Mosaranna, South Indian Curd Rice
Healthy, easy to cook, and packed with traditional flavours: Mosaranna (curd rice) is a cooling combination of fluffy cooked rice, cooling yoghurt, and a crunchy, spicy, tempering.
As one of the most in-demand comfort dishes of South India, it unites the southern states. Although the dish goes by many names (Mosaranna in Karnataka, dahi bhaat in Maharashtra, daddojanam in Andra Pradesh, and thayir saadam in Tamil Nadu) and may vary slightly depending on the region and family, they each have remarkably similar ingredients and methods.
There’s a reason mosaranna is such a crowdpleaser: Rich in probiotics, it’s famously good for digestion. Plus, during the blistering heat of Indian summers, the cool, refreshing flavour offers much-needed respite. That’s why the dish is eaten cold, just like chitranna (lemon rice).
Loaded with authentic South Indian flavours, curd rice is topped with crispy urad dal, sharp and spicy mustard seeds, ginger, citrusy curry leaves, and fiery dried rice chilis, plus bursts of juicy tart pomegranate.
🍚 Ingredients for Mosaranna
If you cook South Indian dishes regularly, you’ll have all of these ingredients to hand. If not, no problem — a trip to your local Indian market will have everything you need and more.
The ingredients for dahi bhaat can be split into two categories: base ingredients to make the creamy rice, and ingredients for the tempering.
- Rice is, of course, the main ingredient of mosaranna! You’ll want to choose a fragrant, short-grained variety like sona masoori and ambe mohar.
- Yoghurt adds so much creaminess and a slightly sour tang to the rice. Use natural set yoghurt or Greek yoghurt for the best taste.
- Milk adjusts the consistency of the mosaranna — you can use water instead if you prefer.
- Salt is a must for seasoning the rice and enhancing the other spices.
- Groundnut oil (peanut) is mild and surprisingly neutral, with an almost indiscernible nutty undertone. It’s used for making the tempering.
- Black mustard seeds are spicy and punchy.
- Split urad dal is nutty and deliciously crunchy when fried.
- Ginger is warm and slightly pungent. Grated fine, it works its way through the whole dish.
- Curry leaves are a MUST. They have a delightful citrusy flavour that’s impossible to replicate. Always use fresh ones; dried ones are almost tasteless.
- Dried red chillis bring a touch of heat. You can adjust the fierceness depending on which variety you use; byadgi chillis are the most popular.
- Asafoetida tastes of garlic and onion. It’s an excellent way to add those flavours while making curd rice WITHOUT onion and garlic (great for Jains!).
- Fresh coriander lifts the mosaranna with fresh, herby, and lemony flavour.
- Pomegranate is scattered over the top as a garnish and offers bursts of juicy tartness.
🔄 Mosaranna Variations and Allergies
One of the best things about dahi bhaat is how much fun you can have with the ingredients!
I adore the classic, traditional flavours in this mosaranna recipe. But why not switch things up with a few of these suggestions?:
- Add grated vegetables such as carrots, beetroots, cucumber, bell peppers, or onion to mosaranna. It adds colour and nutrition to the yoghurt rice — plus, it’s a great way to work in extra veggies.
- Want extra spicy mosaranna? Add freshly chopped green chillis for a more fruity kind of heat.
- Add butter and cream with yoghurt and milk to make the curd rice UNBELIEVABLY creamy.
- Increase the crunch factor by adding nuts. Try adding halved cashews or peanuts at the tempering stage.
- Make the dahi bhaat healthier by substituting rice for quinoa, cauliflower, or brown rice.
Plus, it’s easy to adapt mosaranna to align with various dietary requirements and preferences. For example, to make curd rice vegan, switch dairy-based yoghurt and milk to a vegan version. I recommend soy milk and yoghurt — it has a neutral flavour and creamy consistency. Alternatively, make curd rice with homemade peanut curd (very popular in India!) for a more distinctive taste.
Luckily, curd rice is 100% nut free and soy free by default. Moreover, to make mosaranna gluten free, use gluten-free asafoetida (most brands blend pure hing with gluten).
🧑🍳 How to Make Curd Rice
Making restaurant-standard, drool-worthy mosaranna is shockingly easy — especially if you have leftover cold rice already made. Even if you don’t, there’s less than five simple steps involved:
- Cook the rice using the absorption method (rinse the rice, add water, and gently cook until the rice absorbs all the water). For mosaranna, the rice should be slightly overcooked.
- Mash the rice using your hands or a dal ghotni (read more about this utensil in my guide to Indian cookware) and let it cool.
- Mix the yogurt and milk into the rice along with salt to taste.
- Temper the rice by heating oil in a small tadka pan and adding all the ingredients. Pour the tempering over the rice, mix well, and garnish.
As you can see, making mosaranna requires very little hands-on cooking and is incredibly easy to make, even for beginners.
Nonetheless, the recipe card below has more detailed instructions, so you can avoid any mishaps.
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💡 Tips to Make the BEST Mosaranna
Yes, mosaranna might be easy to make — but I’ve still got some expert tips to offer that will streamline your road to success!
- If you can, use leftover rice. This significantly reduces the prep time since the rice needs to be cold before the yogurt, milk, and tempering are added.
- Use homemade yogurt for the most authentic flavor. In India, most home cooks make homemade yogurt — for good reason. Homemade curd has a beautiful fresh creaminess that can’t be compared to storebought.
- Serve mosaranna chilled for the absolute BEST effect. Although you can eat curd rice right after mixing your tempering, it tastes unbelievable when it’s been left to chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.
🥡 How to Store Mosaranna
Provided it’s stored in an airtight container, mosaranna (curd rice) can be refrigerated for up to four days.
However, I don’t recommend freezing curd rice as the texture will become unpleasant.
🌶️ Side Dish for Curd Rice
While mosaranna is inviting enough to eat straight from the bowl, I love serving some basic accompaniments to make the dish even more impressive.
My personal must-have side dishes for curd rice are crispy fried or roasted papad (poppadom). Basic urad papad is my go-to, but rice, sabudana, or even semolina papad are just as delicious.
Furthermore, why not go all out and choose a tangy pickle dish too? Raw mango pickle, lemon pickles, garlic pickles, or carrot pickle are all mouth-wateringly good!
✨ This Mosaranna Recipe Is:
Mosaranna, South Indian Curd Rice
Easy and simple mosaranna is made from soft rice mixed with curd, tempered spices, and fresh garnishes. It's a South Indian comfort food.
Ingredients
- 120g Sona Masoori Rice*
- 250ml Water, to cook rice
- 300g Natural or Greek Yoghurt
- 50ml Milk
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Groundnut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Split Urad Dal
- 1/2 tsp Ginger, grated
- 6 Fresh Curry Leaves
- 3 Dried Red Chillis
- Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
- 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander (Cilantro)
- Fresh Pomegranate Arils, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the rice**. Begin by thoroughly washing the rice until the water runs clear. Once washed, add to a saucepan along with 250ml water and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on medium-low flame until all the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy (around 15 minutes).
Alternatively, use a pressure cooker and cook for around 4 whistles.
We want the rice slightly overcooked for mosaranna. - Mash the rice. While the rice is still hot, use your hands or a dal ghotni (read more about this utensil in my guide to Indian cookware) to mash the rice. After mashing, let it cool.
- Mix the yogurt and milk into the rice. Once the rice is cool, add it to a large bowl, Mix in the yogurt, and milk to adjust the consistency, and salt to taste. You can add more milk/water as it suits you.
- Temper the mosaranna. Heat oil in a small tadka pan over low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop add the split urad dal, grated/finely chopped ginger, fresh curry leaves (these spit, so be careful!), dried red chillis, and hing. Mix well, and once the split urad dal turns golden, remove it from the heat.
- Mix everything. Pour the tempering into the curd rice and mix everything well.
- Garnish the curd rice with freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) and pomegranate arils. Cool in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Notes
* Use any aromatic short-grain rice, such as sona masoori, ambe mohar, or ponni rice.
** Optionally, use leftover rice to save time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 693Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1692mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 5gSugar: 20gProtein: 35g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
