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Basmati Rice with Ginger-Seasoned Yogurt

rice with yogurt and ginger

Yamuna Devi offers an extensive selection of rice dishes, and though I have owned The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking for many years I've yet to try every recipe in the rice section of her book, let alone all of the recipes calling for rice throughout. I'm happy to have some inspiration to look forward to. Certainly a staple from this most favored book is this creamy rice made with yogurt. Because it is not spicy, it's an ideal tempering dish to go along with fiery dishes. It's best served chilled, meaning you can prepare it ahead of time to go along with a more elaborate meal.

On the menu with:
Fennel-Flavoured Urad Dal Soup
Aloo Gobi

Basmati Rice with Ginger-Seasoned YogurtBasmati Rice with Ginger-Seasoned Yogurt
Recipe by
Adapted from Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking
Cuisine: Indian
Originally published on April 12, 2008

Simple chilled white basmati rice with ginger-seasoned yogurt folded in — a cooling and refreshing side dish for spicy meals

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:
  • 1 cup white basmati rice
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup plain yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
  • 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated (1 teaspoon)
Instructions:

  • Rinse the rice well in a small strainer. Soak the rice in the water for 20 to 30 minutes or overnight. Drain, reserving the soaking water, and let the rice air dry in a fine-meshed strainer for 10 to 15 minutes.

  • Bring the reserved soaking water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes.

  • Add the ghee or butter and salt, and gently mix with a fork. When the rice has cooled to room temperature, gently fold in the yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream and ginger. Can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 4 side servings

basmati rice with ginger seasoned yogurt
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7 comments:

  1. Peter MApril 13, 2008 at 8:30 AM

    I think this rice would pair well with a fish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Valerie Harrison (bellini)April 13, 2008 at 3:54 PM

    The idea of serving the rice at room temperature of cold intrigues me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. NeenApril 13, 2008 at 8:26 PM

    It's so easy to look at the rice section my the Indian cookbooks and think, "rice, bah. I know how to make rice. Who needs this fancy shmancy stuff when we're going to have all the elaborately spiced main courses?" Well, as you note, it makes a hellova difference to have a delicately flavored rice side instead of something that could have come out of a riceroni package. Okay, okay, maybe that rice chapter shouldn't be so neglected after all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. mădălinaJanuary 26, 2009 at 6:05 AM

    wow. I can imagine all the flavors. they sound fantastic:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. StephanieJuly 13, 2014 at 9:05 AM

    Hi Lisa, Can you explain the reason for soaking the rice and then using the soaking water? I have looked it up and couldn't really find a good answer. Thanks! Peace, Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lisa TurnerJuly 13, 2014 at 12:24 PM

    Hi Stephanie; Soaking the rice helps the tender grains absorb some water before cooking. The reason you want to keep the soaking liquid for cooking the rice is to preserve valuable nutrients and flavors that are present in the soaking water.

    ReplyDelete
  7. StephanieJuly 15, 2014 at 8:14 PM

    Thanks for the explanation. I made this today and I loved it. Very unique and delicious. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, I really appreciate your blog! :) Peace, Stephanie

    ReplyDelete