SPECIAL CURD/YOGURT RICE OR THAYIR SADAM - LUNCH BOX RECIPES

     SPECIAL CURD/YOGURT RICE OR THAYIR SADAM - LUNCH BOX RECIPES

           Special creamy curd rice is my all time favorite.I cannot live without curd/yogurt even for a single day. Because I love curd and butter milk, it makes me refreshing. This is my favorite lunch box recipe too during school and college days and best combo to this rice are mango pickle and mor milakai.
           Curd rice can be prepared in a unique style where rice is boiled, mashed, mixed with a thick curd, milk (to lessen the sour flavor of yogurt),butter and salt and then tempered it with a tadka (seasonings) roasted in a spoon of hot oil. Finally garnishing, it vary from region to region and it range from grated carrots, pomegranate seeds, raisins, grapes, grated raw mango and boondi.It can be served lukewarm or chilled. 
         This is a one pot meal, quick to make and easily digestible food recipe and perfect for lunch box.



   Ingredients


          2/3 Cup of Cooked Rice
          1 Cup of Yogurt / Thick Curd
          1/4 Cup of  Milk (Full Fat Milk- Boiled and cooled to room temperature)
          1 Tbsp of Butter
          1 Tbsp of Cashews, Finely Chopped
          Salt to Taste
         
  To Temper

          2 Tsp of Oil
          1 Tsp of Mustard
          1 Tsp of Urad Dal
          2 Red Chillies
          Pinch of Hing
          Few Curry Leaves
          1 Green Chilly, Chopped
          1/2 Inch Ginger, Finely Shredded
          1/4 Cup of  Onion, Finely Chopped
          1 Medium Size Carrot, Finely Shredded
          Few Cilantro Leaves, Finely Chopped


   Method

• Mash the over cooked rice in a masher without any lumps.
• Add curd/yogurt, butter, cashews and salt to the mashed rice. Mix them well.
• Now add milk a little by little while mixing the rice. Add little more milk if needed.
• Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies, wait until it turns dark brown color. Add mustard and urad dal to oil, after it splutters, add curry leaves, hing, green chilly and shredded ginger to it. Saute well for a min.
• Add chopped onion, shredded carrot and chopped cilantro. Saute for 1 min. (Don't overcook for a long time)
• Now pour this seasonings over the curd rice. Mix well.
• Creamy special curd rice is ready.
• Serve with pickle and mor milakai.
• It taste really great if you consumed after 3 to 4 hours.

          

   Tips

• You can add fruits like pomegranate or grapes to your rice.
• Adjust spiciness according to your taste.
• Adding butter gives richness to the dish.
• Please don't add curd/yogurt to the hot rice as it kills the friendly bacteria (Lactobacillus) in curd.
• If you prepared curd rice in advance for lunch box, add milk to the curd as milk removes sourness to the curd. If you eat curd rice immediately after preparation, then there is no need to add milk.
           

   Health Benefits of Curd Rice

• Helps improve the digestion
• Helps strengthen the immune system
• Consuming curd increases the capacity to absorb the nutrients and minerals form other food stuffs
• Especially helpful for those who are lactose intolerant
• Helps get strong bones and teeth as its calcium content is high. It helps fight against osteoporosis.
• Helps minimize the risk of high blood pressure.
• Fight-off unfriendly bacteria that cause food poisoning and travellers’ tummy bugs.
• Eating live food regularly is the most effective way to restore the balance of intestinal bacteria called “flora”