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Curd rice is among the many simply delicious South Indian foods. Despite South Indian cuisine being filled with so many complex and delectable dishes, curd rice, which is a rather simple recipe, occupies a special place. It is a dish that is made with rice, some curd and a dash of spices or tadka within 10 minutes. Generally, mustard seed tadka is the conventional way of giving curd rice its quintessential flavour. Many people undermine the flavours of this dish by simply judging the few ingredients that are used in the preparation. But believe us, you are not ready for the kind of experience curd rice is going to give you. Today we will disseminate six lesser-known facts about curd rice that contribute towards giving its true flavour.
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* Fresh Rice
Curd rice always tastes better when you use fresh rice instead of stale rice. Curd rice is a recipe that is used in the majority of households to avoid wastage of leftover rice. But this doesn't mean that you can make curd rice by using a couple of days old rice. The key to making the most flavoursome curd rice is by using fresh rice which is the one that was cooked a few hours ago. The leftover rice usually is quite hard and not chewy. Even if you are using a day-old rice, make sure that you heat it with some water that helps retain moisture before making your dish.
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* Overcooking rice
Always ensure that you overcook rice before using it for making curd rice. People in the Southern part of India make curd rice with a specific kind of rice, but it's not important to abide by that rule. You can very well make curd rice with the normal variety of rice that is already available at your home. Rice is used for making curd. Rice is generally a little more overcooked than regular rice that we eat at home. This helps in getting the perfect soft texture.
* Avoid Using Hot Rice
Using extremely hot rice to make curd rice is another mistake that people make when making this dish at home. Curd is always very cold and the difference in the temperature will never let the two condiments get mixed up together. This is why the two ingredients need to have a symphony in terms of temperature. Let your rice cool down at room temperature and then use them to make curd rice. The synthesis of curd and rice will be a lot better by following the simple steps.
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* Tadka
There is a right time to add tadka to your curd rice to enjoy the maximum flavours of the dish. For the best experience, you must add tadka to your rice just before you are about to eat your curd rice. Letting the tadka sit on curd rice for a long time will negatively affect the flavours of the dish and also lead to the separation of the three main components that is rice, yoghurt and tadka. So you can make the mixture of rice and yoghurt in advance, but make sure that tadka is added just before consumption.
* Asafoetida
Curd rice is already a digestive recipe and has a multitude of digestive benefits. Adding a bit of asafoetida as well as grated ginger in the recipe can even enhance its digestive benefits. Not only will these two ingredients change the way that curd rice tastes, but they will also enhance the digestive benefits of the dish. It is a simple yet flavourful dish that you can easily consume regularly without feeling guilty.
* Adding Fruits
Adding fruits, especially small fruits like grapes and pomegranates is also a great idea if you want to give some flavourful garnishing to your dish. If you like eating food with a certain hint of sweetness, then there is nothing better than adding a natural source of sweetness like some small fruits. But it is very important to ensure that you only add a very small quantity of fruits because the colliding nature between the citric acid of fruits and the lactic acid of curd may lead to some health problems.
These are some lesser-known, but effective ways to enhance the quality and taste of your curd rice. Small measures like these can make a huge difference in the overall outcome of the way that your dish tastes.
