Raita"A very popular side dish made of yogurt." India is known to be a country that has unity though there is diversity in its culture; similarly Indian cuisine also has different types of food which cater to the different taste buds. Raita is one such dish. Infact it’s a side dish which is made by blending thick yogurt with either fruits or vegetables along with spices. Some people use it like a condiment while there are others who think it to be more like a salad. The way the ingredients are assorted in a raita create dishes which are either sweet or very spicy. Raita is one such Indian dish which is very common all over the world. A Greek dish called tsatsiki is very similar to the Indian raita. The yogurt that is used is very thick and plain as well as has fat. While making raita strained curd is best to use. The raita can be seasoned with roasted coriander, and cumin powder along with black pepper, black salt, sugar and mint among other things. Raitas can be eaten with anything may it be rice or bread or alone by itself. Making Raita is not difficult as all one needs is thick curd along with vegetables of ones choice which is finely chopped and to it is added some spices. It is important to note that vegetables that have high water content like cucumber should be first sprinkled with salt before it is added to the curd. This is essential for the raita not to turn runny. Raita is always served cold and curd used to make raita should always be fresh. Different variations of raita are onion raita where onion is added to the curd along with spices. Potato raita where boiled potato is added to the curd mixed with spices. Raita can also be made of grated vegetables of ones choice like carrot, onion, cucumber etc. Raita can also be made of fruits like pineapple, mango and pomegranate and this is treated as dessert version but in this spices are not added except a bit of salt and sugar. There are a few things if kept in mind while making raita can be of great help. Salt should never be added before hand in the raita as it turns the curd sour. The appropriate time for adding salt is just 5-10 minutes before serving the dish. Vegetables that have high content of water should not be put in the raita before hand as it gives out water and thus makes the raita runny. Raita made of pineapple should not be kept if left as it turns bad. Raita can be made according to taste but if the spices are kept a bit subdued it enhances the taste of the raita. Raitas are usually eaten with Parathas or rice may it be plain rice or biryanis or pulaos. When the food we have eaten is very spicy taking a spoon of raita helps to soothe the tongue. Thus we can say that Indian food is not complete if a person does not taste raita. |
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