Authentic Raita

Raita is a delicious Indian yogurt condiment and dip designed for as a perfect accompaniment to spicy dishes. Raita helps to balance heat and add a soothing contrast to rich curries, biryanis and grilled meats. Today I've got an authentic raita recipe made the traditional way!

The word raita in Bengali and Hindi originates from a blend of the Sanskrit term rajika or its Hindi derivative rai (pronounced "ra-ee"), meaning black mustard seed, and tiktaka, which means sharp or pungent. I've seen a lot of raita recipes that don't use black mustard seeds or mustard oil but this one does. I think that's why this dip has such a wonderful depth flavour to it. This recipe is from the chefs at Penny's Hotel in Potts Point. This pub is known for two dishes: potato scallops or potato cakes and its dahl and accompaniments. There are many Nepalese chefs in the kitchen and this was a collaboration between the kitchen team and honestly it was so good that I had to ask for the recipe!

Tips For Making Raita

1 - Mustard oil or mustard is an essential part of raita. Mustard oil can be found at the Indian grocery store where you'll also find cumin seeds.

2 - Raita is usually made with full fat yogurt but low fat yogurt also works nicely. It won't have that traditional, creamy mouthfeel but it will still be cooling and delicious.

3 - If you like your raita tangier, feel free to add more lemon juice. Try it with the amount specified at first then add more if desired.

4 - Raita keeps for up to 5-7 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

• Recipes That Pair Well With This Raita
• Channa Dahl
• Chicken Biryani
• Authentic Beef Vindaloo
• Healthy Vegetable Vindaloo Vegan
• Sri Lankan Devilled Prawns Isso Thel Dhala

Raita

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 20 minutes steeping time

Cooking time: 5 minutes

• 75ml/2.6flozs mustard oil

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, around 300g/10.6ozs

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 500ml/1.1lbs Greek yoghurt
• 25ml/1floz lemon juice
• 8 fresh mint leaves (optional), sliced
• Salt and pepper to season

Step 1 - In a small pan, heat the mustard oil to 180C/350F and add the cumin seeds, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Place the saucepan in a metal bowl of ice cubes and water to hasten this process.

Step 2 -Grate the cucumber with a micro plane coarse grater. Combine the grated cucumber with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Drain the liquid and the squeeze the cucumber in a sieve or through a few paper towels to remove any leftover liquid. Add the strained cucumber and yogurt to a large bowl. Add the oil and cumin seeds and lemon juice. Add mint leaves if using. Season to taste