Recipes: A rendezvous with raita

Have it with a plateful of fritters, as an accompaniment with your kebabs and sizzling curries, or even with any rice dish, raita is the ideal refreshing dip which is not only the easiest thing to make but also a great way to use up leftover yoghurt.
This Indian yoghurt dip is known for its versatility and can be made with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, mint, potatoes or even boondi, small balls made from chickpea flour that can be prepared in two different flavours, sweet and salty.
And if you can allow your imagination to be a little more innovative you can even have pomegranate, spinach, and mango raita. In short any vegetable or fruit that we eat can be added in a raita. While the variety is endless, the main ingredient is yoghurt that is tempered with roasted cumin, and sometimes with chaat masala. And for those who prefer the sweet version, try making a sweet raita with sliced grapes. Here are a few easy-to-do raita recipes for you.
Spinach Raita
Ingredients
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies, whole
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup spinach, chopped, blanched and squeezed
• 500g, yoghurt, whisked
• Salt
• 1tsp of chaat masala
Preparation
• Sauté cumin seeds, red chillies, and asafoetida in 1tsp oil for about 5 minutes.
• Add the blanched spinach to it and cook for another 5 minutes and keep aside.
• Beat yoghurt with salt till smooth. Add the spinach mixture in it and keep it in the fridge for some time.
• Sprinkle chaat masala for added flavours.

Mixed Fruit Raita
Ingredients
• 500g yoghurt
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 pineapple, cut into cubes
•1 apple, chopped
• 1 ripe mango, chopped
• Chopped coriander leaves
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Black pepper powder to taste
Preparation
• Whisk yoghurt after adding salt and sugar. Add little water if you find the the consistency to be thick.
• Take all the cut fruits except pomegranate and add to the yoghurt. Mix well.
• Garnish the mixed fruit raita with chopped coriander leaves, pomegranate, and black pepper powder.

Mixed Vegetable Raita
Ingredients
• 1 cucumber
• 1 onion
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tomato
• 1 potato
• 500g yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp rock salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Preparation
• Wash all the vegetables properly.
• Chop them finely except the potato and keep them aside.
• Boil the potato and once cool cut into small pieces.
• Blend the yoghurt and then add all the chopped vegetables to it.
• Also add salt, rock salt, black pepper powder and roasted cumin powder.
• Heat oil in a bowl and let the mustard seeds crackle.
• Add this tempering to the yoghurt.
• Keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.