Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Rice

When things do not go according to plan: honestly, the theme of 2020. So let me tell you, dear friend, about a plan I had, a beautiful plan. I was going to make a classic summer Indian dish- yogurt rice with green mango curry. I was going to write up a blog post saying this is the last bit of summer before I unleash white girl autumn. It was going to be glorious; and it was glorious for a moment. I went to the Indian market (do yourself a favor and visit one of these magical stores) and bought amazing ingredients. I cooked the basmati rice to perfection, even Uncle Roger would have been impressed. Then I made this not to be named recipe for yogurt rice. It was awful. Genuinely awful. I was so upset. The pictures were gorgeous, I was so happy… until I took a bite. And then I was sad, so sad. I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to adjust the spices etc. and it only made it worse. But that’s ok! Life doesn’t always go in the direction you plan. It’s all about the pivot (link to friends clip). So that is what this is. A pivot to a glorious white girl PSL version of yogurt rice. Sometimes, usually, when life does not go according to plan, there is something far better waiting for you on the other side. Let’s all try to remember that as we make our way through the dumpster fire that is 2020.

Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Rice

For the rice:

2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed well

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

3 tablespoons butter

3 1/2 cups apple cider

For the apples:

2 tablespoons butter

2 large honeycrisp apples, diced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1/4 cup apple cider

For assembly:

4 cups whole milk plain yogurt

1 tablespoon white sugar

Let’s make yogurt rice! To start: make your basmati rice. In a 3 quart saucepan, add in the rinsed rice, salt, butter, pumpkin spice and apple cider. While uncovered, bring the mix to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a tight lid then reduce until it comes to a simmer. Allow to simmer until all the liquid is gone, about 15-20 mins. Pour the rice into a large mixing bowl. Wipe out the saucepan and add your butter. Once the butter begins to sizzle, add in the apples, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Stir occasionally. Once the apples begin to soften (3-5 mins) add in the apple cider. Allow the cider to reduce until the apples are cooked through and the consistency is syrupy- about another 5 minutes. Reserve one third of the apples off to the side and pour the remaining cooked apples into the rice mixture and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt in about a cup at a time, mixing each time. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness to your liking. I added about a tablespoon of sugar to mine! Top each serving with some of the reserved apples and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice! Enjoy 🙂