1,000 Indian Recipes (138 page)

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

¹
⁄
₃
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Place the potatoes and beets in a small sauce-pan with water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, then peel and chop them finely.

2.
While the beets and potatoes are cooking, place the sesame and cumin seeds in a small nonstick saucepan and dry-roast over medium-high heat until they are fragrant and a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then grind coarsely in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

3.
Place the yogurt in a large serving bowl. Mix in the lemon juice, ginger, sugar, salt, and half the sesame seeds. Mix in the potatoes and fold in the beets. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and the cumin seeds on top and serve.

Beet and Scallion Raita

Chukandar aur Harae Pyaz ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Your guests are in for a surprise. This pink yogurt dish looks like a sweet berry yogurt—but the spicy, savory impact of the first bite refutes that perception immediately.

3 medium beets

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

4 to 5 scallions, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1.
Place the beets in a small pan with water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, then peel and chop finely. Set aside about 1 tablespoon for garnish.

2.
Place the yogurt in a serving dish and mix in the beets, scallions, garlic, green chile pepper, salt, and black pepper. Garnish with the reserved beets and the cilantro, and serve.

Tomato Raita with Fresh Mint Leaves

Tamatar aur Pudinae ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This refreshing
raita
makes the best of summer's flavors. Serve it on the side as a dip with cut up vegetables, or increase the quantity of the mint leaves and chile peppers and present it as a chutney with appetizers.

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
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cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 large tomato, finely chopped

3 to 4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1.
Place the sesame and cumin seeds in a small nonstick saucepan and dry-roast over medium-high heat until they are fragrant and a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then grind coarsely in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

2.
Place the yogurt in a serving dish and stir in the mint, tomato, scallions, garlic, and salt. Sprinkle black pepper and cumin on top and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of them visible as a garnish. Serve.

Cucumber and Radish Raita

Kheera aur Mooli ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Almost like a salad, this has lots of colorful vegetables, adding a light crunch to the otherwise smooth yogurt. After grating and chopping, you should have about 3 cups of the vegetables, but the proportions don't have to be precise.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 to 4 seedless cucumbers, grated (peeled or unpeeled)

12 to 15 red radishes, grated and squeezed

1 large firm tomato, finely chopped

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika

Cilantro or mint leaves

Prepare the chaat masala. Place the yogurt in a serving bowl. Add the cucumbers, radishes, tomato, green chile pepper, chaat masala, salt, and pepper and stir to mix well. Garnish with the paprika and cilantro or mint leaves, and serve.

Mustard Seed Raita

Raayi ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is not your traditional soothing
raita
. Strong and forceful, this Bengali specialty comes with the pungent bite of mustard seeds, giving it a very mustardy personality, similar to Dijon mustard. A little bit goes far. You may prefer it more as a dip or a chutney, and you can even use it as a sandwich spread or a marinade rather than a
raita
.

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard seeds

4 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 to 4 pickling cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons mustard oil or peanut oil

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
In a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, coarsely grind all the mustard seeds. Remove to a small non-reactive bowl and mix in about
¹
⁄
₂
cup yogurt and the salt. Set aside to ferment at least 4 and up to 12 hours at room temperature.

2.
Place the yogurt in a large serving bowl and mix in the fermented mustard seed mixture. Mix in the cucumbers and onions. Swirl in the mustard oil, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.

Sprouted Beans and Vegetable Raita

Phooti Dalon aur Sabziyon Ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This salad-like
raita
, loaded with sprouted
dals
(legumes) and chopped vegetables, makes a perfect working person's lunch with, maybe, a bowl of soup and garlic bread. It is nutritious, lowfat, filling, and delicious.

You should be able to find sprouted beans and lentils in health food stores, specialty produce stores, and Indian markets, or you can try sprouting them in advance.

¹
⁄
₂
cup
sprouted
split mung beans (mung dal) (or store-bought)

1 cup
sprouted
red lentils (or store-bought)

1 teaspoon
dry-roasted
sesame seeds

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1 to 4 seedless cucumbers, grated (peeled or unpeeled)

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1.
Prepare the beans and lentils in advance. Prepare the sesame seeds and chaat masala.

2.
Place the yogurt in a large serving bowl. Mix in everything except 2 tablespoons of the red lentils, the sesame seeds, and the chaat masala. Sprinkle the reserved red lentils and sesame seeds on top, top with the chaat masala, and serve.

Kashmiri Morel Mushroom Raita

Kashmiri Gucchiyon ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Indian morel mushrooms are grown in Kashmir, and from there they make their way to the rest of the country. Rings of these prized morel mushrooms adorn this
raita
, which mushroom fans might enjoy all on its own. Use other mushroom varieties, such as white button, oyster, or shiitake, if morels are not available.

1 medium russet potato

2
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons
Kashmiri Raita Masala

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil