The French drop a dollop of spicy, garlicky rouille in the center of fish soups. It perks them up. Well, this is its Indian incarnation, a quick version of the southern Yogurt Rice, perfect for placing in the center of not only the preceding Cold Cucumber Soup, but all manner of bean and split pea soups. I like to serve the soups in old-fashioned soup plates, which are shallower than soup bowls. This way the dollop of garnish stands up and is not drowned.

　　

Ingredients

makes enough garnish for 6¿8 servings

　　1 cup cooked rice

　　1/4 cup cold milk

　　1/4 cup plain yogurt, lightly beaten

　　Salt

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole black or yellow mustard seeds

　　10 fresh curry leaves, if available, or 5 basil leaves, torn up

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　

Step 1

Sprinkle the rice with about 2 tablespoons of water and heat through, covered, either in a microwave oven for a minute or in a small pan. While still hot, add the milk first and then the yogurt. Mix. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, checking to make sure it is properly seasoned.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a small pan and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the curry leaves and then the cayenne. Now pour this mixture over the yogurt rice. Stir to mix.

　　

Step 3

Put a generous dollop in the center of each soup plate.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.