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 carrot and green chilies 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 and add the chopped chilies, minced garlic, chopped coriander, salt and mustard to the cucumber.

2.   Add the  yogurt to the cucumber and mix well.
3.   Keep raita cool in the fridge until ready to serve

How do you make raita?

More raita recipes on my blog are:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.