Raita- Indian Style Yogurt

Raita is a yogurt blended with spices and flavoring, which can include chili powder, salt or cumin. A variety of vegetables can also be included such as cucumber, onions or tomatoes. Raita is always an accompaniment to a main dish. There are many varieties of this dish, but it is always a popular flavor enhancer to the meal as well as a digestion aid.

I made raita using the following recipe from The New Vegetarian Epicure cookbook!

Raita Recipe
1 quart plain low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
plent of fresh-ground black pepper

Drain the yogurt in a colander lined with 3 layers of chesecloth for one hour. It should appear grainy, thick, and texture-y.

Place the raisins in a small pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let soak for one hour.

Toast the walnuts for 10-15 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. (You'll know they are ready when you can smell their fragrance!) Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into small pieces.

Peel the cucumber and chop of ends. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and slice out the seeds. Chop the remaining cucumber into pea-sized pieces.

Drain the soaked raisins after the hour has passed. Gently squeeze them in a colander to remove excess water.

Combine yogurt, chopped mint leaves, raisins, walnuts, cucumber in a large bowl. Add black pepper and/or salt to taste!


My variations and comments
I used non-fat yogurt instead of low-fat yogurt as that happens to be what I always buy. I will caution you on the squeezing of moistened raisins. It's like touching very old- yet very moist- wrinkly skin. I admit it's not the most pleasant experience. As for the removing of cucumber seeds, it is much easier than I expected. My only hindsight recommendation- make sure you cut the cucumber evenly into quarters. It just makes it easier to remove the seeds. As for the nuts, I already had whole walnuts in my cupboard, so I had to chop them. Roasted walnuts are easier to chop than fresh walnuts AND a nice, new, sharp knife does wonders! As always, I try to use ingredients that I have around. I thought I had fresh mint, but I didn't. All I had was basil, so I thought "What the heck? Let's give it a go!" All-in-all this dish is fantastic. I had never made it before and I was curious if even I would like it. I love it! It's truly a dish to savor. With the first bite, you will initially encounter the smooth, plain, tart yogurt quickly followed by the crunch of cucumbers intermixed with the savory walnuts and pungent black pepper alongside the soft taste of basil. Your first tasty mouthful ends with the sweet bliss of raisins! YUM! The mixture of flavors are almost indescribable! Enjoy! (Also, I did not add salt, but you can if you like! And- next time around I will be sure to use mint. Although, the basil is still a great addition!)

One final note-after the raita sits in the refrigerator over night, the mixture becomes a little watery (likely from the cucumber.) Stir it before serving and you're ready to go! Also, I did not make a full Indian cuisine (although I kind of wish I had.) I ate raita alone as a snack and also added some whole grain crackers to use the raita as a dip. I know it's not traditional, by any means, but it was tasty!