Raita is a very soothing dish, cooling for the body and facilitates digestion. It is recommended to serve with 1 – 2 cups of cooked rice and becomes a very satisfying meal to have in the evening. In Āyurveda, it is said to evoke a good night sleep. Recommended for all constitutions. For kapha imbalances such as coughing, running nose, etc., use this dish in moderation.
Carrot Raita
Preparation time – 10 minutes
1 serving
Spoon measurements are always heaped unless otherwise stated.
Ingredients
½ cup/130g full-fat plain yogurt
½ cup/125ml filtered water
¼ cup/25g carrot, finely grated (tightly packed)
¼ tsp ginger, finely grated
⅛ tsp fine rock salt
Voggarane
1 tsp coconut or peanut oil
⅛ tsp mustard seeds
⅛ tsp cumin seeds
5 fresh curry leaves
pinch turmeric powder
Preparation
1. Whisk yogurt for 1 minute, add the water, whisking until well combined – set aside.
2. Grate the carrot and ginger using the finer side on a box grater/ parmesan grater.
3. Stir into the yogurt, add the salt – set aside.
Voggarane
4. In a small pan over medium heat, heat oil, add mustard seeds; when the seeds turn grey and pop, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder – fry for 30 seconds, swish or stir the pan to allow the spices to fry evenly.
5. Turn off the heat, add ¼ cup of thinned yogurt to voggarane pan, swish or stir and add into remaining yogurt – mix well.
Serve
With 1 – 2 cups white rice.
Variation
- Add ¼ tsp lemon juice.
- Replace carrot with grated cucumber.
- For buttermilk consistency, reduce yogurt to ¼ cup.