Author Notes
Raita is a yogurt side dish made throughout India, differing in preparation from region to region. This is a South Indian version I learned from my mother, made with radish, coconut, fried spices, and curry leaves. It's spicy and sweet and you can eat it with roti or flatbread, rice or just by itself. To watch a video version of this recipe, go here: http://abcdsofcooking.com/2010/02/my-first-cooking-video-radish-raita/ —Chitra Agrawal
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Ingredients
- For the raita:
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4
radish, grated in large shreds
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1/2
plum tomato, chopped
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2 tablespoons
frozen fresh grated coconut, thawed
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16 ounces
plain yogurt
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Salt, to taste
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2 tablespoons
fresh cilantro, chopped
- For the tempering spices:
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1 teaspoon
safflower, canola, or sunflower oil
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1 pinch
asafoetida or hing
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1/2 teaspoon
black mustard seeds
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3
fresh curry leaves
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1
dried red chili pepper
Directions
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In a medium bowl, combine the radish, tomato, grated coconut, and yogurt.
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To prepare the spices, in small pan on medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. When oil is hot, add the asafoetida and mustard seeds, then shake the pan up and cover.
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When mustard seeds start popping, turn the heat down to low and add the curry leaves and red chili (be careful not to burn yourself). Mix everything with a spoon until coated well with oil; the curry leaf should be crunchy but not burned.
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Pour this oil mixture into the yogurt. (To get all of the oil out, I usually put a spoon or two of the yogurt into the oil pan and then pour it back in with the rest of the yogurt.) Add salt and mix thoroughly.
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Garnish with cilantro.
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