Last updated on October 4th, 2019

Curd rice or thayir sadam is an easy south Indian rice dish we make with yogurt and mashed rice. We serve yogurt rice as the last course in south Indian meal with pickle. There are many ways to make thayir sadam and the one I am sharing here is special with tempering. Here is how to make tempered curd rice with step by step photos.

Thayir sadam, daddojanam, mosaruanna, bagala bath are the south Indian names for yogurt rice. Slightly mashed steamed rice, mixed with yogurt tastes just delicious tempered or not. While it tastes wonderful with any pickle, kids would devour this rice potato fry and so do I. Brinjal fry also tastes good with curd rice.

It is a good idea to make curd rice when you have leftover rice. In fact it is one of the best leftover rice recipes to make with minimum effort. Tempering is not a must in this recipe. You can just mix cooled rice, curd, salt and add some peeled shallots and chopped green chilies. This is one more quick version of thayir sadam we often make.

As I have mentioned above there are many variations with curd rice recipe

Temple style curd rice
wedding style thayir sadam
yogurt rice for traveling

There will some very minor changes in the above variations yet the rice will be so different.

How To Make Curd At Home?

Curd rice made with homemade curd tastes far better than the ones made with store bought yogurt. Homemade yogurt is fresh, hygienic and as tat slight tangy taste.

Making curd at home is really easy and quick. All you got to do is boil the milk and let it turn luke warm. Add 2-3 teaspoons of fresh curd or starter and mix well. Cover and keep the milk undisturbed for 8-10 hours.

I have a detailed video recipe for making curd at home if you are interested.

How To Make Curd Rice Step by Step

Pressure cook 3/4 cup rice with 3 cups of water for three whistles. Mash the cooked rice and let cool to room temperature.

Boil 1/2 cup milk and cool to room temperature. Also whisk 1 cup curd very well.

Now mix rice, milk, curd and required salt well with a ladle.

Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, green chilies, curry leaves. You can also add minced ginger if you like.

Add the tempering to the prepared yogurt rice.

Also add grated carrots, pomegranate, grapes. Mix well.

Serve immediately.

Is Yogurt Rice Healthy?

Curd rice is one of the healthiest and complete meal. This rice is often recommended for kids and adults alike. It is an excellent choice of food that is light on tummy, easily digested and very subtle.

yogurt rice is the best food for

growing toddlers and kids
People healing from stomach ailments
People on antibiotic diet
Recovering from fever
Those with digestive problems
Those who wants to cool down the body

Health Benefits Of Curd Rice

Yogurt rice is our savior when we fall sick wit stomach upset, indigestion.

Curd is excellent probiotic and good to consume when we take anti biotic for any illness.

It is a complete meal for babies above 1 year and can be fed without fear especially in India.

Thayir sadam is an excellent summer cooler that cools the body from inside.

Eating rice with thick curd is one of the age old method for healthy weight gain in kids.

Here are some variations you can make with thayir sadham recipe.

Thayir Sadam For Travel

The recipe for thayir sadam for travel is a bit different. If you make curd rice with just rice and curd, it will turn sour in few hours. So while making this rice for lunch box or travel follow the below mentioned procedure.

Cook and cool the rice thoroughly. Boil and cool 2-3 cups of milk to room temperature. Add the cooled milk and 3 tablespoons fresh yogurt to the cooled rice. Mix well and do the tempering.

If you make it in this way, the milk will balance the sourness and rice will take good and fresh even after hours.

Temple Style Thayir Sadam

This recipe comes close to the thayir sadham you get as prasadham in many Vishnu temples. Temple style curd rice has a hint of ginger and peppercorns and has red chili in tempering.

Boil and cool 1 cup milk.Whisk 1/2 cup fresh curd well. Cook and mash 3/4 cup rice well. Mix the rice, milk and curd very well.

Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, minced ginger, green chilies and dried red chili, curry leaves.

Add this tempering along with required salt and mix well. Usually fruits are not added in temple curd rice.

Wedding Style Yogurt Rice

Thayir sadham in weddings have become a rage these days. The rice served in weddings is more rich, colorful and creamy. Here is how you make it at home.

The secret ingredient behind wedding style creamy yogurt rice is salted butter. The proportions remain the same s mentioned in the recipe.

Just add 2-3 tablespoons butter along with milk and curd. Mix well.

While tempering the rice, add 3 tablespoons finely chopped cashews and almonds. You can also add crushed peppercorns for more flavor.

Curd Rice- Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions answered regarding thayir sadham.

Can We Heat Yogurt Rice?

This rice should not be reheated. Reheating will cause curdling and the rice will separate from curd. Not only does it affects the taste, also it is not healthy and may cause stomach upset.

How To Prevent thayir sadham Rice From Becoming Sour?

Make thayir sadham only with fresh curd. If not serving immediately or packing for lunch just use 2 tablespoons fresh curd and add around 3/4 cup for one serving of yogurt rice. This will prevent curd rice from becoming sour.

Is Curd Rice Suitable For Babies?

We usually start babies with yogurt rice once they are 8 months old. To be on the safer side it is better to start when they are one year old. Always consult with the doctor before starting babies with new food.

Why Should we not eat Yogurt rice at night?

According to Ayurveda curd when eaten at night causes mucus development. It is especially not advisable to eat curd at night if you are prone to cold. However you can dilute the curd and eat it with rice at room temperature.

Tips To Make Best Curd Rice

Always use fresh thick curd. Sour curd will totally break the flavor of this rice.

I like to add grated carrots, grapes and pomegranate while making this rice. You can also add chopped cucumbers, apples. While tempering you can fry mor milagai too.

The rice should be cooled as we should not add curd to hot rice. It will upset the stomach.

While adding the curd to rice, keeping mixing it with ladle to ensure proper mixing.

Use sesame oil for tempering for nice flavor.

Yogurt rice becomes tight and hard on cooling. So if you serve this a while after making add some milk or curd and mix well just before serving.