Monday, December 8, 2014

Dahi bhaat / Curd Rice



Dahi Bhaat or Curd  rice is nothing but Yogurt rice. I grew up eating south indian food specially dishes from the UDUPI Cuisine. It was a general norm in our house to finish our meal eating rice and yogurt. Usually, it would be just plain rice and yogurt mixed and eaten. But when my mum had extra time in her hand, she would make what we would call as special curd rice. Along with the rice and yogurt , mum would put finely chopped (or grated) veggies like cucumber, carrot, green chillies and cilantro. She would also add pomegranate seeds or chopped grapes. The sweetness from these fruit would go well with the spiciness from the green chillies and so also counter the sourness of the yogurt. Lastly she would add a tadka / tempering which was made in  ghee. The final result was so flavorful and a visual treat.




Curd rice also works great with leftover rice. I still remember mum would make curd rice using the leftover rice from the previous day and pack it in my lunch box. My friends in school, would love it.Whenever I got curd rice in my lunch box, all my friends would hover around me so that they could get a share. Ahhh.. School days were so much fun..:)





Now, coming back to the recipe, its pretty easy. Here we go...

INGREDIENTS:
Note: All measurements are based on the US measuring cup and spoon sizes where 1 cup = 235 ml
  • Cooked rice: 2 cups (you can use leftover rice too)
  • Yogurt : 1.5 cups
  • Cucumber : 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
  • Carrot : 1/4 cup (finely grated)
  • Pomegranate seeds : 1/4th cup
  • Cilantro : 2 tbsp
  • Salt as per taste
Note: You can increase or decrease the quantity of veggies according to your taste. Secondly, avoid using sour yogurt.

For the tempering/tadka:
  • Ghee or Clarified butter : 0.5 tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds : 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal  : 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger : 1 tbsp (grated)
  • Green chillies : 2 (finely chopped)
  • Cashew nuts : 2 tbsp
  • Dry red chillies : 2
  • Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp
PROCEDURE:
  • Whisk yogurt until its smooth. If the yogurt is too thick, you can add little milk and whisk it well.
  • Now add yogurt, chopped cucumber, grated carrots , pomegranates (leave a few aside for garnishing), cilantro and salt to the rice and mix well and set it aside.
  • Now to prepare the Tadka/tempering, heat ghee in a pan. When the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal , dry red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. When the seeds start to crackle, add the cashew nuts and fry. Lastly add add the grated ginger and chopped green chillies and saute. 
  • Add this tempering to the rice and mix well. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.


ENJOY!!!!


2 comments:

  1. This looks so divine and delectable. I have never seen till today so beautifully made curd rice.

    ReplyDelete