Chaddannam is essentially cooked rice mixed with curd, sliced onions and green chillies, and then fermented overnight. This Vitamin B12-rich, probiotic dish is served as breakfast on hot summer days as it cools the body.
People from the south and Oriyas have traditionally used to eat Chaddi Annam for breakfast. This dish is prepared by adding hot milk to cooked rice and adding a few drops of sour buttermilk. Left overnight it will ferment and curdle. It is a healthy breakfast idea.
With the passage of time, the Chaddi Annam habit has been replaced by breakfast items like idli, Dosa and Vada. Actually, Chaddi Annam has many benefits, especially for people who live in hot regions like the South.
The name Challa Annam became Chaddannam at some point in time. With some regional variations, mostly everyone in the South eats this Chaddannam for breakfast till the recent past…
The recipe is quite simple. There is nothing special that I can add. However, just as the name changed, the method of preparing this dish also underwent many changes. That is why I thought I should introduce the older traditional version to you.
Go through the tips and you will understand the difference between Curd and Buttermilk.
Tips
Rice:
You can use millet or brown rice in place of rice. But take care that the rice/millet is well cooked.
Curd/Buttermilk:
Read the comments below to understand why. Add a few drops of Buttermilk. Rice will ferment well and become semi-solid like Halwa. This rice contains many Bacteria which are beneficial for the stomach. Thick set curds contain Bacteria which cause fermentation. This Bacteria does not allow the food to be digested quickly. This undigestible curd rice reaches the stomach and mixes with the Acids in the Stomach. This produces heat in the body. The purpose of eating Curd Rice gets defeated. Because it does not give the expected cool comfort to the stomach. If we mix water in the curd and prepare buttermilk, this will help in quick digestion.
Onion:
If pieces of onion are immersed in milk which has been set for making curds. The onion loses its pungency and also will be crisp enough to bite into. It is usually eaten with Chaddannam. But you may avoid it if it is not to your taste.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 Cup Boiled Rice
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Cup Warm Milk
2 tbsp Butter Milk
1 Onion
2 Green Chilli
Salt (As Per taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Add warm water and milk to cooked rice, mix well, and leave aside.
When the rice milk mixture is lukewarm, add a few drops of Buttermilk, onion and Green Chillies. Mix well, cover and leave overnight.
The rice will be set in the fermented milk due to the Bacteria which are good for the digestive system. Mix salt to taste and enjoy the goodness of Chaddannam. Chaddannam is made in an earthen pot
