some time.
- In the meantime, make the tadka for the curd rice. Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, ½ tsp of cumin seeds, ¼ tsp of asafoetida (hing), 1 tbsp of raw chana dal, and 1 tbsp of raw urad dal. Stir and fry them for about a minute or two.
- Now, add 4 pieces of dry red chilies to the tadka and a few fresh curry leaves and cook them nicely on a medium flame. (Pro tip: For additional taste, you may add cashew nuts and raisins at this stage to make a traditional curd rice served in the temples).
- Take out the curd rice from the fridge and pour the tadka on it. Mix it nicely.
- For additional flavor and taste, put some pomegranate seeds (anardana) and mix them nicely with the rice.
- Check the consistency. Add more curd and milk to it if you do not want a thick consistency in your curd rice.
- Finally, heat ½ tsp of cooking oil in a pan and fry 10 to 15 cashew nuts in it. Put it on the curd rice.
- Your tasty homemade curd rice is ready to enjoy. Serve it along with roasted papad and mango pickle.
