Thayir Sadam

Otherwise known as Curd Rice. This is a perfect 15 minute lunch recipe, to beat the summer heat – both by staying as little as you can in the kitchen and a light meal to comfort you. 

Written by Feashts

1 serving

Serves 1 people

13 ingredients

Minimal cooking

15 min

Cooking time

Thayir Sadam or Doi bhaath

Doi Bhaath literally translates to Curd Rice. I grew up eating Curd rice while growing up in West Bengal. Summers were not only intense and extremely humid, they were also long lasting. So, my mother would make us Doi Bhaath – a basic mixture of a day old rice, plain yoghurt, cucumber and carrots for texture and coriander leaf for a dash of elegance. This was followed by the standard salt and Sugar. It was not only low effort, but also required my mom to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen.

Soon after, when I turned 6, we moved to the US. There baba, my dad, introduced us to his South Indian friend – Mani uncle. Mani uncle would often invite us in his “bachelor’s pad” to serve us South Indian delicacies – Curd Rice being one of them. In my 6 year old brain, I couldn’t figure out what made Mani uncle’s Curd Rice so much better than my mom’s version. But my mom fortunately asked him – it was the South Indian Tadka! 

The south Indian Tadka which consists of two types of lentils for crunch, mustard seeds for pungency, dry red chilies for more heat, because we love a contradiction and curry leaves which are non-negotiable, elevates doi bhaath to a level that no 15 minute dish should be allowed to. It’s only recently that I came to know this version of “doi bhaath” is actually called Thayir Sadam down south. 

Ingredients

1 cup day old or Cold Rice

1/3 cup plain yoghurt

1/4 cup cucumber [chopped]

3 tbsp carrot [chopped]

6-7 coriander leaves

1/2 tsp salt [add more if required]

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp Toor Daal [pigeon pea lentils]

1 tsp moong dal [Petite Yellow Lentils]

1 tsp mustard seeds [black]

2 dry red chilies

9-10 curry leaves 

Instructions

Last night's rice
Last night's rice
Take around 1 cup
Take around 1 cup
Place it in a bowl
Place it in a bowl
Plain yoghurt/curd
Plain yoghurt/curd
Snapshot_2023-04-24-075344
1/3 cup of Plain yoghurt
1/3 cup of Plain yoghurt
Add the yoghurt to the rice
Add the yoghurt to the rice
Chop you vegetables
Chop you vegetables
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
Into the rice bowl
Into the rice bowl
Chop carrot
Chop carrot
add 3 tbsp amount to the rice bowl
add 3 tbsp amount to the rice bowl
6-7 coriander leaves
6-7 coriander leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sugar
Mix mix mix
Mix mix mix
For the tadka, add 2 tbsp oil
For the tadka, add 2 tbsp oil
To the hot oil, add 1 tsp toor dal
To the hot oil, add 1 tsp toor dal
1 tsp moong daal
1 tsp moong daal
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 dried red chilies
2 dried red chilies
9-10 curry leaves
9-10 curry leaves
heat until the mustard seeds start sputtering
heat until the mustard seeds start sputtering
Pour it into the curd rice
Pour it into the curd rice
Mix mix mix
Mix mix mix
Voila!
Voila!
10/10 Summer Delicacy!
10/10 Summer Delicacy!
  1. You can use leftover rice from the night before or simply make fresh rice and let it cool before preparing Curd Rice.
  2. Take 1 cup of cold/day old rice
  3. To it, add 1/3 cup plain yoghurt, chopped cucumber, carrots and 6-7 coriander leaves without the stem
  4. Add salt according to taste and 1 tsp sugar
  5. Let it sit while you prepare the South Indian Tadka that is the defining characteristic of Thayir Sadam
  6. To 2 tbsp neutral oil, add 1 tsp Toor daal[pigeon pea lentils], 1 tsp moong lentils, 1 tsp black mustard seeds, 2 dried red chilies and 9-10 curry leaves. [Dried curry leaves fine]
  7. Heat the mixture, on low heat, until the mustard seeds start sputtering. This should take around 10-15 seconds. [Do not overcook. The mustard seeds will turn bitter and the lentils will start burning.]
  8. Add the tadka onto the curd rice and mix!
  9. Enjoy yourself a summer delicacy!
Thayir Sadam
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Thayir Sadam

Recipe by FeashtsCourse: MainCuisine: South IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

2

minutes

A 15 minute south Indian lunch recipe, with minimal cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 cup day old or Cold Rice

  • 1/3 cup plain yoghurt

  • 1/4 cup cucumber [chopped]

  • 3 tbsp carrot [chopped]

  • 6-7 coriander leaves

  • 1/2 tsp salt [add more if required]

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 1 tsp Toor Daal [pigeon pea lentils]

  • 1 tsp moong dal [Petite Yellow Lentils]

  • 1 tsp mustard seeds [black]

  • 2 dry red chilies

  • 9-10 curry leaves 

Directions

  • You can use leftover rice from the night before or simply make fresh rice and let it cool before preparing Curd Rice.

  • Take 1 cup of cold/day old rice

  • To it, add 1/3 cup plain yoghurt, chopped cucumber, carrots and 6-7 coriander leaves without the stem

  • Add salt according to taste and 1 tsp sugar

  • Let it sit while you prepare the South Indian Tadka that is the defining characteristic of Thayir Sadam

  • To 2 tbsp neutral oil, add 1 tsp Toor daal[pigeon pea lentils], 1 tsp moong lentils, 1 tsp black mustard seeds, 2 dried red chilies and 9-10 curry leaves. [Dried curry leaves fine]

  • Heat the mixture, on low heat, until the mustard seeds start sputtering. This should take around 10-15 seconds. [Do not overcook. The mustard seeds will turn bitter and the lentils will start burning.]

  • Add the tadka onto the curd rice and mix!

  • Enjoy yourself a summer delicacy!

Feashts

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