Mild Cucumber Lunchbox Curd Rice

A 10-minute cold lunchbox rice using already-cooked, safely chilled rice. Contains milk and mustard; rice cooking and chilling are additional.

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Original Kitchen Handi quick school/gym recipe. Packing and storage guidance is included in the method. Image is AI-generated.

Ingredients

• 300 g cooked rice, cold; safely chilled and within 24 hours of cooking
• 200 g plain yogurt, pasteurised, chilled
• 80 g cucumber, finely diced
• 1 tsp oil
• 0.25 tsp mustard seeds
• 4 leaves curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander, chopped
• 0.25 tsp salt

Step-by-step method

1. Start with cold cooked rice that was cooled quickly, ideally within 1 hour of cooking, kept refrigerated and is still within 24 hours of cooking. The stated 10 minutes excludes cooking and chilling rice; do not use rice left out overnight.
2. Wash the cucumber and dice it finely. Mash the cold rice lightly with a fork to loosen clumps; do not warm it for this recipe.
3. Whisk chilled pasteurised yogurt until smooth. Mix it with the rice, cucumber, coriander and salt.
4. Warm oil in a small pan on medium-low heat. Add mustard seeds and cover loosely until they pop; add curry leaves carefully and switch off the heat, about 1 minute.
5. Let the small amount of tempering stop sizzling, then stir it into the rice. The finished dish should remain cold; return it to the fridge immediately.
6. Divide into two sealed lunchbox containers. Check milk and mustard allergies and school rules. Pack in an insulated bag with two frozen cold packs and keep at 4°C or below until lunch.
7. Eat within 24 hours of the original rice cooking time, including time before making this dish. Discard uneaten packed rice. If reliable chilling cannot be maintained, choose another lunch.