A raita is a traditional Indian yoghurt-based dish always on the dining table. It is most often used to cool the spices in biryanis or other dishes. The varieties of raita are enormous and vary across regions and according to the meal. They can be fruit-based, like this mango raita or pineapple raita, or vegetable-based, using any variety of vegetables, either raw or cooked.
In general, a raita has a yoghurt-based sauce and is topped with a tempered component (called tadka; read more here on this technique) that could include any whole or ground spices, garlic, onions, or other herbs.
This raita stands out as it is slightly sweet from the mangoes, tart from the yoghurt and mangoes and delicious due to the caramelized shallots. I always want more.
I pair this raita with the Goat biryani or any biryani or pulav.
This is a volume of classic Indian dishes, both traditional and contemporary. It is a great starter book for those wanting to delve into Indian cuisine and for chefs who want to master advanced cooking techniques. The book covers all the courses: salads, starters, meats and seafood, desserts, chutneys, and snacks. The recipes are well-tested and always turn out well.
For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
Raita:
1-2 very green mangoes, peeled and grated to give about 1 cup of flesh
2 cups plain yogurt, whole fat preferred, whisked till smooth
Salt to taste
1/2-1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut, frozen ok
1 Thai chili, or to taste
Tadka:
3 tablespoons ghee, or olive oil, or a mix
1/2 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
1 small shallot, finely diced
Add the grated coconut and Thai chili to a small blender with 1/4 cup water and blend till smooth. Add it to the yogurt and mix in all the ingredients except those for the tadka.
In a very small pot, or tadka vessel, add the ghee and heat on a medium flame. Add the mustard seeds. They will splutter in about 20 seconds, carefully stir in the shallots and cook till the shallots are lightly browned and caramelized, about 1 minute. Add it to the yogurt and mix in. Taste for salt, sweet and spice and adjust as desired.
Keep chilled till ready to serve.
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