Yoga Life
Temple-Style Curd Rice
A soft, cooling temple-style curd rice from the Wholesome Living Through Food series — soothing South Indian comfort food.
Temple-style curd rice is a soft, creamy, cooling dish of cooked rice folded into well-whisked curd and finished with a fragrant tempering. Gentle on digestion and calming in hot weather, it's a soothing South Indian comfort food that's easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked rice, cooled and lightly mashed
- 1 cup fresh curd, well whisked (use a 1:2 rice-to-curd ratio)
- 1 tsp salt
- for the tempering: 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 3 dried red chillies, roughly chopped
- 3 green chillies, chopped
- a little finely chopped ginger
- a few curry leaves
- a few peppercorns, crushed
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, for colour)
Method
- 1
Whisk the curd well until smooth and lump-free for a creamy texture.
- 2
Add the cooled, lightly mashed rice and the salt to the curd and mix thoroughly, keeping it soft and gooey (1 part rice to 2 parts curd).
- 3
For the tempering, heat the oil and roast the urad dal until golden, then add the cumin, mustard, dried red chillies, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, crushed peppercorns, hing and turmeric.
- 4
Pour the sizzling tempering over the curd rice and mix. Serve cool.
From the Wholesome Living Through Food series, this is temple-style curd rice — kept soft and gooey with a generous 1:2 rice-to-curd ratio and finished with a fragrant tempering, just as it's served in temples.
Why it's nourishing
Curd rice is cooling, light and easy to digest — a soothing choice in hot weather or when you want something gentle on the stomach. The curd adds probiotics and the simple tempering makes it flavourful without being heavy.
More recipes from Hema Subramanian and The Home Cooking Show →
Frequently asked questions
- What is the right rice-to-curd ratio?
- Use roughly one part cooked rice to two parts whisked curd. That keeps the curd rice soft, creamy and gooey rather than dry — the temple-style texture.
- Why whisk the curd first?
- Whisking the curd until smooth removes lumps and gives the dish its creamy, even texture before you fold in the rice.
References
- Bhagavad Gita 17.8-10 — sattvic food that nourishes life, strength and health · Classical text — The yogic view that wholesome, simple food supports a clear mind and healthy body.