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.

Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion chopped as finely as you can (each piece should be only 2-3 mm wide)
- 1 mild green chilli (optional)
- 250 g yoghurt preferably full fat
- 100 ml milk
- salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 Handful coriander leaves, chopped finely
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.
Notes
I LOVE to see your creations so snap a photo and tag deccanbtn on Instagram with the hashtag #Deccan