Iyengar-Style Curd Rice Recipe: Dahi Annam or Daddojanam Recipe

Curd rice is the ultimate comfort food and whether it's Iyengar-style curd rice (also called Dahi annam, Daddojanam, temple curd rice, etc) or Iyer-style or any other style for that mater, it's the food that I crave the most when away from home for an extended period of time. Like now. I have been quiet the past few days because I am in Tokyo on work and while I absolutely love this city, the Japanese food and culture, and the great shopping, on day 5 I started missing a good bowl of curd rice and pickles. Just typing this is making my mouth water!

Curd rice is the greatest example of the simplest of ingredients coming together to create a quick, refreshing, and utterly comforting meal. While I don't insist on ending every lunch with some curd rice like TH does, a good plate of rightly spiced, tempered, and salted curd rice really makes me a happy person. It's also a great meal if your stomach has not been well or the weather is very hot. Curd rice has soothing and cooling properties, and is easily digestible. So not only is it a great option for those days when you don't want to cook and go "let's just eat curd rice today", it's also good for days you are feeling blah or a bit unwell.

This Iyengar-style curd rice recipe is from TRS Iyengar, a popular wedding caterer in Chennai who obviously makes a mean Iyengar meal and for whom I am sure curd rice is child's play. My mom makes it in a similar manner except for the addition of ginger. Since I don't like biting into ginger pieces in my food, I finely grated and added it on but you can go either ways depending on your preference.

While a good spicy pickle is an ample side for curd rice, I made some vazhakkai roast (without the coconut and adding the peels as well) and we had it with potato chips. Comfort food at its best!

I have also shared curd rice with vegetables and pomegranates curd rice recipe before so do check out them. For more of my favourite comforting meals check out this easy sambar sadam recipe I make in the rice cooker, lemon rice of course, and this coriander rice which I haven't made in so long but have made many times to great results.

IYENGAR-STYLE CURD RICE RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Serves 2-3
Recipe source: TRS Iyengar

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cooked rice, mashed when still hot and set aside to cool
1 cup thick yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1-2 dry red chillies, torn into pieces
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dal (ulutham paruppu)
1/4 tsp chana dal (kadalai paruppu)
1/2 tsp grated ginger
A pinch of hing (perungaayam)
A few curry leaves
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oil and add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop, add 1/4 tsp of urad dal and 1/4 tsp chana dal. Let it fry until golden brown.

2. Now add the hing, red chillies, ginger, and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds and turn off the heat.

3. Mix the 1 cup curd with 1/2 cup milk and beat well. You can also add water instead of milk. Add the tempered spices and dals into the curd mixture.

4. Add the mashed rice to this and mix well, mashing more as you go. If the mixture is too thick, add water generously. Also add salt at this stage.

The rice will keep absorbing the water as you mix and as it sits so add more water/milk as you go. The curd rice should be loose in consistency.

Serve with lime pickle, mango pickle, or anything else you have at home. Some sort of poriyal also goes really well with curd rice.

For curd rice recipe in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, etc please use the Google Translate button in the sidebar.

Capsicum Rice Recipe - How to Make Capsicum Masala Rice

I know I just shared recipe for tawa pulao and this is yet another rice recipe but I haven't been cooking anything new for a few weeks and these recipes are from the deep dungeons of my archives! I tend to try different recipes with rice over the weekend mainly because it's so easy to make a one pot dish over weekends and use the rest of the time to relax and laze around. Spiced masala rice types also store well and leftovers tend to taste better the next day so that really helps too.

In all honesty, after putting in the requisite 45 mins into this dish, I didn't end up liking it that much but TH really liked it. He's usually not a big fan of South Indian rice dishes like tamarind rice and lemon rice but this, he liked. So that's surely a good sign and probably you'd like it too. It's a bit more work that I normally like to put into a rice recipe so I adapted the original recipe quite a bit to suit my cooking style (read: using the smallest amount of effort possible).

The list of ingredients for capsicum masala rice is fairly long but you would have most, if not all, of them in your pantry already. The only thing I had to buy is the capsicum and I decided to use a bit from red, green, and yellow capsicums. I always have raw peanuts in my pantry but if you don't, and you don't want to buy a bagful for the handful required in this recipe, just skip it or substitute with cashew nuts. Your rice would be a bit less interesting but it's not a deal breaker.

For some odd reason, I really enjoyed pairing this capsicum rice with raw onions. In general, I like to eat raw onions with my rice and curries (it's a habit formed from eating at my uncle's in Alappuzha where they always have fish and so it's always accompanied by thinly sliced raw onions) but this is the first time I was pairing it with something like this and I loved it. A raw onion raita would go fabulously with this masala rice too. Papads are obviously a given, the amount of spices in this calls for that anyway. So, off we go, let's make some capsicum masala rice, shall we?

Oh, and since I mentioned I didn't exactly love this dish, let me share some rice recipes in here that I do love - my MIL's special spinach pulao recipe, my go-to veg pulao recipe, and always, egg biryani.

CAPSICUM MASALA RICE RECIPE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 4-5
Adapted from: Mallika Badrinath's Rice Recipes

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked rice
2 cups of capsicum, cut into small cubes (any colour or mixed)
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
For tempering:
2-3 tbsp of oil
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
1 tsp of split urad dal
1 tsp of chana dal
2 dry red chillies
A few curry leaves
2 tbsp of roasted peanuts
For masala powder:
3 dry red chillies
A small piece of cinnamon
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of split urad dal
1 tsp of chana dal

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fry the ingredients for masala powder in 1 tsp oil until golden brown.

Cool,grind to a powder, and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add all the ingredients for seasoning. Fry until the dals turn golden brown.

3. Add the capsicum, some salt, and turmeric powder. Reduce heat and cook until the capsicum turns softer but still remains its shape. Don't cook to a mush. This shouldn't take more than 7-10 mins.

4. Add the cooked rice to this and mix well. Heat through.

5. Finally add the masala powder and lemon juice. Check for salt and add more if required.

6. Mix well and let it sit for 30 mins for the flavours to mingle. Serve warm with raita or raw onion salad, and papad.

Note:
Make sure to adjust all spices to your taste. This makes a moderately spicy rice so add more or less red chillies to your preference. Take care not to burn the spices and dals in the masala powder or the rice will taste bitter.

Raw Mango Rice | Mangai Sadam | Mamidikaya Annam

I love all kinds of "variety rice" dishes of the South Indian kind, especially puliyogare and Indian coconut rice. When I came across this raw mango rice recipe in Cooking at Home with Pedatha, I was immediately drawn in by the fact that it has both raw mangoes (tangy) and coconut (yum!). Couldn't wait to get my hands on some raw mangoes the next weekend and try this.

Everything I have tried from Cooking at Home with Pedatha has been a success so if you haven't already, I would highly recommend getting a copy of the book. Simple South Indian vegetarian food for the win!

Raw Mango Rice | Mangai Sadam | Mamidikaya Annam

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2-4
Recipe source: Cooking at Home with Pedatha

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice
1 sour raw mango (a medium-sized one that yields one cup packed when peeled and grated)
� tsp of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
For the paste:
� tsp of black mustard seeds
� cup of grated coconut
2-3 of green chillies (adjust to taste)
1 small bunch of coriander leaves
For tempering:
3 tbsp of gingelly oil like Idayam (Indian sesame oil)
� tsp of bengal gram / kadala paruppu / channa dal
1 � tsp of skinned halved urad dal / split black gram / ulutham paruppu
� tsp of black mustard seeds
2-3 of dried red chillies (adjust to taste)
� tsp of hing / asafoetida / perungaayam
A few of curry leaves
3 tbsp of whole peanuts preferably with skin

Instructions:

1. Grind the ingredients 'for the paste' with not more than 2 tbsp water. I left it a bit coarse but you can grind it to a fine paste too.

2. Heat oil for tempering and add the peanuts, urad dal, and channa dal. When they are roasted and turn a golden brown, add the mustard seeds and let them pop.

3. Reduce the flame and add the rest of the ingredients 'for tempering'. Mix once to combine and roast.

4. Add the grated mangoes and the turmeric powder. Mix well and stir for 2 mins.

5. Add the paste and salt to taste. Mix again and stir for another 3-4 mins.

6. Turn off flame, add the cooked rice, mix gently to combine and serve hot with chips, padad, or vadaam.

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I absolutely loved the tanginess and the freshness of this one-pot meal. It comes together in no time and if you have cooked rice handy, it's a super quick weeknight meal that only needs some curd and papad to go with it.

Do let me know if you try this raw mango rice recipe.

Sambar Sadam Recipe | Sambar Rice Recipe (Rice Cooker Recipes)

Sambar rice made in rice cooker is an easy one-pot weeknight dinner for us on many days of the month. I posted a poll on the sidebar a few months back asking if you had a rice cooker or not. More than 70% came back with a yes. Well, I have one too and I hardly ever make anything in it apart from rice, which is inexcusable because there's so much more you can do with a rice cooker.

If you like easy rice recipes, some of my favourite recommendations are - South Indian lemon rice, paneer and peas pulao, and this easy vegetable pulao made in a rice cooker too. 

So I am starting a mini-series in here featuring rice cooker recipes. If you have a favourite, please leave a comment, I'd love to try it.

My rice cooker is a Zojirushi 5.5 cup induction cooker which I bought from Tokyo. Frustratingly, it was more expensive than Amazon and in-store in Singapore but I like to believe it's worth it. It does cook rice perfectly each time and by perfectly, I mean it's fluffy and soft and unlike any other rice I've cooked using any other method. Anyway, more on that in a review soon.

Sambar Rice (Sambar Sadam) in a Rice Cooker

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup of rice
3/4 cup of toor dal, soaked for 30 mins in warm water
1 carrot, sliced
10 green beans, sliced
12 shallots (or 1 large onion)
2 tbsp of sambar powder
2 tbsp of oil
1/2 tsp of cumin / jeera
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of hing powder (asafoetida)
1 stalk of curry leaves
Salt to taste
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
1 + 2.5 cups of water
A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing

Instructions:

0. Soak the tamarind in the 1 cup water for 10 mins. Extract juice and discard pulp.

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin. When the mustard seeds pop and the cumin seeds turn a golden brown, add the hing. Fry for 5 seconds.

2. Add the shallots immediately after and fry for 2 mins.

3. Add the vegetables .Stir to combine well and let it cook for 5 mins until they begin to soften.

4. Top up with the sambar powder and curry leaves.

5. Mix well and let it cook for another 5 mins, stirring once or twice in between. Turn off flame.

6. Wash and rinse the rice and add to the rice cooker bowl...

... followed by the soaked toor dal

... and the cooked vegetables, water, tamarind extract, and salt

7. Mix well and cook per your rice cooker instructions. Mine is an induction cooker so it takes longer to cook the rice than regular rice cookers.

Voila! Rice cooker sambar sadam is ready.

Garnish, mix, and serve hot with curd, chips, and pickle.

Notes:

- You can add vegetables of your choice or none, if that's what you prefer. I like to make it a balanced one-pot meal so I add whatever vegetables I have in hand. The shallots or onions are a must-add though

- Soaking the toor dal helps make it mushier in the rice cooker. Mine doesn't cook dals to a mush so I have to help it along. If you want super mushy sambar rice, add more water and soak the dal longer, or cook in pressure cooker before adding to the rice cooker. That would make the process much longer though, obviously

- You can do the initial sauteeing in the rice cooker bowl itself, once it's heated up. I haven't tried this since mine is an induction cooker and takes a while to heat up. Let me know if you try it this way in yours

- Adding salt to the uncooked rice and dal may make it tougher to cook to a mush. Try adding salt after the dish is done. I will try this next time and see if it makes a difference

Curd Rice Recipe | Thayir Sadam | South Indian Curd Rice

Curd rice needs no introduction to a South Indian. Or maybe any Indian. The most striking thing about being married to a Tamil Brahmin is the addition of curd rice to my daily diet. TH cannot do without at least a spoonful of curd rice at the end of each meal, if we are having rice and curry. He is not very particular about rasam and is fine if I make only one kozhambu and two side dishes but curd is not subject to compromises, ever!

So I always have a good amount of curd in the fridge and proceed to make the next bowl if the current one is depleting. This is extra-advantageous after a long day at work and neither of us feel up to cooking or going out for dinner.

I don't find just curd and rice with pickles a justifiable meal because I feel it doesn't have even nutrition, comforting as it is. So I have a 'fortified' version adding as much vegetables as can be eaten raw. I also make this Iyengar-style curd rice or Daddojanam and Bagala Bath quite often so do check that recipe out too. Quick tip - here are detailed notes on how to make curd at home.

Here's my method of preparing curd rice that I stick to more or less each time we have only curd rice for dinner.

Curd Rice | Thayir Sadam Recipe
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup thick curd / plain yogurt
Half cup or so water
1 grated carrot
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1/2 tsp grated ginger
A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine
A pinch of salt
For tempering:
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dal / ulutham paruppu
A pinch of hing / asafoetida / perungaayam
2 red chillies, torn into small pieces

How to make Curd Rice (Thayir Sadam):

1. Mash the rice with a potato masher. Add the curd and water and mix well.
2. To this, add the chopped coriander and grated vegetables and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds pop, remove from fire and add to the rice. Mix well with salt.

If the consistency is too thick, add some more water / curd. If you keep this for long, the rice will absorb the water and make it thick, so adjust accordingly.

Isn't this so much nicer and prettier than normal boring curd rice? ;) Serve with your favourite pickle like no-oil lime pickle or sweet mango pickle.