This Curd rice (also called yogurt rice) recipe is an easy, comforting restaurant-style South Indian dish made from cooked rice, curd (yogurt), and tempered with Indian spices. It tastes best when served with papad and mango pickle. Curd rice is also known as Thayir Saddam, Mosaranna, and Daddojanam in different parts of India.
Jump to:
- What is Curd Rice?
- Difference between Yogurt and Curd
- Curd Rice Health Benefits
- Ingredients for Curd Rice Recipe
- How to Make Curd Rice
- What to serve with Curd Rice?
- Tips to make the Best Curd Rice Recipe
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts
- More Curd (Yogurt) Recipes
- More Rice Recipes
- Curd Rice Recipe (Thayir Saddam)
What is Curd Rice?
Curd Rice is a popular savory South Indian dish prepared with pre-cooked white rice and curd. 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. It is also known as Mosaranna, 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 at home, add fresh or heavy whipping cream at the end, it makes it rich, creamy, and delicious.
Difference between Yogurt and Curd
Curd and yogurt are two very different things. Curd is made by curdling the milk with edible acidic substances such as lemon juice or vinegar, whereas Yogurt is made by fermenting milk using bacteria.
The curd (or dahi) is often used for yogurt in India, so if any Indian recipe says curd, you can use yogurt instead.
Curd Rice Health Benefits
- Curd rice 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 hence promoting digestive health.
- It is also rich in antioxidants, protein, calcium, and healthy fats.
- It helps to maintain the body’s internal temperature and acts as a coolant for hot summer days.
Ingredients for Curd Rice Recipe
- Rice – I like to use sona masuri or basmati rice for making yogurt rice. You can also use brown rice, quinoa, or millets. 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.
- Tempering – Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, cashews, and green & red chilies.
- Cream: Add fresh cream (malai) or heavy whipping cream to get a rich, creamy restaurant-style curd rice.
- Garnish: Fresh coriander, pomegranate, grapes, and khara boondi are a few favorite toppings I like to add.
How to Make Curd Rice
Cooking Rice:
Firstly, rinse the rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear (removes extra starch), and drain the remaining water.
IN TRADITIONAL PRESSURE COOKER ON STOVETOP: Pressure cook the ½ cup rice with 1 ½ cups of water for 3 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
IN INSTANT POT (ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER): Pressure cook the ½ cup rice with 1 ½ cups of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
ON STOVETOP IN A VESSEL: Cook ½ cup of rice with 1 ½ cups of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool a bit.
When the rice is little warm, slightly mash the rice with the back of a spoon or your hands.
To Prepare Tempering:
Heat coconut oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, cumin (jeera), dried red chilies, and saute until dal turns light brown.
Now add the hing (asafetida), chopped ginger, curry leaves, and chopped green chilies, and fry for a few seconds.
Making Curd Rice
Once the rice has cooled completely, add whisked curd (yogurt), milk, crushed black pepper, salt, and mix everything well.
Add milk to avoid sourness when prepared in advance. But do not skip adding milk.
Transfer the tempering/tadka to the bowl of yogurt rice, add coriander leaves, heavy cream (optional), adjust salt, and mix everything well.
Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve authentic Yogurt rice recipe, or Thayir Saddam chilled, and enjoy pickle and papad.
What to serve with Curd Rice?
Serve Curd Rice as a main dish with papad, and pickles along with 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 lunch box too.
Tips to make the Best Curd Rice Recipe
- I like to overcook the rice with some extra water. It makes the yogurt rice soft and creamy.
- Use fresh homemade curd for the best results. Avoid using sour curd.
- Curd rice always tastes best when made with freshly cooked rice than leftover rice.
- Do not add curd to the hot rice else, it will curdle.
- Add milk to avoid sourness if you are preparing in advance.
Variations
- You can also add vegetables like grated carrots, finely chopped raw mango, cucumber, and fruits like grapes, and pomegranates. It adds a nice taste and texture and increases the nutritional value of the dish.
- Use almond milk yogurt, coconut milk yogurt, or cashew yogurt for Vegan-friendly curd rice.
- You can replace rice with quinoa, millets, or keto cauliflower rice.
- Ghee can be substituted for olive oil in the tempering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Curd rice has several health benefits. It is a good source of protein, calcium, fats and is rich in antioxidants. It also has
friendly probiotic bacteria that help in digestion and maintain good bowel movements.
Yes, the curd has probiotic goodness and cooling properties which is good for the tummy.
Curd rice is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. When it is heated or warmed, friendly probiotic bacteria present in it are destroyed. Also, curd may likely break down and curdle.
No. If you are a vegan, use Vegan yogurt made from almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or peanut milk instead of dairy curd.
1. Always mix the yogurt in the cooked rice just before serving.
2. Yogurt rice can turn sour if u make it ahead in summer. So adding milk will prevent it from turning sour for a few hours.
It is a great meal to pack for school or work lunches or when you are on a journey. Ensure to add more milk along with curd to prevent it from turning sour.
Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts
Curd Rice + Apple + Macaroon
More Curd (Yogurt) Recipes
- Curd Quinoa
- Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Dressing
- Curd Sandwich
- Dahi Tadka
- Dahi Papdi Chaat
- Raita Recipes
- Chia Seed Curd Rice
More Rice Recipes
If you’ve tried this easy curd (yogurt) rice recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!
Curd Rice Recipe (Thayir Saddam)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup white raw rice (or 2 cups cooked rice)
- 1.5 cups water for pressure cooking
- 1 cup curd (yogurt) (about 250 grams)
- ½ cup milk
- 2-3 tablespoons cream (fresh or heavy whipping cream), optional
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon oil (or ghee)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 dried red chilli
- 1 green chili slit length wise
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
- 8-10 curry leaves
- a pinch hing (asafetida) skip for gluten-free
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Cooking Rice:
- Firstly, rinse the rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear (removes extra starch), and drain the remaining water.
- IN TRADITIONAL PRESSURE COOKER ON STOVETOP: Pressure cook the ½ cup rice with 1 ½ cups of water for 3 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.IN INSTANT POT (ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER): Pressure cook the ½ cup rice with 1 ½ cups of water on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.ON STOVETOP IN A VESSEL: Cook ½ cup of rice with 1 ½ cup of water on medium-low heat until cooked, and let it cool a bit.
- When the rice is little warm, slightly mash the rice with the back of a spoon or your hands.
To Prepare Tempering:
- Heat coconut oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, cumin (jeera), dried red chilies, and saute until dal turns light brown.
- Now add the hing (asafetida), chopped ginger, curry leaves, and chopped green chilies, and fry for a few seconds.
Making Curd Rice
- Once the rice has cooled completely, add whisked curd (yogurt), milk, crushed black pepper, salt, and mix everything well.
- Add milk to avoid sourness when prepared in advance. But do not skip adding milk.
- Transfer the tempering/tadka to the bowl of yogurt rice, add coriander leaves, heavy cream (optional), adjust salt, and mix everything well.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve authentic Yogurt rice recipe, or Thayir Saddam chilled, and enjoy pickle and papad.
Notes
Tips to make the Best Curd Rice
- I like to overcook the rice with some extra water. It makes the yogurt rice soft and creamy.
- Use fresh homemade curd for the best results. Avoid using sour curd.
- Curd rice always tastes best when made with freshly cooked rice than leftover rice.
- Do not add curd to the hot rice else, it will curdle.
- Add milk to avoid sourness if you are preparing in advance.
Variations
- You can also add vegetables like grated carrots, finely chopped raw mango, cucumber, and fruits like grapes, and pomegranates. It adds a nice taste and texture and increases the nutritional value of the dish.
- Use almond milk yogurt, coconut milk yogurt, or cashew yogurt for Vegan-friendly curd rice.
- You can replace rice with quinoa, millets, or keto cauliflower rice.
- Ghee can be substituted for olive oil in the tempering.
Ashwini says
Comforting dish, I must say!
CURD RICE
bhavana says
Thanks Ashwini 🙂