Raita: Spicy Yogurt Dip with carrots and fresh mint

 

Last Saturday Mr J cooked dinner accompanied by a  delicious banana raita.   So I wanted to make something equally nice but slightly different as an accompaniment for our Sunday dinner.  I made the raita using nearly every herb in my fridge and when we tasted it  - the flavours were amazing.  The freshness of the mint, the aroma of coriander, ginger and garlic together with the hot chillies ....wow..unbelievable flavours!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

3 cups of Greek style yogurt

1 medium freshly grated carrot

 ½ cup of freshly chopped mint

½ inch of fresh ginger - grated finely

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic (minced using a garlic press)

2-3 fresh green chillies finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

1 heaped tsp.English mustard (you can use any similar)

For the tempering:

1 tbsp. rapeseed oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds

Method:

1.   Add the grated carrots, chopped chillies, chopped mint, grated ginger and minced garlic in a bowl.

2. Add the greek yogurt to the mixture, add the salt and the mustard and mix well.

3.  In a separate saucepan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to it.  Once the mustard seeds stop popping, switch off the heat.  Add the oil to the raita mixture and stir.

4.  Add the freshly chopped coriander and mix well.  Allow the mixture to marinade for 20-30 minutes.

5.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.  All the herbs in the raita will add flavour to this fresh raita which can be eaten with any Indian dinner.  It's also a great dip to have with papads.

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Pomegranate raita

For centuries, Indians have been eating the pomegranate.   I can remember eating them in Kenya as a child and being told how good they were for you.  In the UK, at one time you could only get pomegranates in specialist ethnic stores.  However, for the last few years, the Western World has caught on on the goodness of pomegranates and now selling them as a super food.   In Kenya, we used to use the rind of pomegranate as a remedy against diarrhea. The juice was considered to be good tonic for you. 


We all love pomegranates and often add them to salads, shrikands and raitas.  The sweet seeds add an unusual flavour to the dish.


Raita is a yogurt condiment flavoured with  grated or finely chopped vegetables or fruit  with herbs or mustard to enhance the flavour.  In Gujarati  mustard is called "rai".  "So a raita without mustard isn't a raita"  according to my dad and father in law!  I used the ready made  English mustard which is fairly mild. You can add as much or as little as you like.


Raitas are great to have as an accompaniment with any curries.  It's always part of the Gujarati Thali.   It can also be used as a dip for  papadams, bhajias, dhoklas etc.. There are lots of different variations of making raita. Variations of other raita recipes can be found here


Ingredients for Pomegranate raita: 

2 cups of yogurt

salt to taste

1 -2 teaspoons of English mustard ( readymade).

2-3 green chillies cut into small pieces ( use as per your taste)

5-6 strands of coriander

half to one cup of pomegranates( you can add as much as you like...depending on personal preference)

Method:


1.  Transfer yogurt to a mixing bowl.


2.  Add the salt, mustard, chillies, coriander and pomegranates to the yogurt.


3.  Mix well using a fork.


4.  The raita is ready.  Please keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

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Cucumber, carrot and green chillies raita

Raita is a yogurt condiment flavoured with  grated or finely chopped vegetables and herbs or mustard to enhance the flavour.  In Gujarati  mustard is called "rai".  "So a raita without mustard isn't a raita"  according to my dad and father in law!  I used the ready made  English mustard which is fairly mild. You can add as much or as little as you like.  The authentic way is to grind the mustard and add the mustard powder to the raita.  Now this is an acquired taste as too much mustard powder can be unbearable hot!!   A strong mustard can cause the eyes to water, sting your throat and open your nostrils.   I have read that mustard can also cause allergic reactions so just check you or your guests are not allergic to the stuff.

Anyway, raitas are great to have as an accompaniment with any curries.  It's always part of the Gujarati Thali.   It can also be used as a dip for  papadams, bhajias, dhoklas etc.. There are lots of different variations of making raita.  This cucumber raita is the easiest to make.

Ingredients for small serving of raita:

3 inches of cucumber
250 grams of natural greek style yogurt
salt to taste
1 tsp of English mustard
2-3 finely chopped green chillies (use as per your taste)
1 clove of minced garlic
5-6 strands of coriander
pinch of mustard and crushed chillies for garnishing

Method

1.   Grate the cucumber using a coarse grater.

2.   Add the chopped chillies, minced garlic, chopped coriander, salt and mustard to the cucumber.

3.  Add the  yogurt to the cucumber and mix well. 

4.  Keep it cool in the fridge until ready to serve

You can make variations of raita using the same recipe.  For the following recipes, I used cucumber, carrots and fresh green chilllies. 

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