The Best Raitha Recipe makes the main dish more delightful and also enhances its flavors. The recipe is very easier to make, and very healthy too. Here, you will find a Raitha’s complete guide, its basic tips, directions for how to make a perfect raitha, the best curd/yogurt for making, best vegetables/ fruits, other exclusive ingredients, instructions to make basic recipe.
What is raitha?
Raitha is an Indian condiment served with main dishes like Rice / Biryani / Roti / Naan or any flat pieces of bread. It is made with curd/yogurt as the base and other ingredients added to it to make its own variety.
What is the best quality of curd/yogurt for the raitha?
The fresh curd/yogurt is the best for making these recipes. The curd should not sour and the thick consistency curd yields creamy raitha every time we make. You may refer this How to make homemade Yogurt recipe for making best homemade yogurt every time you make.
Homemade or Store bought yogurt?
Both works fine as long as they are fresh. If it checks the manufacturing date and the storage quality. As poorly stocked yogurt gets sour and spoiled easily.
The consistency of Raitha:
There is no strict rule for the consistency. It can be thick or watery depends on the main course they are served with. If it is served with flatbreads, thicker consistency is the best combination. And If it is served with rice, it can be little thinner if you prefer.
The best food to be paired up with:
It tastes exotic when paired up with ‘Biryani'(you can check ‘Complete 101 guide for making Vegetable Biryani‘ ), any Indian flat pieces of bread like roti, paratha etc. Soya Chunks Biryani, Methi Biryani, Gobi Paratha would pairs up beautifully with this tummy coolant raitha.
The ingredients suitable for Raitha:
- It can be made using any vegetable which is firm in nature, like cucumber, onion, tomato, green chilies, green apple, carrot, beetroot etc. Other vegetables like ladies finger/okra, pumpkin, any guard family vegetables etc.
- In the fruit verities, mango, pomegranate, apple, pineapple, guava etc.
- Other crispy snacks can also be used as its ingredients like boondi, mixer etc.
Tips for making Vegetable Raitha:
- Any vegetable that can be eaten as raw can be added to the curd as raw, like onion, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes.
- Vegetables can be cut into desired shapes, it can be chopped, cubed, sliced or grated.
- For the vegetables that need cooking before consuming, cook it with just salt. Let it cooled down before adding to curd.
- Generally, for the cooked veggie version, we do the seasoning. For the seasoning: Add a tsp of cooking oil with a tsp of mustard seeds and asafoetida. Allow mustard seeds to crack, and add it to a recipe.
- Add chopped green chilies, coriander leaves or crushed black pepper for garnishing.
- Add the hint of sugar, to enhance the flavors.
- Grated coconut will also be added in southern cuisines to add texture.
Tips for making Fruit Raitha:
- Any fruit which is firm in texture can be used as an ingredient. Like apple, pomegranate.
- Fruit version can be sweeter or savory depends on your taste and requirement. So add sugar or salt depends on the main course they are served with.
- This dish tastes good if they are freshly made. So avoid cutting the fruits before ahead. Like apples changes its color after a while.
- Fruit version does not need any garnishing, but coriander leaves can be added if needed.
Garnishing Ideas:
It can be garnished with coriander leaves, green chilies, grated coconut, black pepper, crispy boondi etc. Any one of this ingredient or any combination of these can be used for garnishing.
Masala Raitha Recipe
Can Raitha be made in advance?
Avoid making it in advance, as the vegetables may leave out moisture and make the dish watery and yields undesired results. It is better to combine the ingredients with curd whenever necessary.
How to make this dish for Parties?
If you are planning to make this dish for the parties, combine salt /sugar or both with yogurt. Refrigerate them. The vegetables are fruits can be added just before serving.
How to make Simple and Easy to make Cucumber Raitha?
Cucumber Raitha has lots of medicinal values, its good source of Vitamin A, B1, B6, C, and D, it rehydrates body, it relieves bad breath, it helps to reduce cholesterol it controls blood pressure…..etc., I have listed out only a few, but the missed out benefits are more.
Cucumber Raitha, I always wish to welcome my new week with the easiest recipe. I prepared this dish as an accompaniment for ‘Mutton Biryani’. Nothing can win this combo of Spicier Mutton Biryani with this. Cucumber is considered to be one of the best body coolants, it is great to add cucumbers in our daily diet to beat the forthcoming hot summer.
Cucumber has lots of medicinal values, its good source of Vitamin A, B1, B6, C, and D, it re-hydrate body, it helps to reduce cholesterol it controls blood pressure, bad breath etc. I have listed out only a few and has more health benefits. So apart from its exotic taste it also helps us maintain our body. And forgot to mention this recipe is easy to prepare. Just grate the cucumber and mix it.
How easy is it right?
Best Raitha Recipes, a complete guide
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Cup Yogurt /Curd
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp Salt or as required
Instructions
- Clean, wash and peel Cucumber. Test for the bitterness of the cucumber. Check with the center portion of the cucumber, if it tastes bitter, with no further thinking just throw them in the garbage. If they taste bitter only on the top and bottom, then generously chop off the head and bottom of the cucumber.
- Grate it with a grater. You can also use your food processor for grating cucumber.
- Mix grated the cucumber, yogurt/curd with salt and pepper. Can be served as the dip or as the side for spicier food.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions:
Best to be served with flat bread, roti, parathas, biryani etc.,
Tips and Variations:
Add finely chopped tomatoes, onions, green chilies, carrots. Add all of them or any of them to this raitha.
Healthy and delicious raita…
Simple and refreshing Raitha. Perfect accompaniment for biryanis.
Delicious and one of my favourite raita, beautifully done.
I make this raita for biriyani's . I don't grate it . I grind it along with onions , peppercorns , cucumber and cumin seeds .. It gives more flavor