Allergens in Dahi Pakhala: milk, mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 2.
- 2 cups cooked, cooled Riceday-old rice is traditional and better
- 1 cup, whisked Yogurt
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp, grated Gingeroptional
- 1, minced Green Chillioptional
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chillioptional
- a pinch Asafoetidaoptional
- 1/2 Lemonoptional
- to finish Coriander Leavesoptional
- 1 tbsp Neutral Oil
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Real pakhala is rice left in water overnight to ferment lightly, which gives it a faint sourness and, in the Odia summer, a cooling effect. The quick version below skips the overnight step.
- For the traditional version, cover the cooked rice with water and leave it in the refrigerator 8-12 hours, then proceed from step 2. It is fermented on the counter in Odia homes, and cooked rice held warm is exactly the conditions Bacillus cereus wants, so this version moves it to the fridge. It sours more slowly and more mildly there; give it the full 12 hours.
- Serve cold. This is a hot-weather dish and warm pakhala misses the point.
Method
- Put the cooled rice in a bowl, add the water and lightly crush some of the grains with your fingers to cloud the liquid. For the traditional version, this is where you leave it overnight.
- Whisk the yogurt smooth and stir it through with salt, the ginger and green chilli. It should be soupy, not thick; add more water if needed.
- Heat the oil in a small pan. Splutter the mustard seeds, then add the dried chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida.
- Pour the tempering over the pakhala, add a squeeze of lemon and scatter with coriander.
- Chill at least 30 minutes before eating. Serve with something fried and salty alongside; fried fish, badi chura or a simple potato bharta are the usual partners.
Storage
Eat the same day. The fermentation continues in the fridge and it turns increasingly sour after about 24 hours. Do not leave it out of the refrigerator for more than two hours at any point. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Dahi Pakhala (422 g) is about 376 calories, or 90 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 9 g a serving, 9% of the calories
| Per serving422 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 376 kcal | 90 kcal |
| Protein | 8.9 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 58.1 g | 14 g |
| of which sugars | 6.0 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 0.2 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 11.5 g | 3 g |
| of which saturated | 3.4 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 7.6 g | 2 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for curry leaves. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Quick Indian recipes (30 min) · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Odia recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.