This interesting yogurt concoction from India is a salad, relish, sauce and side dish in one. It is wonderful as a dip for naan, or when made extra thick, can be served as an alternative to potato salad or coleslaw. Raitas are typically served with spicy Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi dishes to cool the heat.
There are infinite variations of this dish, and you can take them in almost any direction you like. There are mainly three types of raitas, vegetable, pluses or legumes, and fruits. All are made in the same manner using yogurt as the base, with a variety of different spices added.
This interesting yogurt concoction from India is a salad, relish, sauce and side dish in one. It is wonderful as a dip for naan bread, or when made extra thick, can be served as an alternative to potato salad or coleslaw.
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ½ cucumber peeled and seeded
- ½ teaspoon cumin seed
- ½ teaspoon masala powder
- 3 springs fresh cilantro
- pinch of sea salt
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Peel, seed, and dice cucumber. Toss cucumber with a teaspoon of salt and place in a strainer over a bowl for about a half an hour to remove water. This will keep the raita from becoming to watery. Rinse to remove excess salt.
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Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth and creamy.
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Serve with warm Naan Bread
I used full-fat yogurt, but you could use low-fat or Greek yogurt.
Raita can be made with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Here are some examples of other types of Raitas:
Vegetable: Tomato, Onion, Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato, Mint, Spinach.
Pulses: Sprouted green gram, Boondi.
Fruits: Pineapple, Banana, Mango, Guava, Grape.
