Indian Raita recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is Indian raita made of? ›

Raita is a side dish from Indian Cuisine, made with yogurt, spices, herbs, vegetables and sometimes even with fruits. It is an integral part of Indian meal menus. Call it what you like – raita, pachadi, curd dip, or the Indian cousin of Greek tzatziki, this yogurt condiment is healthy and adaptable.

Raita is a side dish from India while tzatziki is a Greek sauce. Both are eaten as dips or as an accompaniment to a main dish. Their consistencies are different. Raita is made with plain yogurt and tzatziki is made with thicker Greek yogurt.

Raita is also sometimes simply called dahi, or "sourmilk", after its main ingredient, particularly in South African Indian cuisine.

Raita can also be deployed beyond Indian cuisine. You can eat it by itself as a savory yogurt snack; you can use it as a marinade for chicken; you can serve it as a side or topping to any hearty dish in need of a light accompaniment—lamb chops, fried things, stuffed breads, roasted vegetables.

Curd or dahi is called yogurt in the United States. Yogurt is a commercialized product that is made from milk that has been heat-treated to kill live bacteria. Dahi is a traditional yogurt that is made from cow's milk, buffalo milk, or goat milk.

Raita is prepared using curd, which is high in protein and low in unhealthy fats. It makes for a perfect aid for digestion and weight loss. Losing weight is not an easy task.

Dahi yogurt is a popular choice for making desserts and savory dishes in Indian cuisine.

Raita is a yogurt-based gluten-free side dish served with Indian meals and is similar to Tzatziki, a Greek yogurt side dish. Cooling raita complements spicy Indian foods such as curries, vegetables, dals, and biryanis. The main ingredients for raita include yogurt, veggies or fruit, and herbs.

It is similar to Greek tzatsiki, a cucumber and yogurt dip or sauce. Raita cools the heat when you eat spicy food. There is some science behind this. The casein in yogurt neutralizes the capsaicin in chilis.

Serve right away or store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Should raita be thick or thin? ›

Add chilled water, a little at a time while mixing gently until you get the consistency you desire. Your raita should be thick and creamy. Chill the raita in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before serving. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Curd, also mosaru or dahi or Thayir or Perugu, is a traditional yogurt or fermented milk product, originating from and popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is usually prepared from cow's milk, and sometimes buffalo milk or goat milk.

In some parts of the country, it is served with Raita, Salan, or a simple Curry. So, read on to learn more about the side dishes that go well with Biryani.

Biryani, a fragrant rice dish cooked with aromatic spices and tender meat or vegetables, can be paired with a cooling raita.

At its core, raita is yogurt that's been mixed with a little bit of sugar, spices, and oftentimes vegetables and other textural components. When done right, raita has an addictive salty-sweet quality to it—it's the cooling foil to all of the hearty, warm spice-laden flavors of many Indian dishes.

Raita can be served as a dip or a side dish. In the latter case, it is easiest to view it as a salad. In India, people snack on raita between courses to cool the mouth, or they mix it first with rice before eating it with a curry.

Raita is a nutrient dense food with high quality protein and it is a potential source of vitamins and minerals. It contains live bacteria such i.e., lactobacillus bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus. 3. These active bacteria act as probiotics known to have positive effects on digestion.