Cucumber Raita

Raita is generally a semi-liquid preparation with a yogurt base. It usually goes well with greasy food. Cucumber, doodhi, and boondi raita are well known types of raita. Since yogurt is used, tadka should be made of ghee (separated butter).

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• Cucumber about 5" long and 1- 2" diameter
• Ghee (separated butter) 1 tbsp
  
• Jalapeno about 2" long sliced in to 10-12 circles or 1 tsp crushed pepper
• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
• Fresh green cilantro finely chopped 1tbsp or dried crushed mint leaves 1/2tsp
• Salt to taste
• Yogurt or sour cream
  

Directions:

1. Peel cucumber and shred it using larger mesh or dice it to very small size pieces
   
2. In a pan put ghee and heat till a mustard seed added makes sound, at this point add all mustard seeds. when they stop making noise add cumin seeds followed by jalapeno or crushed pepper. Take off the heat. For jalapeno make sure that all pieces get fried. crushed pepper does not need extra frying as it is dried.
3. Add cucumber, cilantro or mint and mix well and let it cool down to room temperature.
   
4. Add yogurt, salt and mix well.

In cucumber raita chopped tomato can be added also. Use of sour cream increases calories but gives thicker consistency to use it as a dip with chips. Doodhi raita can be prepared similarly but in step 3 steam it for 3 minutes. Roasted bellpepper raita is made by substituting bell pepper in place of cucumber. On picnics and barbecue parties it is a good addition