Alex Arson's Tribute to the Tribe – Mosaranna
Curd Rice (contains recipe for perfect rice)
Disclaimer Welcome to intuitive cooking. These recipes are to unleash the chaos in you. No measurements, just vibes
In my last Tribute to the Tribe, I said I'm an amalgamation of the communities that raised me. Kannadigas are one of them. I spent the major chunk of the pandemic in a small town in Karnataka. I wasn't used to the cuisine there, having never eaten so much palm oil in my life before. Small restaurants use palm oil instead of coconut oil like most home cooks would. It gave me acid reflux that still lasts today.
Anyway, the first week after settling in my new apartment, I got food poisoning. I was unable to cook and the caretaker of the building I was living in made me curd rice. She said it will calm my stomach. Up until then I hated the idea of curd and rice, it seemed like a sensory nightmare but she insisted and I'm a people pleaser so I ate it. I don't think anyone's ever been glad to be a people pleaser because that dish changed me.
It has been a comfort food for many years now. I even convinced my Bengali parents to try it and now they love it too. Every time I eat it, I'm transported back to that moment when effectively a stranger showed me such gentle kindness when they could have just walked away.
This recipe is for you, Vinutha di. May it forever bring the warmth and comfort you brought me that day.
Ingredients
- Rice
- Water
- Pressure cooker
- Curd
- Salt
- Curry leaves
- Black mustard seeds
- Mustard oil
- Pan for tadka
Instructions
- Wash your rice 3 times or until the water runs clear.
- In the pressure cooker, add the washed rice.
- Now I'm gonna give you measurements for the perfect rice, at least by Indian standards. Add just enough water so when you dip your index finger in it, the water level should be along your second knuckle of your index finger.
- Put the lid on.
- Cook it on low flame and wait for 2 whistles.
- Turn the gas off and let the pressure release on its own. Do not release it forcefully.
- Before you take out the rice, FLUFF IT!
- In the pan add some oil and let it heat.
- Now add salt, curry leaves and mustard seeds and let it sputter.
- Add this tadka directly to the curd and let it cool a little.
- Mix it with the rice and enjoy your curd rice.
Write to me at alexarson@skiff.com