Raita is basically a ‘side’ which is usually made with yogurt and vegetables. It pairs well with rice dishes like biriyani and pulav. It is yummy & healthy (with low fat yogurt) and it can also be had by itself without being an accompaniment.
It might seem strange that i am posting the recipe of something that’s so simple and basic. The reason for my posting this recipe is that this is a raita with a small twist. I usually make cucumber raita the simple way i.e. mix chopped cucumber with yogurt, salt and pepper. Last time around i decided to temper the yogurt and see how it turned out. I was pretty happy with the results. I am not sure whether it is a common practice to temper the raita, but it was new to me. So i decided to post it for all the uninitiated souls like me. You can try it out and let me know if you liked it.
Recipe for cucumber raita-
- 1 medium sized cucumber, deseeded and chopped finely
- 1 cup Yogurt
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 Red chillies
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ¾ teaspoon Husked Black Gram (Urad dal)
- ⅛ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida powder
- 2-3 teaspoons Coriander, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Cut the cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and chop it finely.
- Beat the yogurt and milk well.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add the mustard seeds.
- Once it pops add the husked black gram, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida powder.
- Once the urad dal changes colour, tear the red chillies into 2 and add them to the oil.
- Once it changes colour, pour this onto the yogurt mixture.
- Add finely chopped cucumber, coriander leaves and salt to the yogurt mixture.
- Mix well and serve!
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