PINEAPPLE RAITA

Raita makes a perfectly easy cooling sauce to cover your delicious spicy Indian dishes and add a touch of creaminess to any meal. I made this simple cucumber mint raita that pared well with my chicken curry dish. Pineapple raita is the perfect condiment to any spicy Indian curry and tastes best when chilled. Other fruit raitas include, Banana raita,  Mango raita, Guava raita, Grape raita, and Pomegranate raita. For best results use thick yogurt since the pineapple is heavy and wet,it will easily dilute the yogurt making it wet and not too delicious. You want the pineapple raita to be creamy and thick to enjoy it even more. For my green onion flat bread I served with a delicious onion raita that blended so well with all the flavors of the flat bread. This pineapple raita is fresh, creamy,spicy yet sweet at the same time. You will not want to eat Indian cuisine any other way or without a raita dip to accompany it!

ONION RAITA

In India raita is usually used to cool the palate especially since most Indian cuisine has a lot of spicy elements. I made my first raita and from then I have been hooked and wanted to try other flavour combinations. Raita is mainly a dip that can traditionally be served as a side dish with biryani, pilaf/pilau seek kabab or even paratha. In today's modern world raita is served as a sauce that goes well with salmon, tacos and even grilled chicken. It has also found its way as a dressing in pasta salads, budhaa bowls and even some salads. Since most of India is vegetarian you will find vegetable raitas like spring onion raita, tomato onion raita, carrot raita, pumpkin raita, potato raita, spinach raita, mint and peanut raita, beetroot raita, boondi raita among others. I had this onion raita with a delicious green onion flat bread that was just perfection in every way. I am looking forward to trying all other raita recipe as I try to eat my way through lovely Indian cuisines!

CUCUMBER MINT RAITA

I'm making more dips and today it's Raita. Raita is a condiment from the Indian subcontinent, made with dahi (yogurt, often referred to as curd) together with raw or cooked vegetables. The main ingredients are Yogurt, buttermilk, cucumber, and mint. Raita has a cooling effect to contrast with spicy curries and kebabs that are the main fare of some Asian cuisines. In Indian cuisine, some type of flatbread may be eaten together with raita, chutneys and pickles.The yogurt may be seasoned with coriander, roasted cumin seeds; mint, cayenne pepper, chaat masala and other herbs and spices. So you can make your Raita as spicy as you want or plain. Dips are great for snacks like Chips/Crisps, Fresh Vegetables and even Indian flat bread. This minty sauce with a creamy yogurt base is a classic Indian side. Cumin and black mustard are fried. This tempering is then mixed with minced, raw vegetables or fruits (such as cucumber, onion, carrot, pineapple, papaya) and yogurt.  Raw ginger and garlic paste, green chili paste, and sometimes mustard paste are used to enrich flavor. Raitas can be prepared with three main base ingredients: vegetables, pulses and fruits. These are mixed with yogurt and flavoured with a variety of seasonings to make different types of raita. There are various variations to the Raita. Vegetable Raitas are: Tomato onion raita, Cucumber raita, Carrot raita, Pumpkin raita, Potato raita, Mint and peanut raita, Spinach raita, Horned melon raita, Beetroot raita, Calabash raita (Bottle Gourd raita), Brinjal raita. There are also Pulse raitas which are: Sprouted green gram raita, Boondi raita, Bhujia sev raita. Finally Fruit Raitas: Banana raita, Mango raita, Guava raita, Grape raita, Pineapple raita, and Pomegranate raita. Raita is served as a side dish to be eaten with main course dishes. Some of the dishes that you can have with Raita are Biryani, Pulav (pilaf), Seekh kabab and Paratha- Indian dishes. Raita can even be enjoyed as a Sauce or dressing though it is not the original traditional way of having it. Serve this minty goodness with some Ugali Fries. Yum!