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Garnished with a frilly bunch of cilantro and accompanied by sliced shallot.
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4 from 1 vote

Cooling Raita in 5 Minutes!

An easy, healthy side dish that goes with almost anything you are serving. Make this 4-ingredient cooling raita to fill out a meal or use as a dressing, dip, or use to replace mayo.
Course Condiment, Salad
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 37kcal
Author Alonna

Ingredients

The 4-Ingredient Basic Raita

  • 1 cup plain yogurt ~ Full fat is best, but use what you like.
  • 2 tablespoons onion, shallot, scallion ~ Grated or finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice ~ More to taste
  • salt and pepper ~ To taste

Optional Garnishes

  • 1 tablepoon fresh herbs ~ Cilantro, mint, parsley, or chives coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chive blossoms ~ Torn
  • sprinkling chili flakes

Instructions

  • Gather the ingredients you are using. See Notes for additional options.
    Ingredients gathered and ready for mixing up.
  • Mix all the ingredients together and pop into the refrigerator until ready to serve. Make the raita ahead and serve within 3 days.
    Garnished with a frilly bunch of cilantro and accompanied by sliced shallot.

Notes

Notes to create your perfect cooling raita:
  • For vegan raita, use coconut yogurt.
  • If the raita is too tangy or spicy for you, just add some more yogurt.
  • Elevate the flavors of your raita if using cumin or coriander seeds: toast them and then coarsely crush with a mortar and pestle, or a heavy pan.
  • If you use thick Greek-style yogurt you may want to add a bit of water to thin your final dish.
  • Usually, raita is lightly salted, but salt to your taste.
  • Add the fresh herbs, if using, just before serving.
Optional flavorings:
  • pinch of hing (asafetida)
  • pinch of ground red chili of your choice: Kashmiri, gochugaru, Aleppo, cayenne, etc.
  • 1 to 2 teaspoon finely chopped green chili, Serrano, bell pepper, or Indian chilis
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed or ground cumin seeds ~ See note above
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed or ground coriander seeds ~ See note above
  • 1 tablespoon of oil for added richness and flavor: olive oil, mustard oil, avocado, etc.
  • spice blends ~ a pinch to taste: garam masala, Kerala garam masala, chaat masala, etc.
Optional fruits and vegetables:
  • chopped tomato
  • chopped cucumber, seeds removed
  • cooked or raw grated carrot
  • roasted eggplant
  • cooked potatoes
  • cooked spinach
  • chopped mango
  • chopped papaya
  • chopped kiwi
  • chopped pomegranate

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg