Raita is one of the most versatile dishes of Indian cuisine. You can put any veggies in fresh yogurt really with a little salt and cumin. That’s all!

I used spinach and cilantro for this recipe. A little ginger and jalapeño makes it spicier.

Finely chop all veggies. Little cumin and mustard seeds for tempering.

Blend yogurt using an immersion blender or you can use a regular blender.

Add salt and ground roasted cumin, mix them well along with prepared veggies

Heat some coconut oil or ghee, add cumin and mustard first.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait a few seconds before adding red pepper flakes.

Temper the yogurt mix. Yum… wish you could smell the delicious aroma of the raita now.

Stir to mix the tempering. That’s it! Raita is ready to serve!

Quick & Easy Spinach Raita

Servings: 4-6    Prep time: 10 minutes

 

Ingredients

1 quart yogurt (see recipe for homemade yogurt)

2 cups spinach, finely chopped

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp ground roasted cumin (see recipe here)

1/2 tsp sea salt

For “Tadka” or Tempering**:

1 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee (see homemade ghee recipe here)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Prep all veggies – chop them finely.

2. Blend yogurt using an immersion blender or regular blender. You can also beat it with a fork to blend.

3. Mix ground roasted cumin, salt and prepared veggies in yogurt.

4. For “Tadka” or tempering**:

1. Heat up coconut oil (or ghee) in a small saucepan. I used a special little saucepan with a   long handle that’s used for tempering, but a small saucepan will do.

2. Add mustard seeds, be careful as its going to splatter. You can cover with a lid to prevent it going all over. It will take about 5-6 seconds.

3. Add cumin and wait for 2-3 seconds and add red pepper flakes if using and wait another 2-3 seconds.

4. Pour the prepared tempering immediately on the yogurt raita and mix well. Done!

Enjoy spinach raita with rice, pulao or as a veggie dip.

** “Tadka” or Tempering is a cooking method in which cooking oil is heated till very hot and whole spices are added to it and fried. This oil and spice mix is then added as a final touch or in the beginning of cooking. Tadka or tempering extracts the essence, aroma and flavor of spices and herbs.

Note on Tadka/tempering: Do not use olive oil for tempering because tempering requires the fat to be heated till very hot. Use coconut oil, ghee or grape seed oil for tempering.

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