Back in school, we were dubbed the “curd rice brigade” because the last layer of our tiffin-box was always filled with this dish. We wore the label like a badge of honour!
Folks from other parts of the country wonder about this fixation with curd rice among South Indians. The culinary preference is both cultural and influenced by geography. Most parts of the south are sweltering hot throughout the year. Only a person in these climes will know the solace in a food that is cool and agreeable.
Curd rice’s appeal is in its simplicity. All you need is rice and curd. That is enough for a complete meal that is filling, tasty and easy on the stomach. When it comes to add-ons with curd rice, there is an entire platter. It can be as basic as a pinch of salt set aside on the plate. With each fistful, you dab a bit of salt, for that added relish!
Curd rice with pickle is a South Indian’s comfort food! While some insist “lemon pickle” goes best with it, others vote for gongura. And some drool the moment they think of avakai. How do you explain vadu-maanga to someone outside the country? Maybe, you can say, you marinate tiny raw mangoes in a spicy syrup for months and what emerges is vadu-maanga!
And when you take a bite of this raw mango and top it with copious curd rice, you will be in seventh heaven!
Curd rice is often dressed with a tempering of oil, mustard and slivers of chilli. With a sprinkling of coriander, pomegranate and grapes, it is a sure-shot success in any potluck event! When packed in lotus-leaf bowls, it gets an added aura and is called Daddhyonnam! You may have a gourmet meal in a five-star restaurant. The South Indian’s meal is incomplete till he comes home and ends with his curd rice.
The craving for curd rice sometimes assumes extreme proportions. Indian students in the western world used to struggle to find authentic curd rice. The closest was fruit-yogurt sold in tiny boxes in the college-vending machine. On one occasion, I emptied a dozen yogurt boxes from the vending machine. Watching this spectacle, a woman could not contain her curiosity. “What are you trying to do,” she questioned, all puzzled! I mumbled, “This just happens to be my dinner,” and shot out of the place!
We have no doubt that curd rice has its pride of place in world cuisine. It can hold its head high, compete and win many a culinary battle.
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