Yogurt Rice for it is hellish hot

And a Vegan Potato Burger

We interrupt our regular schedule of biweekly posts for two announcements - firstly, a recipe for yogurt rice because it’s hot as hell and secondly, to help you prep for the July 4th weekend.

Next week’s post is about the Vegan Potato Burger. It will come out on July 2nd, two days earlier, so vegans and vegetarians don’t feel neglected during the BBQ weekend.

Oomphed Up Yogurt Rice

Yogurt Rice before mixing

When my taste buds are overworked and it gets too hot to cook, I need yogurt rice. It’s a zippy meal because all it takes is mixing some room temperature white rice (leftover is great), plain yogurt and salt. It’s a soothing meal because you feel the waves of coolness travel down your esophagus into your stomach, giving you instant respite from the heat.

But since I have invited you all to come over, I will jazz up the yogurt rice with tadka of black mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts and whole dry red chile pepper. The tadka makes the yogurt rice worthy of serving for company. It’s a low effort, high reward meal that may not necessarily impress your guests, but it makes them happy.

RECIPE - YOGURT RICE

Serves 1 or sometimes 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover room temperature or cooled down white rice

• 1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon unroasted, unsalted peanuts

• 1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 10-12 curry leaves

• 1 dry whole red chile pepper (Guajillo, Arbol or Guntur chile pepper)

Method

• Combine 1 cup rice, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl light enough to eat out of.

• Pour yogurt over the rice, no need to mix yet.

• Heat 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat in a tadka pot or the smallest pot you have.

• Let it heat for a minute or two and add peanuts. In 3-4 minutes, they will start browning.

• Do not skimp on this step, we want to roast the peanuts till they become

  caramelly brown. Otherwise, they get stuck in teeth while eating, a deeply unpleasant experience.

• Fish out the peanuts with a spoon and pour them over the rice.

• Return the oil and tadka pot to medium heat.

• After a minute over medium heat, add ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds.

• Listen to the sweet sound of tadka.

• Once the popping stops add curry leaves and dry red chile pepper. Allow the chile pepper to turn dark and turn the heat off.

• Pour the tadka over the rice and mix well.

• Eat or serve right away for the yogurt rice starts drying up with time. Add a teaspoon or two of water to moisten the rice if you find it dry.

  

Stay tuned for Vegan Potato Burgers next week. What do you like to eat in this hot weather?