Refreshing, vibrant and oh so delicious this light-green raita/chutney is sure to perk up any Indian meal. A side that works to add freshness and perk up any curry, biryani/ rice dishes, dals, appetizers, kebabs, as a wrap/taco sauce, and sandwich spread, this little condiment literally works with anything.
Popular in homes and always staple in restaurants. This recipe is basically a creamier version of the famous Pudina chutney(mint+cilantro chutney that we Indians love.
So what do will you need to Make Herbed Raita
- Yogurt – Plain, whole milk Greek yogurt is my top choice, which I thin out with some water. Regular yogurt will work just as fine, but I find the texture may vary sometimes.
- Fresh Herbs – Cilantro and Mint are the classic herbs that go into this raita. More cilantro than mint as too much mint can be very strong and overpowering. Pick out just a few healthy leaves of the mint and not the stems.
- Green Chili pepper – goes without saying green chili is essential to add a little heat. Use what’s available and depending on the heat needed. Thai/jalapeño/serrano all work well. Feel free to use more less to your liking.
- Garlic – Use one small or half of a larger one. We need just a hint of garlic flavor.
- Cumin Seeds – Use ground cumin or seeds, toasted or untested. Ground will work well if your blender is not powerful to pulverize the seeds.
- Lemon – Lemon juice or lime juice is needed to add some acidic balance and adds to the life of the raita.
How to Make Herbed Raita
- Blend: Blend the herbs, cumin, green chili, garlic is a small food processor or high speed blender until smooth and the leaves and minced into an almost paste. Add a few spoonfuls of water this lets the machine to move along.
- Whisk Yogurt: Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until completely smooth and creamy before adding the herb sauce. (See image for consistency). Don’t be temped to blend the yogurt along with the herbs, doing so the yogurt will lose its silky whipped cream like texture. To thin the yogurt its okay to add water or milk a little at a time.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. To freeze which I highly recommend, make multiple batches of the green chutney/sauce, then save in a freezer safe bag or container. Do not freeze after adding the yogurt.
- To use from frozen, defrost the green chutney/sauce in the fridge overnight and stir with the whisked yogurt.
Herbed Raita
Equipment
- High speed blender or small food processor
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 10-12 mint leaves only
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt, Greek preferably
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1-2 green chili, Thai/jalpeno or Serrano use as needed to suit your heat tolerance
- juice from 1/2 lime or lemon about 2-3 tbsps
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- salt as needed
- ¼ cup water or as needed
Instructions
- Place the cilantro, mint leaves, garlic clove, ground cumin, salt, lemon juice, green chili, and 2 tbsp water into a blender. Pulse a few times, scraping down until a smooth consistency is achieved. Add tbsp or two of water to help the paste move along. See image above for consistency.
- In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth, creamy like whipped cream. Stir in the herbed green paste.
- Taste and adjust the salt if needed, add 1/2-1 tbsp of water to thin down if you think the consistency needs thinning. See notes for storing and freezing.
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