Curd Rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt
• Vegetable oil
• 10 curd chiles
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 8 curry leaves
• 2 cups thick strained yogurt, preferably at room temperature
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds, fresh or dried
• Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine the rice, butter, 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan or rice cooker. Cover, bring everything up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. As the rice cooks, pour vegetable oil into a slope-sided pan over high heat, using just enough to cover the bottom by 1/2 inch. A wok is ideal here, but a small saucepan works too. Once the oil is shimmering, add the curd chiles and keep them moving until they turn golden brown, 15-30 seconds. Transfer them to drain.
3. Pour off the oil until 2 tablespoons remain, then put the pan back on the heat. When the oil shimmers again, add the mustard seeds and stir so they are coated. As soon as they start popping, add the asafoetida, cumin and curry leaves. Cook just until fragrant, about 10 seconds, then take the pan off the heat.
4. If you used a wok, add the cooked rice directly to the spice oil and stir until combined. If you used another pan, pour the spice oil into the pot of cooked rice and mix it through. Stir in the yogurt, season with salt to taste, and serve in small bowls topped with pomegranate seeds, cilantro sprigs and a couple curd chiles.