Traveler’s Yogurt Rice

This recipe comes straight from one of my favorite Ayurvedic mentors Divya Alter. Divya is the founder and owner of Ayurvedic restaurant Divya’s kitchen and Ayurvedic nutrition and culinary school Bhagavat Life in NYC. Planning meals while on the road can become problematic.

The qualities of this dish make it perfect for travel. The friendly bacteria in the yogurt protects the rice from spoiling. Both yogurt and rice are heavy foods, and the heating effect of yogurt balances the cooling effect of rice. Spices are added to support digestion

Cook: 35 minutes (including cooling time)

Makes 2 travel portions | Gluten free

Ingredients

½ cup white basmati rice

1 teaspoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons ghee

½ teaspoon yellow split mung dal (dry, do not wash it)

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small green Thai chile, seeded and minced (omit if you have an acidic stomach)

5 curry leaves

1 ½ cups plain whole yogurt (ideally homemade)

Instructions

Wash the rice well and soak it for 10 minutes; drain through a strainer.

In a 1-quart saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add ½ teaspoon salt and the drained rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 12 minutes, or until the grains are soft. Using a large fork, fluff the cooked rice and let it cool to room temperature by spreading it on a tray or plate.

Heat a 10- to 12-inch pan over low heat and dry-toast the fenugreek seeds until they darken from tan to light brown in color. Add the ghee and continue toasting fenugreek seeds until they turn darker brown, about 10 seconds (toasting in this way lessens the bitterness of the fenugreek). Add the mung dal and cumin and toast for 5 seconds, then add the chile and curry leaves and cook for another 15 seconds.

Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the cooked rice, increase the heat to medium-low, and cook, shaking and stirring gently but frequently with a metal spoon until the rice becomes a little dryer, less sticky, and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.

Cool the rice to room temperature, add the yogurt, and stir well. You might feel tempted to cheer up this creamy white dish with green herbs, but if you are using it as travel food, please resist the temptation because fresh herbs will cause the rice to spoil faster.

FOR FIERY DIGESTION: Omit the chile.

FOR EARTHY DIGESTION: Add 1 or 2 more chiles