Raita Recipe |
Ingredients: |
350 g English cucumber (about 3/4 medium cucumber or 1 1/2 cups unsqueezed cucumber gratings) 2 teaspoons mustard seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 10 tablespoons or about 2/3 cup plain yoghurt 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Green Masala (refer Indian recipes) Pinch turmeric 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (optional) 5-6 torn or lightly crushed curry leaves (fresh or dried) 1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) |
Method: Peel the cucumber lengthwise, leaving thin strips of skin for a ‘zebra’ effect. (The skin enhances the color of the dish). Line a bowl with a muslin cloth of double thickness. Grate the cucumber into the muslin, gather the cloth together and squeeze out most of the juice. Put the gratings in a bowl. Pound the mustard seeds in a mortar until very fine. Remove and set aside. Pound the cumin seeds in the mortar, leaving slightly coarse. Mix with the mustard seeds. Add the yoghurt to the grated cucumber and mix thoroughly. Add the salt, Green Masala, turmeric, mustard powder, crushed mustard and cumin seeds, and mix well. Add the curry leaves and coriander and mix in thoroughly. Reserve in the fridge for 30 minutes, allowing the yoghurt to absorb the flavor of the spices. Serve as an accompaniment to most curries, dhals, rice, and so on. Raita is best prepared with the creamiest part of the yoghurt (on the lid and edges of the container). In place of mustard seeds, simply add 2 teaspoons mustard spread. Thicken Raita with extra yoghurt. Alternative: use carrot gratings instead of cucumber, or the two combined. |
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