Raita
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch of salt
- Whisk the yogurt until smooth and creamy.
- If it remains thick and stiff, thin it with a little water and continue whisking.
- Stir in the sugar, cumin, mustard, and salt, along with any of the combined ingredients that follow.
- Stir 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves into the yogurt.
- Season to taste with black pepper and salt if necessary.
- Stir 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced, 1 onion, peeled and diced, and 1 small hot green chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, into the yogurt.
- Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves and season to taste with cayenne or pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico.
- Stir 1 cup diced fresh vegetables, like bell pepper, celery, radish, or fennel, into the yogurt.
- Season to taste with black pepper and garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
- Stir 1/2 cup cooked, peeled, and diced beets and 1 small hot green chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, into the yogurt.
- Season to taste with black pepper and garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
- Stir 2 potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced, and 1 small hot green chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, into the yogurt.
- Season to taste with hot paprika and garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
- Stir 1 cup cooked or drained canned chickpeas and 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes into the yogurt.
- Season to taste with black pepper.
- A sweet raita, good with very spicy dishes: Omit the sugar and substitute about 1 teaspoon garam masala (page 594) or curry powder for the cumin and mustard.
- Add 1/4 cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut and 2 ripe bananas, peeled and not-too-thinly sliced.
- Add chopped fresh mint leaves and a little bit of cayenne, or to taste.
plain yogurt, sugar, ground cumin, dry mustard, salt
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/raita-385992 (may not work)