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In India, the summer season is on in full swing and the scorching heat causes a lot of problems for everyone. So, to keep your body cool, it’s time to indulge in the goodness of raitas. The yogurt-based dish is part of every meal in an Indian household, and why not? It comes with a host of health benefits. To stay cool in the heatwave, try these different raita recipes with your meals.
Making a raita at home is extremely easy as it requires less cooking. Interestingly, it can be made in a variety of ways, from vegetable raita to fruit raita.
So, here are some easy and quick raita recipes to try at home for your next meal:
1. Lauki Raita
Chef Kunal Kapur suggests a refreshing curd recipe that can be added to summer meals without any thought.
Ingredients:
Lauki Grated – 1/2 cup
Salt – 1/2 tablespoon
Ice cubes – few
Curd – 1 cup
Salt – to taste
Black salt – 1/2 tablespoon
Roasted cumin (pounded) – 2 tablespoon
Ice cubes – few
Water – A dash
Method:
* Peel the lauki and deseed it by using length-wise cuts and reserve the flesh. Use the biggest size on the grater and grate the lauki.
* Take the freshly grated lauki and transfer the lauki into boiling water.
* Give it a nice stir and keep it on boil for 2-3 minutes on high flame. This removes any unwanted flavors in the lauki.
* Finally, drain the lauki and transfer into a bowl with ice water. Take out all the extra water from the lauki and add in the curd, salt, black salt, roasted cumin, and mix well. Garnish with a sprig of coriander and serve.
Check out the recipe!
Nutritional benefits:
Bottle gourd or lauki is one of the healthiest vegetables and very light on the stomach as well. It is full of essential nutrients and has mostly water content that helps in digestion. It has a cooling property and aids in weight loss due to its high fiber content.
2. Spinach Raita
Ingredients:
Curd – 2 cup
Spinach Leaves (Palak) – Finely chopped
Red Chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Roasted Cumin powder (Jeera) – 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
Whole black peppercorns – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Method:
* Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to crackle and then add chopped spinach and sauté on high heat.
* Make sure that most of the water has evaporated. Then set aside the spinach and make sure it cools completely.
* Whisk together the yogurt, cumin powder, red chili powder, black pepper and salt. Add the cooled spinach mixture into the whisked yogurt. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Nutritional benefits:
As we all know, spinach is a nutrient-dense vegetable. It is low on calories and rich with iron and many other nutrients. Combining its goodness with the benefits of curd is a great idea! Adding a bowl of refreshing spinach raita is one of the best ways to beat summer.
3. Cucumber and Mint Raita
Ingredients:
Cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced – 2
Greek yogurt – 2 cup
Lemon juice – 3 tablespoon
Chopped fresh mint – 2 tablespoon
White Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Kosher Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
Method:
* Stir everything together – yogurt, lemon juice, mint, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
* Add the sliced cucumber. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Nutritional benefits:
Cucumber and Mint Raita is just the perfect accompaniment to go with almost anything. Cucumber is light on your tummy and mint is as refreshing as you can imagine it to be.
4. Onion Raita
Ingredients:
Medium onion – 1
Finely chopped green chilli – 1
Cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt as required
Yogurt (curd) – 3 cup
Finely chopped mint leaves – 6
Dry mango powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Finely chopped coriander leaves – 2 teaspoon
Method:
Whisk the curd till it is soft and smooth. Next, add cumin powder, dry mango powder, salt and mix it well. Finally, add mint leaves, green chili, coriander leaves and chopped onion. It is then ready to serve.
Nutritional benefits:
Onion raita is a perfect accompaniment if you are gorging on biryani, pulao or a heavy curry. While curd keeps you cool, onion has immunity-boosting properties.
5. Fruit Raita
Ingredients:
Chopped Apple – 1/4 cup
Chopped Pineapple – 1/4 cup
Chopped Banana – 1/4 cup
Chopped Strawberry – 1/4 cup
Pomegranate Seeds – 2 tablespoon
Thick Curd (Yogurt) – 2 cup
Black Pepper Powder (optional) – 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Method:
Take curd (plain yogurt) in a bowl and add sugar, black pepper powder and cumin powder to it. Mix it well so that it becomes smooth and creamy. Add the chopped fruits and mix well. Chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take it out and you are ready to serve it.
Nutritional benefits:
Fruits are sources of vital vitamins and antioxidants. Anyone who eats fruit raita can not only benefit from that but the fiber in the fruits also makes it a good option for people who want to maintain a healthy weight.
