Cool Yoghurt Rice with Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves and Pomegranate

Finish. In big saucepan or rice cooker, mix rice, butter, 3 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Put a lid on and bring to boil, next reduce to a simmer and cook till rice is tender, around 20 minutes. Heat oil over a high flame in slope-sided pan (if you have one wok, use it; if not, use little saucepan), just enough to coat bottom by 1.3 cm while rice is cooking. Add curd chiles when oil shimmers. Toss continually till a deep gold, 15-30 seconds. Keep to one side to tip off the liquid. Discard all but two tablespoons oil plus return to heat. Add mustard seeds and mix to coat in oil when oil shimmers. Add asafoetida, cumin, and curry leaves when seeds start to pop. Fry till aromatic, around 10 seconds, next remove from heat. Add cooked rice to spice oil and mix well if using wok. Otherwise tip plus blend spice oil in pot of cooked rice. Mix in yogurt and add salt till it tastes right. Serve in little bowls using pomegranate seeds, cilantro sprigs, plus a couple curd chiles in order to garnish. Spice Hunting: Curd Chiles.