Let's admit it, we Indians just love having a bowl of raita on the side along with our meals, don’t we? The yogurt-y goodness deliciously compliments the rich and robust flavours that most Indian dishes have and complete our meals. And with the fresh and decadent winter products that are ready to be gobbled down any moment, we seriously can’t help but make a variety of dishes out of them. And as raita is one quintessential dish in Indian cuisine, why not incorporate the vast array of winter products into refreshing and delicious raita?
Keeping all the delicious winter products aside, let’s talk about the nutritionally gifted and delicious bathua. A specialty in the northern states of India, bathua is a green leafy veggie that is a winter bounty. Available during the winter season, the veggie has numerous benefits to offer when it comes to nutrition. It is fair to compare bathua to any kind of saag as it is also sold in bunches. I first came to know about it when my PG owner mentioned “Beta aaj lunch mein cheel bhaji bane hain” and as usual I gave a backsliding reaction. However, to my surprise, the veggie didn’t taste as bad as I had expected. After some days I came to know that “cheel bhaji” is also known as bathua saag.
As winters are here and bathua saag is already available in the market, why not take maximum advantage of it? Although there are numerous ways of incorporating it into our diets, we have brought before you the easiest- bathua raita. The goodness of bathua and curd combined blesses our bodies with never-ending nutritional benefits.
To make bathua raita, clean the bathua saag, remove their stems and pressure cook them for 2 whistles. Take the cooked bathua out and squeeze out the excess water and keep them in a bowl. To the same bowl, add four cups of curd, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, black salt and mint powder and mix well to combine. Chop one onion and add to the bowl.
Make this easy, delicious, refreshing and healthy raita recipe at home this winter and let us know how you like it.