Indian Curd Rice with Tadka
Indian Curd Rice with a spiced ghee tadka is the most creamy and comforting dish to spruce up that leftover rice in the fridge. It tastes extra decadent with whole-milk Greek yogurt and with a side of potato fry and mango pickle.
Ingredients
- ½ cup basmati rice uncooked
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger freshly grated
- 1 fresno or Thai chili finely chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts preferably with skin on and toasted
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons ghee or butter
- ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5-10 curry leaves
- cilantro as garnish (Optional)
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- If you are starting with cooked rice skip this step and proceed to step 2! Rinse ½ cup basmati rice in a bowl. Use your hands to swish the rice around and help release the starches which will rise to the top of the water. Drain the starchy water and repeat this process until the water is nearly clear while rinsing. Add rice and 1 ½ cups water to an Instant Pot or rice cooker and cook on the rice setting for 10-12 minutes. We intentionally add excess water to yield a rice that is slightly “overcooked” and is easily mashable.
- Grate 1 ½ teaspoons ginger using a microplane or finely crush ginger using a mortar and pestle.
- Chop 1 fresno or Thai chili.
- Dry toast ¼ cup peanuts on the stovetop on medium heat. Constantly stir until peanuts are golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt while the peanuts are still warm.
Main Steps
- Transfer cooked rice to a bowl and allow it to cool. Add 1 cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup whole milk, and ½ teaspoon sea salt to the rice and lightly mash and mix rice with other ingredients.
- Make ghee tadka: In a small saucepan heat 3 tablespoons ghee or butter on medium heat. Add ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the ghee and sauté for ~1 minute or until the seeds start sizzling and popping in the ghee. Add grated ginger and chopped chilies and sauté for another 30 seconds or until the ginger gives off its aromatic scent. Add the 5-10 curry leaves which will pop in the oil and immediately turn off the heat.
- Pour the tadka over the yogurt rice and thoroughly mix. Taste the yogurt rice and add additional salt to taste.
- Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and toasted peanuts and enjoy.
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Notes and Tips
- Curd rice goes great with mango pickle as well as masala roasted potatoes.
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