Cucumber Raita

This is not a dish to be taken lightly, simple though it may seem to make. You need the perfect texture of yogurt, and sweet, tender and non-bitter cucumbers to make the right kind of raita. You need that 1 perfect chili that will spice it up just so and you need that perfect dash of salt that makes you want to crave this popular side dish. Raita is a dish that is served on the side with spicy pulaos or biryanis to cool your system even as you spice it up. South India has an equivalent for this called thayir pachadi.

Things that can go wrong and prevent you for making that perfect raita
you can make it
too watery (juice from the cuke)
too thick
use a yogurt that is gooey
make it too sour
over salt
make it too spicy - defeating the purpose of it
cucumbers can be too seedy so much so you miss the raita for the seeds!
and so on...you can tell I've seen them all which has really put me off raita quite a bit, unless I make it myself (sorry to sound vain, but it is the truth)

Ingredients

• 2cups of Danon plain yogurt (do not use the whey)
• 3-4 small sweet seedless cucumbers
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 green chili cut big 
• mint/ curry leaf/sprig to garnish

Method

1. Add a pinch of salt and whip the yogurt into a smooth consistency
2. Grate your cucmber
3. Squeeze all the excess juice out of it (you can drink it or use as an eye pack)
4. Add to the yogurt and mix in well
5. Add chopped chili and stir in
6. Place the mint on the raita for garnish and chill until ready to serve. (I used tender curry leaves from my plant for this - it smelt so delicious)

NOTE: I have also used some Patatas Bravas and a Tzatziki spice mixes from Oil & Vinegar for decoration on top - they also lend beautiful flavors to the raita