Basmati Rice with Ginger-Seasoned Yogurt

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 Yogurt

Recipe by Lisa Turner 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 Print this recipe 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