Creamy Bagalabath Recipe (Dahi Bhat)
This Creamy Bagalabath (curd rice) is a tastebud adventure! It's the classic Indian yogurt rice (dahi bhat, thayir sadam, you name it!) with a fruity twist. Think fluffy rice, creamy yogurt, and a burst of flavor from fresh fruits and spices. Endless customization options make it perfect for a light, healthy, and fun family meal!
Author: Sheeba
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- a handful of curry leaves
- 12 cashews chopped
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 2½ cups yogurt
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup grated carrot
- ½ cup grated apple
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
STEP BY STEP IMAGES
Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!
Instructions
Cook Rice
- Rinse 1 cup of rice and add 2¼ cups of water. Cook in the instant pot or rice cooker for 12 minutes. If using pressure cooker, wait for a whistle, reduce flame and cook for 10 minutes.
Mash Rice
- Mash the cooked rice with a ladle or a potato masher.
- Boil 1 cup of milk and add 1½ teaspoons of salt. Slowly add it to the rice and mash again. Keep aside to cool.
Make curd rice tadka
- When the mustard seeds start popping, add 2 dried red chilies and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger. Roast for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in a handful of curry leaves. Add about 10 to 12 chopped cashews and 1 tablespoon of raisins. Stir until the cashews start turning brown.
- Keep the tadka aside and let it cool down.
Add yogurt and mix-ins
- Once the rice cools down, add 2 cups of yogurt. Mix well until you get it smooth without lumps.
- Prepare ½ cup each of pomegranate seeds, grated carrot, grated apple, and 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Add them to the curd rice along with the cooled tadka.
- Mix all the ingredients well. Add ¼ to ½ cup more yogurt as necessary. The dahi bhat should be creamy and easy to scoop out.
Video
Notes
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- Type of rice: I have tested bagalabath with all types of rice and found white, regular-sized rice to be the best suited for this recipe. I use Indian parboiled rice but any white rice (like Jasmine rice) is fine.
- Yogurt: You can use either homemade or store-bought.
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- Milk: Regular whole milk is fine. You can use skimmed milk if you prefer that. I would advice you against full-fat milk, though many recipes recommend that. There won't be much difference in taste, and the excess fat and calories are not worth it.
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- Fruits and vegetables: I've used pomegranate, apples and carrots. You can use others like grapes, strawberries, grated pears, and cucumbers.
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- Nuts and dry fruits: Cashews, almonds walnuts, peanuts, raisins, cranberries, dates, anything works here.
- Mashing the rice: Do not mash the rice all the way to a paste. You don’t want your dahi bhat to look and taste like baby food. Mash until you can no longer find full grains of rice.
- Adding milk: This is another secret to a creamy thayir sadam. When you add hot milk and mash again, the rice becomes even creamier.
- Adding yogurt: Add yogurt AFTER the rice has completely cooled down. Exposing curd to heat will cause it to separate and turn lumpy. Also, rice tends to absorb a lot of moisture and dries up over time. If you’re not serving the curd rice right away, make sure you reserve some yogurt to mix in just before serving.
- Scaling: This recipe can be easily multiplied to serve more or fewer people.
- Make ahead: Dahi bhaat is best eaten fresh. You can store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days. Add more yogurt before serving. It is not suitable for freezing.
- Storing leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge and use them up within a day or two.
