Yogurt rice with chana dal and curry leaf oil

Soaking time: 2 hours to overnight This take on Indian “curd rice” is all at once creamy, hearty, spicy, and comforting. We added egg yolk to the base, an untraditional twist, but it makes it a little more velvety and rich. Eliminate this if you like.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Drain the chana dal, then transfer to a small saucepan with enough water to cover by about 1¼ inches/3cm. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and simmer for 15–30 minutes, until the dal is cooked but still holds its shape. Timings vary depending on soaking time, so test it at the 15-minute mark (adding more time as needed). Drain in a sieve and run under cold water to stop further cooking.

Step 2

2. Bring 5½ cups/1.3 liters of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Keep warm on low heat.

Step 3

3. Put the rice, 2 tablespoons of oil, ¾ cup/180ml of the hot water, and 1¾ teaspoons of salt into a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until most of the water has been absorbed. Continue in this way, adding ¾ cup/180ml of the hot water at a time and stirring often, until you have used up 5 cups/1.2 liters of water and the rice resembles a loose, creamy porridge (it will be overcooked), about 20 minutes.

Step 4

4. Use the back of a spoon to lightly crush the rice grains—you don’t want to mash them completely—then turn the heat down to medium-low.

Step 5

5. Whisk the egg yolk, yogurt, and 3 tablespoons/50ml of the remaining warm water together in a bowl until smooth. Add this to the rice, stirring often, and cook for 7 minutes—until thickened slightly, but still a loose porridge. Thin out with more warm water if needed; it tends to thicken as it sits.

Step 6

6. Meanwhile, make the topping. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Then add the garlic, ginger, and chopped serrano chile and cook for 4 minutes more. Stir in the chana dal, garam masala, ¼ cup/60ml of water, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chana dal starts to brown in places, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and cover to keep warm.

Step 7

7. Wipe out the pan and return it to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil and the dried red and sliced serrano chiles and cook for 3 minutes, until starting to soften but not color. Add the curry leaves and cook for another 45 seconds, until translucent. Stir in the mustard seeds and turmeric and remove from the heat.

Step 8

8. To serve, divide the yogurt rice among four bowls and top with the chana dal mixture. Spoon the curry leaf oil and its solids over the top and serve warm.

Step 9

Get ahead:

Step 10

– Make the rice in advance if you like, but thin it out with a little water when reheating.

Step 11

Make it your own:

Step 12

– Eliminate the chile to make it kid-friendly.

Step 13

– Swap out the chana dal for other pulses or some roasted vegetables.

Step 14

– Substitute the curry leaves with fresh basil or cilantro leaves if you like.