Raita with Greek Yogurt

Everyone’s aflame over Greek yogurt these days, although it’s just yogurt that’s been drained of excess water.  The result is a heavier, more nutrient rich yogurt.  You can take any yogurt, hang it in cheesecloth from your kitchen tap, and several hours later, you have it.  Problem: getting all that yogurt off the cheesecloth…

It’s easier to buy the stuff.  Different brands have different tastes.  Some are odd and chalky, others creamy and delicious.  So if you try one, and don’t love it, try another brand.  It is worth your time to find one you really like.

While many like their yogurt sweet, I prefer it savoury, served as a side or even a main dish for a light meal.  This one takes just a few minutes to prepare, although there is a bit of waiting time.

1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter you can buy in a jar)

½ teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon mustard seed

6 curry leaves (optional)

¼ red onion, finely diced

2 cups Greek yogurt

Heat the ghee in a frying pan, and toss in the cumin seed.  It should sizzle; when it does, toss in the mustard.  These two items take only a few seconds to sizzle, so watch carefully.  As soon as the mustard is sizzling and turning white, smelling much like popcorn, add the curry leaves, then the onion.  Turn the heat down to medium, and cook the onion till it’s golden, stirring occasionally.  Take off the heat, and set aside to cool a bit. 

Stir the buttery onion mixture into the yogurt.  Let sit at least ten minutes, and stir again.  I served this with chappatties and a ridiculously good roasted red pepper dip that I promise to post about very soon.  Stay tuned!  

Caramelised Onion Raita

When food is too hot and spicy, what do you do?  Lots of people grab the nearest glass of water, and all that does is spread the heat molecules around your tongue, even faster than they were moving before.  If you need to soothe your burning mouth, go for something milky.  Raita is a sophisticated savoury yogurt based mouth cooler which goes well as a small sidedish. 

The first time I tasted a savoury yogurt dish, I was startled, and didn't like it.  If you're not used to this type of dish, it does take a bit of time to develop a taste for it.  Which is why I also served a sweet beverage that does the same trick, but more about that in an other posting.

Now I like raita in larger amounts at breakfast and lunch, but this recipe makes just a little.  Enough for four ladies celebrating a birthday, who generally like just a little raita to douse the flames.  Four very sophisticated ladies, I might add.

I was already caramelising these items, so reserving a smidge for the raita was super easy.  I’m giving the amounts here as though you’re only making raita, but if you need these items for another dish, just go ahead and pinch these ingredients (once cooked) for your raita.

I stole my ingredients from the paratha stuffing that I had just begun.

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter—available inexpensively in Indian grocery aisles)

¼ teaspoon cumin seed

6 curry leaves

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

1 cup chilled plain yogurt

garnish (chopped chives and flowers, paprika, black sesame seed, mint leaves, whatever’s pretty in a savoury way)

Heat the ghee on medium high heat in a saucepan, and add cumin seed.  It should splutter and pale in colour.  Add the curry leaves, and reduce heat to medium.  Add the minced onion, stir and cook till the onion turns transparent, soft and golden at the edges.  Cool till lukewarm. 

Stir into plain yogurt.  I garnished mine with a sprinkling of smoked paprika and spinach leaves.  If I’d had the time, I would have used chives and their flowers too.  

You only need a little to soothe a few scalded mouths!

This buttery and savoury raita will cool an enflamed mouth, and add a nice chilly contrast to whatever was way too hot!  Next up will be that sweet mouth cooling drink.  Children adore that one most, although we four sophisticated types liked it too.

Raita (Flavoured savoury yogurt)

Raita and gobi parathas make a nice lunch!

Raita  (Flavoured savoury yogurt)

Luckily this is very easy and simple to prepare, full of calcium, protein and your best probiotic friends!

½ cup plain yogurt (I use homemade. Find the recipe here.)
1 tiny fresh garlic clove, smashed and chopped to a paste
4 stalks fresh cilantro
dusting of nigella seed, or perhaps paprika, or perhaps both

Raita is often used as an accompaniment to cool down an otherwise spicy hot dish.  The properties of the yogurt sooth a seared tongue.  For a big party, I’ll make several raitas to accompany the meal, each with different spices such as cumin, mint leaves, chilli flakes, or black pepper.  One time I made a raita with lots of fresh green chilli and cilantro, and my poor sister who needed a fast mouthful of raita to cool her mouth, grabbed the chilli raita by mistake.  She later claimed that she had to lay in my bathtub, with her mouth under the faucet.  A slight exaggeration, I’m sure. 

At least half an hour before serving, mix the yogurt, garlic paste and chopped cilantro.  Put in a pretty bowl, and sprinkle with nigella seed, and perhaps some paprika.  This makes a lovely accompaniment to any meal, but can also serve as the protein in a light lunch when served with chapattis or my recipe for gobi paratha.