There are raitas and there are raitas. This is a very simple raita and I love it for its clean taste. It is the perfect accompaniment for an Indian meal and a great fire extinguisher so I always have it to hand if I am worried that my guests may need to cool down their meal. With just a few ingredients, this raita has a subtle but satisfying taste and neither too acidic nor too heavy.
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 20 minutes
You will need:
- One medium red onion chopped as finely as you can (each piece should be only 2-3 mm wide)
- Handful of coriander leaves, chopped finely
- 1 mild green chilli (optional)
- 250g yoghurt, preferably full fat
- 100ml milk
- salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Method:
Dry roast the cumin seeds on a medium heat in a frying pan until they smell fragrant. Grind them to a powder in a pestle and mortar. If you do not have one, grind them in a grinder but you will need to grind a larger quantity which you could save for later. Set the cumin powder aside. Mix the chopped onions, coriander, yoghurt and salt in a bowl. Add half the milk. Adjust the level of salt. If the mixture still tastes very sour, add a little more milk until it tastes like a very mild yoghurt. Sprinkle the cumin powder over the raita and serve with an Indian meal.