Beetroot Raita is a condiment in South Asian cuisine made of thick curd or yogurt together with cooked beetroot. Raita can also me made with seldom fruits, mix vegetables or boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan. The closest approximation in western cuisine is a side dish or dip, or a cooked salad . Raita is popularly served as a condiment that tastes best when paired with Biryani or Pulao to cut down the heat produced due to strong spices. Good for digestion, raita keeps our stomach cool during extreme heat in summers. The alternate name for Raita in South India is Pachadi. Here’s one popular recipe of Pachadi made with Pineapple aka Pineapple Pachadi.
My Favorite Raita Recipes :
Restaurant Style Mix Fruit Raita | 5 Minute Raita : One of the most popular raita served in Restaurants is Mix Fruit Raita. Thick and creamy yogurt flavored with mild sweet and tangy spice mix is loaded with various mix fruit chunks like Pineapple, Apple, Pomegranate etc. This gorgeous looking Raita tastes best when served with Vegtable Biryani or Pilaf. Indian Restaurants mostly use pineapple, apple and pomegranate in their recipe bt you can create your version and kiwi, grapes etc. It totally depends on one’s preference. As the dish looks colorful it’s loved by children as well. So next time when you have guests at home, try making this Mix Fruit Raita and show off your cooking skills by making then go through a Restaurant style fine dinning experience.
Grapes Raita : Summers give us enough reasons to enjoy our favorite fruits as much as we can. One such summer fruit that happens to be my most favorite is Grapes. All those who have tasted fruit raita shall agree with me that grape raita is another variant that tastes amazing as a side dish with veg biryani. Omg! the thought itself makes my mouth water…hehe. Well this raita can be made both with green or the black ones. Thick curd whisked and folded with grape slices has mild sweet flavors along with some cumin powder. The red chili powder gives a lick to your palate initially and then the sweetness soothes it all. I often make this grape raita in summers and team up with my afternoon meals.
Spinach Raita : Palak Raita | Spinach Raita is a perfect accompaniment with pilaf or biryani. As it’s palak everywhere in my garden, these days I am using the green veggie to the extreme. Most often my lunch in winter is lehsuni palak dal with zeera rice accompanied by this amazingly flavorful palak raita. The recipe is easy to make and the ingredients can be easily found in your kitchen pantry.
How To Make Beetroot Raita ?
In a mixing bowl, add curd/yogurt, salt, cumin powder and whisk until smooth. Keep aside. In a small non stick pan heat 1 tsp oil and add finely chopped beetroots. Saute for a minute or two and transfer into the whisked curd. Mix well to combine. In the same pan heat 1-2 tsp oil and then add ingredients mentioned for tempering. Once it splutters, turn off the gas and pour it over the prepared raita and serve.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 2 cups Fresh curd or Yogurt
- 1 beetroot finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp Refined Oil
- 1-2 tsp Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Urad Dal/ White Lentil
- 1/2 tsp White Sesame Sedds
- 1/2 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
- 1-2 Dry Red Chili
- 1 sprig Fresh curry leaves
Ingredients
Tempering :
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- In a mixing bowl, add curd/yogurt, salt, cumin powder and whisk until smooth. Keep aside.
- In a small non stick pan heat 1 tsp oil and add finely chopped beetroots. Saute for a minute or two and transfer into the whisked curd. Mix well to combine.
- In the same pan heat 1-2 tsp oil and then add ingredients mentioned for tempering. Once it splutters, turn off the gas and pour it over the prepared raita and serve.
Beetroot raita was a quick healthy recipe that is good for summer. If you liked this recipe then try making it and share your cooking stories and picture of the dish in comments below. For more updates sign up for my newsletter and get all new recipes directly in your mail box.
Love : Shaheen
