Raita

[Suvir Saran]

What kind of Raita do you like most?

Where do you find this recipe?

Do you make it at home?

Where is your recipe from?

What kind of yogurt do you use?

[Suvir Saran]

Here are some of my favorite Raitas.

Pachadi ( Raita, tempered yogurt sauce )

This is a raita that makes me think of Southern India.

3 cups yogurt

1 medium red onion, chopped fine

1/2 inch ginger root, chopped fine

1 green chilli (optional) or dry red chilli

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

12 curry patta leaves

3 tbsp ground coconut or dry flaked coconut, optional

pinch of asafoetida

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Whisk the yogurt well until light and fluffy. Add salt to taste and add a pinch or two of sugar, beat to mix well. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a small pan. Put the mustard and methi seeds into the oil and cook till they begin crackling. Add the ginger, asafoetida and the red chilli if you are using it, and cook for an additional minute. Add the curry leaves, the green chillis and onions and cook for a minute more. Remove from the fire and add the coconut.

Pour this tempered onion and spice mix into the yogurt and whisk to combine all the ingredients. Serve garnished with chopped coriander and some toasted cumin seed powder if desired.

[Suvir Saran]

Cucumber Pachadi ( Cucumber in a flavored Yogurt Sauce )

This is also reminiscent of Southern India

2 1/4 cups plain yogurt

1 large cucumber, shredded

2 green chilies, seeded and chopped finely

12 curry leaves

2 tsp. canola

1/2 tsp. heeng (asafoetida)

1 tsp. rai (mustard seeds)

1 tsp. urad daal (white gram beans)

Salt to taste

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth.

Add the shredded cucumber and the green chilies into the yogurt and mix well.

In a small skillet, add the canola and heat over a medium flame. When oil is hot add the mustard seeds, the heeng and then the urad daal and curry leaves. Cook until the daal is golden brown in color.

Pour this tempered oil over the yogurt and mix well.

[Suvir Saran]

Pineapple Raita

Do not add the Pineapple too soon, this makes the yogurt get bitter. Wait till just before serving to add it to the raita.

1 cup finely chopped Pineapple

3 cups yogurt

2 tbsps Sugar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorn

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/4 teaspoon toasted cumin seed powder

Salt to taste

Hang the yogurt in several layers of cheese cloth or a layer of muslin for around 1/2 hour till the water drains off.

Beat the hung yogurt in a bowl and set aside.

Add sugar, and all other spices and mix well.

Add the pineapple in the yogurt just before serving.

[Suvir Saran]

Mixed Raita

A delicious yogurt sauce that can accompany most all Indian meals. It works well for the novice when first indulging spicy Indian curries.

2-1/2 cups Yogurt

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp red pepper powder

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 fresh hot green chilies, finely minced

1 tsp mint, chopped

1 small cucumber, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

salt (to taste)

Dry roast cumin, coriander seeds and pepper till dark and aromatic. Pound and keep aside.

Whisk yogurt with salt and add all the chopped items.

Now add all the masalas and stir well.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Chill before serving.

[AdamLawrence]

Suvir, what sort of yogurt do you use for raitas? I tend to prefer the Greek-style strained yogurts for most cooking applications, but these are obviously much thicker than ordinary stuff, so I wonder whether they would be appropriate.

cheers

Adam

[Suvir Saran]

Adam I make my own or use the Stonybrook farm yogurt since it is easily and readily available everywhere.

I do like using the yogurt you mention. But you will have to add milk or cream to make it to a consistency you like. I actually am not opposed to adding neither. For Raitas tend to get thinner as they sit.

But I do know many people like thinner yogurt.

What is your favorite kind of Raita Adam?

What do you eat Raita with?

[g.johnson]

All these recipes make my raita seem embarrassingly simple. I grate cucumber and onion, squeeze out excess moisture and stir it into the thickest yoghurt I can find. Maybe sprinkle with a bit of ground roast cumin, or paprika if I’m being lazy.

[Suvir Saran]

And gjohnson, your raita is as good as what I remember eating on a daily basis. Simple and delicious. Exactly what we need 99 percent of the time. Thanks for sharing that perfect and classic recipe.

[polly]

I usually make a simple raita with cucumber, mint, coriander, lemon juice and salt.

It ends up being not dis-similar to middle eastern cacik or tzatziki, i suppose.

I can't wait to try some of the posted recipes though, they sound gorgeous.

I remember having the Pachadi when i was little, and staying in southern India.

Ahh... beautiful food memories...

[Suvir Saran]

I remember having the Pachadi when i was little, and staying in southern India.

Ahh... beautiful food memories...

Polly, what was the Pachadi made with?

Do you make any these days?

What do you use in it?

What do you put in your tadka? Or do you even use a Tadka?

PS: Tadka is a perfumed oil. It is used as a finishing garnish. There is a thread in this forum about Tadkas.

[Suvir Saran]

Beetroot Raita

2 medium sized raw beets, grated (yield around 2 1/2 cups shredded beet)

2 cups yogurt, beaten well and poured into a medium-serving bowl

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

1. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the shredded beet into a steaming pan and cover and steam for 3 minutes. Remove from steam and set aside.

2. In a small skillet add the canola and to it add the mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to remove from fire and pour the tempered oil into the yogurt.

3. Add the sugar to the yogurt, mix well and add the steamed beet and chill before serving.