Daddojanam is a delicacy which brings me back to the temples of Andhra Pradesh. Simple meal of pulihora(tamarind rice), daddojanam (curd rice) and chakkara pongal(sweet pongal made with sugar or jaggery lentils) and laddoo post pooja or havan served post naivedyam. Simple yet the most tastiest. I loved the small prasad counter at Simhachalam temple Vizag. It was like a feast post darshan. Everything fresh coming out of the kitchen.People would queue for their meal at a nominal price.Temple food is something which brings you closer to Divinity. Whether it is Udupi, Tirupati, Puri or Dwarka. Every place has a special food memory. Also, a fond memory of food at my bestie's place and Hotel Pola Paradise.It was a treat to beat the heat.
Daddojanam and train journey nostalgia
Daddojanam is a common preparation in Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka especially during summers. I was very curious when I saw it first. When we would travel long journeys in trains from Vizag to north, taking >24 hrs you could see people eating fresh curd rice next day. They would add dollop of yogurt, rice and milk before leaving in a tiffin previous night. Next day it would set in the tiffin and it would taste fresh. Simple preparation yet easy to eat during travel. Back then, trains did not have good fresh food on stations and also AC bogies. This would help you beat infections as well as keep your stomach cool.
Why it is good?
You can also use the left over rice with yogurt. I love making curd rice Andhra style and serving it for brunch. Gluten-free and an easy meal when you are hard pressed for time during deadlines. It is also an easy meal for toddlers without nuts. I started giving it as one of the first meals to my baby and it is a go to meal for us one time of the day.
Ingredients
- Cooked rice
- Yogurt +buttermilk/water
- Pomegranate seeds
- Cashews/ peanuts
- Raisins
- Salt as per taste
Tempering:
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Heeng or asafoetida avoid if gluten-free
- Chana dal
- Urad dal
- Curry leaves
- Green chillies( not used during temple naivedyam. Pepper is used)
- Dried red chillies
Instructions
- Cook rice with 1:1.5 cup water ratio. Keep it aside to cool.
2) Add yogurt with some water/boiled milk along with salt. 
3) Add pomegranate seeds (optionally)
Prepare tempering 4) In a pan heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds. Let it splutter. 5) Add curry leaves, lentils, chillies and pinch of asafoetida. 6) Add cashews or peanuts and mix well. 7) Add red chili powder/pepper powder. 8) Remove from flame and add raisins. Raisins tend to bloat and burst so be careful. 
9) Mix tempering to the bowl. 
10) Refrigerate until cool and serve for lunch/dinner.
Curd rice recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup yogurt curd +buttermilk/water
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup raisins
- Salt as per taste
Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Pinch of heeng or asafoetida avoid if gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 green chillies not used during temple naivedyam. Pepper is used
- 2 dried red chillies
Instructions
- Cook rice with 1:1.5 cup water ratio.Keep it aside to cool.
- Add yogurt with some water/boiled milk along with salt.
- Add pomegranate seeds.
- In a pan heat oil,add mustard and cumin seeds. Let it splutter
- Add curry leaves,lentils chillies and pinch of asafoetida.
- Add cashews and mix well.
- Add red chilli powder/pepper powder.
- Remove from flame and add raisins. Raisins tend to bloat and burst so be careful.
- Mix tempering with yogurt rice.
- Refrigerate until cool and serve for lunch/dinner.
Variations
If you love raisins and cashews, add some too. Throw in some pomegranate seeds/fresh anar for some color and crunch. Temper some red hot chillies for that occasional heat in between.
Looking for more pickles ?
- Mango garlic pickle
- Allam avakaya- mango ginger pickle
- Traditional mango pickle
- Instant Tomato pickle/tomato pachadi
- Sweet lemon pickle
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Can curd rice be eaten at night?
According to Ayurveda, it can lead to mucus formation. Hence, many people avoid eating it at night.
Yes .Good for gastritis, helps avoid constipation. Lowers BP and helps your skin glow.
Please share your inputs..