Lauki ka Raita - Bihari Cuisine

Another mouth-watering raita very common in Bihar is Lauki ka raita. Unlike other raitas it is prepared in mustard masala. It is a low calorie, nutritious vegetable. When mixed with protein-rich yogurt it makes for a healthy dish. Lauki or bottle gourd is one veggie that I often cook in the summers. It can be served as a side dish for biryani, chapati, parathas and rotis.Curd or yogurt is an essential accompaniment to a balanced meal. It adds to the protein component of the vegetarian meal. Raita can be made in many various ways by using different vegetables, fruits and spices. Here is a recipe for a spicy and aromatic raita which uses very different ingredients.

MORE RAITA RECIPES ARE LINKED HERE

Radish Raita

Bhindi Raita

Cabbage Raita

Prep  time	mixing time	Serves
15 mins	10 mins	4 persons

Recipe Course: RAITA

Recipe type: INDIAN

Ingredients Grated Bottle gourd -1 ½  cups Chopped cucumber – ½ cup Thick curd – 3 cups Water  - ½ cup Roasted Cumin (jeera) powder -3 tsp Mustard Powder – 2 tsp Salt and pepper powder –to taste Black salt – 1 tsp Red chilli powder  - 2 tsp Green chilli -2 no’s Coriander leaves –handful

Method

1. Wash the bottle gourd with water.

2. Peel and grate the lauki/bottle gourd on the large holes of a hand grater or mandolin.Squeeze out the water from the bottle gourd.

3. Chop the cucumber and keep it aside.

4. In a large bowl add the lauki/bottle gourd,salt, sugar (if using), green chilies, coriander leaves and cucumber.

5. Now add all the spice mixtures and mix well.

6. Churn the curd with hand blender or mixer and pass it through a sieve to give smooth consistency. Now add to the prepared lauki spice mixture.

7. Give a gentle stir and check for salt.

8. This raita tastes great when served cold. Refrigerate lauki ka raita for 1/2 hour. Before serving, garnish Lauki ka Raita with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve chilled.

Notes

• You don’t need to temper this with mustard oil and spices if you don’t want to. 
• Rub some cumin seeds between the palms of your hands and sprinkle on top of the raita to add a pleasant aroma.

Radish Raita (Mooli ka Raita)

Raita is a side dish with served with parathas or rice. Today I am preparing a simple dish of Radish in chilled yogurt and tempered with aromatic spices.

Raitas are usually served with any fiery hot Indian curries and flavored rice or Indian flat breads. They are simple, quick and easy to make..The end product is one of the best tasting raita with crunch from radish, sweetness from onions and the spicy note from chillies.

Check out my other raita recipes

Prep time	Cook time	Serves
15 mins	o mins	4 persons

 

Cuisine: Kashmiri

Recipe Type : Raita

 

Ingredients White radish -2 cups Curd -2 ½ cups (whisked and beaten) Chopped green chillies -2 long Chopped onions -1 medium Cilantro chopped -3 tbsp. Salt -  to taste Roasted jeera powder -2 tsp Paprika (red chilli flakes) -1 tbsp. Seasonings Oil -2 tsp Mustard seeds -1 tsp Curry leaves -1 sprig Hing –pinch (optional)

 

Method

1. Take a bowl and grate radish and chopped onions, green chillies and cilantro.Beat the curd until smooth and thick consistency. Now mix it with the grated radish.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add all the seasonings listed above one by one. Mix it in the prepared grated radish mixture .Check out for salt.

3. Add little more yogurts if needed to get desired consistency. Lastly add all the spice powders. Serve it chilled with any plain or flavored rice or with any Indian flat bread

Notes

You can use any vegetables (raw or lightly cooked) that’s available at home to make these raitas

Technorati Tags: Raita recipes,North indian recipes,Dinner recipes,Kashmiri cuisine recipes,Kids recipes.,Low calorie recipes

Cabbage Raita

Cabbage Raita made of cabbage and yogurt is a very tasty form of raita.. Raita can be made in many ways. The ingredients can vary depending on what's in the fridge Raitas are a sort of Indian side-salad, sauce or dip - good for serving with spicy food, but equally good on their own as a refreshing snack The consistency can vary as much as the ingredients The yoghurt-based sauce is the defining characteristic and makes this salad excellent for the digestive system. Raita should always be served chilled and consumed as soon as it is made. Raita you can just use salt and pepper with yogurt.

Prep time:10 mins |Cook time:5 mins

Ingredients	Quantity
Cabbage	1 cup(app 200 gms)
Curd	1 cup
Ginger	1 “
Green chillies minced	2 nos
Roasted cumin and pepper powder	1 tsp each

Seasonings

Oil	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Curry leaves	4 leaves
Whole red chilli	2 nos
Salt and sugar	As per taste

Method

1. Beat Yogurt to get a smooth consistency. Add salt, chopped ginger minced green chillies.Grate cabbage and steam for 2-3 min. Allow to cool.In a bowl take cabbage,curd and salt.Sprinkle roasted cumin and pepper powder.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl .Heat oil in a pan and add seeds.When seeds splutter add broken red chilly,curry leaves.

3. Pour this tadka over the cabbage.Cabbage raita is ready.

Notes

You can  garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Technorati Tags: North Indian recipes,International and global cuisine,Cabbage recipes,Raita recipes,Indian food recipes.

Carrot and Cucumber Raita

Sometimes it's nice to have a dish that is cooling and soothing to the palate.  A raita (yogurt salad) goes perfectly with a curry meal, a rice pilaf or biryani also. There are so many versions and combinations of raitas.  You may have heard cucumbers being recommended as a diet food because they consist of mostly water and are low in calories. The flesh of cucumbers is said to be a very good source of vitamins A, C and folic acid. And their hard skin is rich in fiber and has a variety of minerals including magnesium, silica and potassium. As everyone knows about carrot, I specially don’t want to tell about it. It’s a lovely vegetable .Here is a simple raita (a yogurt based salad) with a combination of cucumbers and carrots that I find very refreshing, quick, delicious and colorful. This raita works really well along with any type of north Indian rice recipe like pulao or with parathas.

MORE RAITA RECIPES ARE LINKED HERE

Lauki ka Raita

Mooli ka Raita

Cabbage Raita

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
10 mins	10 mins	4 persons

Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Recipe Type: Raita

Ingredients Yogurt – 1 cup Cucumber – ½ cup Carrot – ½ cup Green chilli -1 no Cumin powder – ¼ tsp Salt – ¼ tsp Cilantro -2 tbsp

Method
1. Whisk plain yogurt with salt. In a large bowl, mix together cucumber, carrot, green chillies and cumin powder.
2. Garnish with chopped cilantro .Simply mix all the above ingredients together and allow the raita to chill for 30 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop.
3.  Serve chilled along with pulao, or other rice dishes, or with paratha. Enjoy…

Notes

Cucumbers can be very watery.  
If you want a thicker raita, you can also use a thick yogurt.