C urd Rice is full of probiotic goodness and cooling properties – just the meal you need to deal with summer. Be sure to watch the video!
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
- What is curd rice?
- Health Benefits Of Curd Rice
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Watch Curd Rice Video
- Serving Suggestion
- FAQs Related To Curd Rice
- Curd Rice Recipe (Thayir Sadam)
What is curd rice?
Curd Rice is a traditional South Indian dish. It is also known as thayir sadam. It is tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, and peanuts for flavour and crunch.
The word ‘thayir’ in the Tamil language means curd, whereas ‘sadam’ refers to cooked rice.
It is an everyday staple meal in almost every southern household.
In many Hindu temples, it is part of ‘prasad.’ It does not have onion, garlic, or any tamasic ingredients and requires minimal ingredients.
Health Benefits Of Curd Rice
Aids in digestion and Calms Acidity: Thayir Sadam is often eaten after a meal, so the good bacteria in the curd may help the body digest food quickly. For generations, this has been the cure for an upset stomach or gastric issues, including constipation and bloating.
Prevent Heat Strokes and balances out your body’s internal temperature and is an excellent coolant during the hot summer.
Gluten-Free: It contains no gluten or preservatives.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pre-Cooked Rice at room temperature. If using leftover cooked rice, add a tiny amount of water and mash it to a soft consistency (like broken wheat consistency).
- Full Fat Curd is an excellent choice if you want super soft and creamy thayir sadam. Choose curd that is not too sweet but has a hint of sourness.
- Fresh malai (milk cream) or milk to get a creamy mouthfeel.
- Tempering : Mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, cashews, and peanuts.
- Vegetables: I add grated vegetables like carrots, chopped raw mango, and cucumber . The vegetables add colour, taste, and texture to the dish.
- Toppings: Pomegranate, fresh coriander, or khara boondi are a few of my favourite toppings for thayir sadam.
Watch Curd Rice Video
Serving Suggestion
The curd rice tastes best with deep-fried papadum and a spoonful of a spicy homemade pickle (thokku).
A few of my favourite dishes are South Indian style masala potato fry and medu vada .
If hot rice is combined with curd, it affects the nutritional properties of the dish, and digestion problems are bound to happen. Also, the curd might turn sour after mixing with the hot rice. Hence, it is best to enjoy cold yoghurt rice or room temperature.
Thayir Sadam is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Heating kills the nutritional benefits of the curd. Hence, it is not advisable to heat thayir sadam.
More Indian Rice Recipes
- Jeera Rice
- Matar Pulao
- Chana Pulao
- Pudina Pulao
- Coconut Rice
- Vegetable Pulao
- Matar Mushroom Pulao
- Achari Paneer Tawa Pulao
- Lemon Rice (Elumichai Sadam)
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 ½ Cup cooked white rice
- ▢ 1 ¼ Cup curd (yogurt)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger
- ▢ ¼ Cup cucumber, grated
- ▢ ¼ Cup carrot, shredded
- ▢ ¼ Cup pomegranate
- ▢ ¼ Cup malai (milk cream)
Ingredients For Tempering:
- ▢ 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- ▢ 8 fresh curry leaves
- ▢ 1 tablespoon green chili, chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon peanuts
Instructions
- Take cooked rice in a wide mixing bowl. Mash it gently using the back of the spoon to break the lumps.
- Combine rice with curd, ginger, grated cucumber, carrot, and salt. Mix nicely. Add cream (malai) and mix one more time. At this stage, you can keep curd rice in the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes.
- To prepare the tempering, heat oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds, dal, curry leaves, and green chili. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds or till the seeds starts popping.
- Add peanuts. Fry for another 10 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the tempering over the curd rice.
- Garnish curd rice with pomegranate pearls and fresh coriander.
- Serve curd rice immediately with fried papadum or potato roast .
Recipe Notes:
- Instead of malai you can use cold milk as well.
- For tempering, you can use either, ghee, refined oil, coconut oil, or any other cooking oil of choice.
- Leftover rice is best for making curd rice. But try to use short grain rice and not basmati or any other long-grain rice. Short grain rice is high in starch content. Hence, helpful in making creamy curd rice.
- Soft rice that is overcooked or slightly mushy is perfect for making curd rice.
- It is best to make it a few hours before eating. I would not recommend storing or keeping it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is one of those dishes you make in small batches, fresh for each meal.
Nutrition
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Curd Rice Recipe (Thayir Sadam)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Tadka Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cup cooked white rice
- 1 ¼ Cup curd (yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- ¼ Cup cucumber, grated
- ¼ Cup carrot, shredded
- ¼ Cup pomegranate
- ¼ Cup malai (milk cream)
Ingredients For Tempering:
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- 8 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon green chili, chopped
- 2 tablespoon peanuts
Instructions
- Take cooked rice in a wide mixing bowl. Mash it gently using the back of the spoon to break the lumps.
- Combine rice with curd, ginger, grated cucumber, carrot, and salt. Mix nicely. Add cream (malai) and mix one more time. At this stage, you can keep curd rice in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes.
- To prepare the tempering, heat oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds, dal, curry leaves, and green chili. Fry for 10 - 20 seconds or till the seeds starts popping.
- Add peanuts. Fry for another 10 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the tempering over the curd rice.
- Garnish curd rice with pomegranate pearls and fresh coriander.
- Serve curd rice immediately with fried papadum or potato roast .
Video
Notes
- Instead of malai you can use cold milk as well.
- For tempering, you can use either, ghee, refined oil, coconut oil, or any other cooking oil of choice.
- Leftover rice is best for making curd rice. But try to use short grain rice and not basmati or any other long-grain rice. Short grain rice is high in starch content. Hence, helpful in making creamy curd rice.
- Soft rice that is overcooked or slightly mushy is perfect for making curd rice.
- It is best to make it a few hours before eating. I would not recommend storing or keeping it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is one of those dishes you make in small batches, fresh for each meal.
Nutrition
Whether you are planning a quick lunch or a special Indian dinner, this pudina pulao recipe is sure to impress with its refreshing taste and aroma.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Pudina Pulao
- Serving Suggestion
- Pudina Pulao Recipe
Pudina pulao, also known as mint pulao, is a fragrant and flavourful one-pot rice dish. It’s one of my favourite Indian rice dishes. There are so many ways to prepare pulao, and this recipe is a South-style preparation that will just blow you away.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Green Paste:
- Coriander Stalks and Mint Leaves are the main flavour base for this pulao recipe.
- Grated Coconut balances the heat of spices!
- Green Chili , Garlic, and Ginger
Other Ingredients
- Basmati or any long —to medium-grain rice is perfect for making pudina pulao. You can also use Sona Masuri or Gobindbhog .
- Whole Spices : Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf, Cloves, Cumin
- Veggies that are easy to cook like carrots, potato, beans, or green peas .
- Fried Onions are an essential for any Indian rice dish.
- Spice Powders: Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala or Biryani Masala
- Curd gives a delicious tangy flavour to the pulao. Substitute it with tomatoes.
- For cooking , use either ghee, coconut oil or flavourless vegetable oil.
- Cashews, Salt, and Water
Add – ons
- Paneer : Toss in paneer cubes for a protein-rich version.
- Coconut Milk : Replace curd with coconut milk for a richer taste.
- Spicy Pudina Pulao : Increase the number of green chillies and add a teaspoon of black peppercorns for a spicier version.
How To Make Pudina Pulao
1. Prepare Green Paste
- Clean and rinse the mint leaves and coriander stalks.
- In a blender, add the mint leaves, coriander stalks, green chilli, coconut, ginger, and garlic. Blend into a smooth paste and set aside.
2. Soak Rice
- Clean, wash, and soak rice in clean water while you prepare the base of pulao
3. Whisk Curd
- Add red chilli powder, salt, and garam masala to the curd.
- Whisk till it is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
4. Fry Onion
- Heat ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed pressure cooker.
- Add the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds) and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. This takes 5 minutes over low heat
5. Add Vegetables
- Add the vegetables (carrot and green peas) and cashews.
- Saute for a minute.
6. Time To Add Rice
- Add soaked rice minus water, whisked curd and green paste.
- Mix gently till all combined well.
- Add water just enough to immerse the rice.
7. Pressure Cook
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Pressure Cook Pulao over low heat for one whistle.
- Let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker.
- Let the pulao rest for 5 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
Serving Suggestion
Pudina Pulao pairs beautifully with:
- Raita : Boondi Raita , Onion Raita, or a delicious Cucumber Raita.
- Papad & Pickle : A crispy papad and a side of spicy pickle enhance the pulao flavour. Is anyone else a fan of crushing papad pieces on pulao?
- Salad: A simple Kachumber Salad or Khamang Kakdi balances the carbs from rice and brings fibre also to the meal.
More Indian Pulao Recipe
- Chana Pulao
- Chicken Pulao
- Vegetable Pulao
- Mushroom Pulao
- Paneer Tikka Pulao
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 Cup basmati rice
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ghee
- ▢ 4 green cardamom (elaichi)
- ▢ 4 cloves (laung)
- ▢ 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
- ▢ ½ inch cinnamon stick (dal chini)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped cashews
- ▢ 1 medium size onion, sliced
- ▢ 1 medium size carrot, diced
- ▢ ⅓ Cup green peas (fresh or frozen )
- ▢ ⅓ Cup curd (dahi)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala powder ( see recipe )
- ▢ 1 Cup water
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Ingredients For Green Paste
- ▢ 2 Cup fresh mint leaves
- ▢ 8 – 10 fresh coriander stalks
- ▢ 2 green chilli (medium spicy)
- ▢ 6 garlic cloves
- ▢ 1 inch ginger
- ▢ 2 tablespoon grated coconut
Instructions
Prep Work
- Clean, wash, and soak rice in clean water for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Clean and rinse the mint leaves and coriander stalks. In a blender, add the mint leaves, coriander stalks, green chilli, coconut, ginger, and garlic. Blend into a smooth paste and set aside.
- Add red chilli powder, salt, and garam masala to the curd. Whisk till it is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Cook Pulao
- Heat ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed pressure cooker.
- Add the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds) and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. This takes 5 minutes over low heat.
- Add the vegetables (carrot and green peas) and cashews. Saute for a minute.
- Add soaked rice minus water, whisked curd and green paste. Mix gently till all combined well. Add water just enough to immerse the rice.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Pressure Cook Pulao over low heat for one whistle. Let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker. Let the pulao rest for 5 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
- Serve pudina pulao warm with raita, papad and pickle.
Recipe Notes:
- Adjust the number of green chillies as per personal preference.
- Do not grind the green paste for too long as it might turn bitter.
- You can substitute curd with thin coconut milk.
- you can make this pulao in an instant pot also. It takes 6 minutes in pressure cooker mode.
Nutrition
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