From Curd Rice to Kadhi Chawal: 5 Classic Indian Curd-Based Comfort Foods Of All Times

India is the land of many extravagant curries, rice dishes and breads. And yes, we are a little too generous with our spices too. When it’s time to cook something rich and decadent, we don’t cut corners and give it all the tender loving care it needs (think: exotic spices, nuts, cream). But we also know how to cool off in between these bouts of indulgence. This is the time we resort to our comfort foods. Foods that we have grown up with, foods that are nourishing, soothing and appealing, all at once. In the summertime, a lot of us are looking for curd-based recipes. Here we have collated a few curd-based recipes that have ruled our hearts since time immemorial.

5 Classic Indian Curd-Based Comfort Foods Of All Times:

1. Curd Rice
Also known as Thayir Saddam, this South Indian comfort food is a quick-fix for those untimely cravings that hit you out of nowhere. Easy to cook, easier to tuck into, this lovely recipe is a delightful coming together of all things desi like rice, curd and a bunch of rustic spices. Here’s a recipe you will like.

Curd rice is also known as Thayir Saddam in South India | Photo credit: iStock

2. Dahi Choora Gur
This popular Bihari breakfast is so uncomplicatedly flavourful that you would want to make it again and again. A perfect, desi alternative to your breakfast cereal, this power-packed dish combines the goodness of curd, rice flakes and jaggery. Not only is it cooling, but it is also incredible for your gut. Here’s the recipe.

3. Dahi Aloo
The dish combines two of India’s most favourite comfort foods of all times: potatoes and curd, and the result is a blockbuster. This mild dish made with tossing roughly chopped potatoes in a yoghurt-based sauce is a vrat staple in India too. Pair it with rice or roti, you would be satisfied either way. Here’s the recipe.

4. Dahi Vada
The popularity of this side dish is most evident at a typical North Indian wedding buffet. You may have 25 dishes on display, but at some point, you would have to fret about the dahi vada counter that is either running out of vadas or dahi. This classic dish combines curd that is beaten together with some spices and tangy chutneys. A vada made of lentil is thrown in this spiced curd. Here is the recipe for the classic dish.

Dahi vada is popular among both kids and adults

5. Kadhi Chawal
India has no dearth of kadhi recipes, one of the most beloved ones is where besan and curd and cooked together until it thickens into a super tangy and soothing gravy. Onion fritters are often dunked in this gravy for added flavour and chutzpah. Kadhi is famously paired with rice, and together this combination rules the heart of every desi at every corner of the world. Here’s the recipe.

Kadhi is made with a combination of things, curd being the chief ingredient

Try these recipes and let us know how you liked it.