An easy Raita Recipe that is refreshing and delicious. You can try this recipe to serve in lunch or dinner with other traditional dishes.
The word ‘raita’ initially appeared in print in the 19th century. It is derived from the Hindi language.
The word raita in Hindi and Bengali language is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit word rajika or the Hindi Word ‘rai’ which means black mustard seeds and ‘tiktaka’ which means pungent or sharp.
Raita is a side dish famous in South Asian Cuisine. It is considered an essential part of a meal and people love to have it in lunch and dinner.
Yogurt is the basic ingredient of raita and it is seasoned with salt and pepper. Vegetables or herbs are added to give a delicious flavor. It is famous in Asian countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India.
It is included in every meal and tastes great with traditional dishes such as Meat, BBQ, Biryani, Pulao, or vegetables.
There are a lot of raita recipes which include vegetable raita, boondi raita, mint raita, and many others. There is no strict rule to make raita. You can always make your kind of raita and add it to your dinner table to inspire everyone. Fresh yogurt is always the best choice for raita to provide it a perfect taste. It is a very simple dish that everyone can make easily. Even kids also like to make different kinds of raitas at home to enjoy their meal.
Quick Page Guide
Origin of Raita
It is believed that raita originated from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. It is used in almost all the regions of these countries and is a must-have side dish on every occasion. People try different recipes of raita with different meals to satisfy their craving for raita.
Variations of raita:
There is a huge range of raita recipes and people love to be innovative in making raita. Here are some of the most common recipes of raita to make your dining table alluring.
Mint Raita
This is a very simple type of raita. Coriander leaves, mint leaves, and green chilies are ground together into a smooth paste and added to fresh yogurt to make mint raita. Salt, black pepper, and a bit of all spices powder are added into the mix and the delicious mint raita is ready.
Onion raita
As the name shows, the basic ingredient of this raita is the onion. Finely chopped onion along with herbs and spices is added to curd to make this raita. You can try this onion raita recipe and enjoy it with your meals.
Ghiya Raita
Take crushed ghiya and boil it until tender. Strain and let it cool down. Add it to the yogurt with a handful of onion and spices. Garnish with coriander and mint leaves and serve chilled.
Cucumber raita
The cucumber raita recipe includes diced cucumbers and a handful of chopped onions mixed in the yogurt. Salt and black pepper are also added to enhance the taste.
Vegetable raita
This raita has no restricted recipe. People add their favorite vegetables in yogurt along with salt and black pepper. You can add tomatoes, onions, cabbage, green chilies, potatoes, and gourd according to your choice.
Zeera raita
It is the simplest kind of raita. Roasted jeera is added to the yogurt with a bit of salt and this refreshing raita is ready.
Boondi raita
Boondi is fried droplets of batter. The batter is made of chickpea flour that is called ‘besan’. You have to take out the fried droplets and keep them aside. You can keep them in airtight jars for months to use them in raita whenever you want. Take some boondies and soak them in water for an hour to make them soft. Softly press them to strain the water and add them to yogurt. Add some salt and pepper, your boondi raita is ready. The Boondi raita recipe is made with a lot of variations. You can also add some chopped onions and tomatoes along with boiled potato chunks to improve flavor. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve cool.
What to serve with raita?
Raita is a side dish to compliment different foods. You can add a lot of dishes to your menu along with different types of raitas to impress your guests.
- Mains: Beef pulao, chicken biryani, mutton karahi, Dum qeema, and Khageena are some of the dishes which need raita as a side dish.
- Bread: Aalu Paratha, naan, and plain paratha can be served with the meals
- Vegetarians: Jeera aloo, palak paneer, beans, and mongray are some vegetables that compliment raita
- Appetizers: Pakoray, samosas, potato cutlets, and chili bites will go well with raita
- Desserts: You can serve zarda, fruit trifle, rabri, or shahi tukray in desserts
How to make Raita with no fuss
To make raita delicious and refreshing, you can follow these tips while preparing raita;
- Always use fresh yogurt to make raita as it will provide a perfect taste and texture
- Beat the yogurt well before adding ingredients
- Wash your vegetables thoroughly before adding in the mix
- Chop your vegetables in small cubes to look appetizing
- Keep it in the refrigerator to cool before serving
- If you want to store raita in a refrigerator, keep it in an airtight box
FAQ:
Q: What does raita taste like?
A: Taste of raita varies according to the ingredients used in raita. It is usually salty and served cool with hot meals.
Q: What does raita make of?
A: The basic ingredient of raita is yogurt and vegetables and spices are added to enhance the flavor
Q: What is the meaning of raita?
A: Raita is an Indian side dish consists of yogurt that contains a refreshing taste
Q: Is raita healthy?
A: Yogurt is the main ingredient of raita, which is rich in protein and doesn’t contain unhealthy fats. It is very helpful in digestion and weight loss. It will be a perfect choice to add to your meals for better digestion and a refreshing taste.
Q: How to store raita?
A: Use chilled yogurt to make raita and keep it in the refrigerator. You can keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you keep it for more than 3 days, it will go bad.
Q: Is raita same as tzatziki?
A: Raita is made of plain yogurt while tzatziki is made of Greek yogurt. Tzatziki is thicker while raita has a thin consistency. Raita includes yogurt with onion, cucumber, and spices while tzatziki is a mixture of cucumber, garlic, oil, kosher salt, lemon juice with yogurt.
Raita Recipe Step by Step
For making this vegetable raita, you need to take half a kg of fresh yogurt. If you don’t take fresh yogurt, your raita will lose all its flavor.
The yogurt must be chilled as it will make your raita smooth and refreshing. Whisk it well and add tomato, onion, and green chilies. Mix the ingredients once and then add salt and black pepper.
Add chopped mint and coriander leaves at the end. If you don’t like mint flavor, you can simply skip this ingredient. Add all spices powder at the end and put it in an airtight container.
Keep it in the refrigerator to let it cool completely. Your scrumptious raita is ready to serve. This is such a refreshing and delicious treat to have with your meals.
Try this raita recipe at home and serve it to your guests and family to make them pleased.
This recipe is really easy to make and can be easily made by beginners. It will surely make your food digestion better and you will feel light and fresh even after having your favorite meal to your fullest.
Any dinner table is surely incomplete without scrumptious and refreshing raita. So, try making different recipes of raita in combination with different kinds of food to enjoy the real flavor.
Vegetable Raita Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/5 kg Yougurt
- 1 Onion (Finely Chopped)
- 1 Tomato (Sliced)
- 1 Green Chilli (Finely Chopped)
- 1 Cabbage Chopped (a handful)
- Salt to Taste
- 1/2 tbsp Black Pepper
- Corriander Chopped (a handful)
- Mint Leaves Chopped (a handful)
- 1/2 tbsp All Spices Powder
Instructions
- Take a bowl and add fresh yogurt to it.
- Yogurt must bechilled before use.
- Whisk the yogurt well with a hand beater.
- Add onion, tomato, and green chilies.
- Mix well.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Add coriander and mint in last.
- Mix it well andgarnish it with all spices powder.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Serve cool.
- Delicious vegetableraita is ready