Curd rice (thayir sadam) with pomegranate

Name: Curd rice (thayir sadam) with pomegranate
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 portions

A cooling South Indian rice dish mixed with curd and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves, finished with pomegranate seeds. A gentle everyday lunch that provides calcium and can form part of a balanced diet while trying to conceive.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Portions: 3

Easy
Trying to conceive
Preparing for pregnancy
Vegetarian
Calcium-containing
Quick and easy
Budget-friendly

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Dairy-free alternative: use unsweetened soya yoghurt instead of curd (dahi / plain yoghurt)

Ingredients

For 3 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

200 g rice (chawal), about 1 cup, uncooked
400 g curd (dahi / plain yoghurt), about 2 cups
100 ml milk
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
10 leaves curry leaves
1 chilli green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
50 g pomegranate seeds, about half a small pomegranate

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Cook the rice until soft with slightly more water than usual, then mash lightly while warm.
Step 2. Stir in the curd and milk while the rice is still warm, mixing to a soft, creamy consistency.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add curry leaves and green chilli.
Step 4. Pour the tempering over the curd rice and mix through, seasoning with a little salt.
Step 5. Chill briefly if you like, then top with pomegranate seeds just before serving.

Allergens for your selection

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash vegetables and fruit thoroughly in clean running water before cooking, and use safe drinking water (boiled, filtered or otherwise treated) for cooking and drinking.
Cook eggs, chicken, mutton and fish right through — no pink meat and no runny yolks.
Refrigerate cooked food within two hours (within one hour in hot weather) and keep the fridge at 5°C or below.
Keep cooked rice out of the danger zone: cool it quickly, refrigerate promptly and reheat only once until piping hot.
No alcohol is used in this recipe.

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Supplements and drinks

A daily folic acid supplement is widely recommended before conception and through early pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects. Folate-rich foods do not replace the supplement. Ask your doctor which dose applies to you and follow your national health authority's guidance.
Vitamin D and iron requirements vary with diet, sunlight exposure and health conditions. Ask your doctor whether you need a supplement and follow your national health authority's guidance.
There is no known safe level of alcohol in pregnancy, and most guidance suggests keeping caffeine to around 200 mg a day. Recipes here contain no alcohol.

Sources

Dietary Guidelines for Indians — ICMR — National Institute of Nutrition, reviewed 10 September 2026
Eat Right India — safe and wholesome food — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), reviewed 10 September 2026