Pakhala Bhata

Ingredients

• 300 g short-grain rice
• 1.2 litres water for cooking
• 800 ml cool water for soaking
• 150 g plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 20 g ginger, finely chopped
• 1 lime
• a handful of coriander leaves

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice and boil it in the 1.2 litres of water for about 15 minutes until very soft, then drain it.
• Spread the drained rice out on a tray and let it cool completely.
• Tip the cooled rice into an earthen or glass pot, pour over the 800 ml cool water, cover loosely and leave it at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Steps

1. Uncover the pot and check the rice: it should smell gently sour and the water should look cloudy.
2. Break up any clumps of rice with your fingers or a spoon.
3. Whisk the yoghurt with a little of the soaking water until smooth, then stir it into the pot with the salt.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it just smokes.
5. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves and let them crackle for twenty seconds.
6. Pour the hot tempering straight over the surface of the rice.
7. Stir through the chopped ginger and green chilli.
8. Squeeze over the lime and scatter on the coriander.
9. Serve cool, with fried potato, fried aubergine or fried fish alongside.