Yogurt rice

Yogurt rice (or curd rice) is one of the most popular dishes in South India.  I get the sense from my research that some families eat it almost every day.

There are a million different recipes for yogurt rice.  I like Raghavan Iyer's simple recipe, which goes something like this:

• Whisk yogurt and salt to taste.
• Saute mustard seeds on medium-high heat until they pop.
• Add raw split, skinned black lentils (cream colored) and let them quickly brown.  (These, to me, are hugely important for their crunch and nuttiness.  They make the dish.)
• Take off heat and add curry leaves and chopped green chilis and cilantro.
• Soon thereafter (so things don't burn), add the saute to the yogurt and mix.
• Stir the yogurt mixture into cooked basmati rice. 

Other recipes include garlic, ginger, pomegranate seeds, coconut, cashews--the list goes on and on.  I typically throw in a pinch of asafoetida with the lentils. 

Strangely, but indubitably, this dish is best at room temperature.