BAGALABATH

Serves: 5-6

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients

Rice

yogurt

Raw rice - 250 gms, washed, cooked till very soft and mushy

Fresh thick curd - 2 to 2 1/2 cups (yogurt/dahi), beaten till smooth

Milk - boiled and luke warm, as required

Ginger - 1", finely minced (I grate the ginger)

Mustard - 1 1/2 tsps, soak in 2-3 tbsps water for 10 mins

Cashewnuts - 7-8, broken into small pieces and roast in a tsp of ghee till golden

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely chopped

Tempering/Poppu/Tadka:

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Split black gram dal - 1 tsp (minapa pappu/dhuli urad)

Dry red chili - 2, tear and de-seed

Green chilies - 2, slit length wise

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp (inguva/hing)

Method

1)  Cook the raw rice in enough water till very soft and mushy. When the rice is warm, use a ladle to lightly mash the rice. Immediately, add 1/3 cup warm milk and salt and mix well and allow the rice to come to room temperature.

2)  Place the soaked mustard seeds in a mortar pestle and make a coarse paste. You can use your mixer grinder too if you do not have a mortar pestle.

3)  Add the coarsely ground mustard paste and the thick curd to the cooled, cooked rice and mix well.

4)  Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the black gram dal and allow it to turn red. Add the ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Add asafoetida and 1 1/2 tbsps of chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Turn off heat.

5)  Immediately add this tempering to the curd rice and mix. Adjust salt if required. If the consistency of the curd rice consistency is too thick, add a few tbsps of boiled and cooled milk or water and mix.

6)  Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and roasted cashew nuts. Serve chilled or at room temperature with pickle and chips.

Tips

1)   You can pressure cook the rice upto 3 whistles on high and on low heat up to 2 whistles. For 1 cup rice, use 3 cups water to pressure cook the rice.

2)   If the curd rice is prepared in advance to serving time, add a few tbsps of boiled and cooled milk to the curd rice a few minutes before serving.

3)   You can garnish with fruits of your choice like pomegranate, mangoes or grapes.

4)   The rice will tend to absorb the liquid if its sits for a long duration. The longer it sits, the less moist it gets. Just before serving, add more milk or curd for a nice loose consistency as shown in the image above.

5)   Do not add curd to hot rice.

6)   Do not use your hand to mix the rice since it will become sour if you do not consume within an hour of preparation. Use a ladle.

7)   You can add a tbsp of fresh white butter to the hot rice for a creamy texture.

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About Chef Ramaa shanker

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