1,000 Indian Recipes (139 page)

1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

8 to 10 large fresh or dried reconstituted morel mushrooms, thinly sliced

¹
⁄
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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Boil the potato in lightly salted water to cover until tender, then peel it and finely chop it. While it's cooking, prepare the raita masala. Then place the yogurt in a large serving bowl and mix in 2 teaspoons raita masala. Add salt, if needed (there is already some in the masala).

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potato and cook, stirring, about 1 minute, then add the morel mushrooms and cilantro and cook another minute. Transfer to the yogurt, and mix well. Garnish with the remaining
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon raita masala and serve.

Variation:
You can substitute other vegetables by replacing the morel mushrooms with 1 cup grated daikon or red radishes, or with 2 cups thinly sliced, golden fried fresh okra.

Raitas with Herbs and Greens

Fresh Spinach Raita with Ginger-Lime Pickle

Palak ka Khatta Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

For those who want their
raitas
to serve as a salad or a vegetable on the side, this dish fits the bill.

1 tablespoon
Minced Ginger-Lime Pickle

1 teaspoon
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground cumin seeds

2
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 small bunch (8 to 10 ounces) fresh spinach, trimmed of roots only, washed and finely chopped

¹
⁄
₃
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₃
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Prepare the ginger-lime pickle in advance. Prepare the cumin seeds. Then place the yogurt in a serving bowl. Add the spinach, ginger-lime pickle, salt, and black pepper, and stir to mix. Lightly swirl in the cumin seeds, with parts of them visible as a garnish, and serve.

Frozen Spinach Raita

Manju Bansal ka Palak Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

My friend Manju Bansal is from Kanpur, a city in the heart of northern India. The spices in this recipe reflect her city's heritage, and the frozen spinach, her American practicality.

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon whole cumin seeds + 1 teaspoon
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground cumin seeds

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground black salt (optional)

1 teaspoon olive oil

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon black mustard seeds

A scant pinch ground asafoetida

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen spinach (reserve all juices)

1.
Prepare the roasted cumin seeds. Then place the yogurt in a serving bowl. Mix in the salt and black salt.

2.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon whole cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly stir in the asafoetida, then the onion and ginger, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes.

3.
Add the spinach plus all the juices and cook until most of the juices evaporate, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then stir well into the yogurt. Mix half the roasted cumin into the yogurt, sprinkle the remaining on top, and serve.

Sautéed Spinach Raita

Bhuni Palak ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Spinach
raitas
are generally made with puréed, steamed, or boiled spinach. However, I find that a quick sauté brings more flavor to this
raita
, which is then made even tastier with a sprinkling of dry-roasted sesame seeds and coarsely chopped peanuts.

1 teaspoon dry-roasted and coarsely ground cumin seeds (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, dry-roasted (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 small bunch fresh spinach (8 to 10 ounces), trimmed of roots only, washed and finely chopped,

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to tasteFreshly ground black pepper, to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1.
Prepare the cumin and sesame seeds. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger and garlic, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until completely wilted and slightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.
Place the yogurt in a serving bowl. Add the salt, then mix in the cooled spinach, plus any juices that may have accumulated.

3.
Lightly swirl in the cumin and sesame seeds, and the black pepper, with parts of them visible as a garnish. Sprinkle the peanuts on top andserve.

Spicy Raita with Lamb's Quarters

Bathuae ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Belonging to the "goosefoot" greens family, along with spinach, beets, and Swiss chard, lamb's quarters (
bathua
in Hindi) are a naturalized weed in America, but are relatively unknown as cooking greens. In India however, they are very commonly used.

The soft leaves resemble the foot of a goose and have a delicate, spinach-like flavor. They are naturally starchy, and are often mixed with spinach, mustard, and other greens, to lend a dish the much-desired smoothness.

Here, I steam them to make a popular north Indian
raita
. Look for them in farmers' markets or in specialty produce stores. Buy more than you need; they freeze very well—raw as well as steamed.

2 cups finely chopped lamb's quarters leaves

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

3 to 4 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil

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

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1.
Place the leaves in a large saucepan of water to cover over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Alternately, cover and cook in a microwave-safe dish on high, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.
Let cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, or chop by hand.

3.
Place the yogurt in a serving dish and gently mix in the greens. Add the scallions, salt, and black pepper, and mix again.

4.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the chile pepper and cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add them to the yogurt, swirl lightly, and serve.

Puréed Watercress Raita

Hara Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Watercress is not found in India, but in America I use it interchangeably with spinach. It has a sharp, mustard-like flavor, and when puréed with scallions, chile pepper, and cilantro, these leaves become part of a uniform chutney. And when we mix this chutney with yogurt, we instantly have a lovely
raita
.

For a change of flavors, substitute other strong greens, such as daikon, mustard, or turnip greens, for the watercress, or, of course, spinach.

1 teaspoon
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground cumin seeds

3 large scallions, coarsely chopped

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, stemmed

¹
⁄
₂
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 cup firmly packed fresh watercress leaves

2 to 3 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
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teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup finely chopped yellow and red tomatoes

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds. Then, in a food processor or a blender, process together the scallions, green chile pepper, cilantro, and watercress to make a smooth purée.

2.
Place the yogurt in a serving bowl and mix in the puréed greens and salt. Pile up the tomatoes in the center. (Do not mix them into the raita.) Sprinkle the roasted cumin and black pepper on top, and serve.

Crumbled Tofu and Mint Chutney Raita

Tofu aur Pudina Chutni ka Raita

Makes 4 to 6 servings