Photograph: Rula Rouhana/Reuters
Raita is one of the tastiest and coolest ways to have your raw vegetables. And Kheera Raita is a most refreshing variety, that totally completes an Indian meal.
This Pahadi or Kumaoni-style raita, courtesy Vidhya Pant, is flavoured, unusually, with mustard seeds.
Vidhya lives in Dehradun, but was born and raised in Ramnagar,
in Uttarakhand's Nainital district. She has lived all over India, calling, at different times, Shillong, Lucknow, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram home. Food is an important part of her life. So is watching recipe reels.
Photograph: Seema Pant
Kheera Raita
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium-sized kheera or cucumber, preferably fully ripe
- 1 tsp rai or black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1-2 green chillies
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric
- 3-4 sprigs fresh dhaniya or coriander or cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- 2 cups chilled yoghurt
Method
- Peel and grate the kheera but discard the pulp and the seeds.
Squeeze out all water.
Keep aside. - In a small frying pan, over low heat, roast the jeera.
Cool and grind with the rai and green chillies.
Add the paste and the haldi to the grated kheera. - Mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Add the salt, yoghurt and the chopped dhaniya.
- Mix well.
- Serve chilled with dal-chawal or puri-sabji.
