A Teaspoon of Turmeric

Raita is a cooling yogurt condiment served with an Indian meal.

Yogurt is integral to Indian cuisine and is often consumed in some form with every Indian meal–whether it’s in a drink like Lassi, in a curry itself or just eaten plain on the side.

We eat yogurt with a meal mainly for two reasons. Firstly to temper the heat from spicy dishes aiding in cooling down the palate, and secondly to help with digestion. Yogurt is well-known for improving gut health, boosting immunity and preventing osteoporosis.

Espcially with our hot summer, this yogurt condiment known as Raita is a great side condiment for summer salads, rice, vegetables and curries.

The word raita is derived from the Hindi word rai meaning brown mustard seeds, which is often added to the condiment along with cumin seeds. I use Arvinda’s Madras Masala in my recipe since it contains ground mustard seeds, a key ingredient in Raita.
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Cucumber Raita

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, grated and drained
1/2 tomato, cubed (optional)
1/4 small red onion, cubed (optional)
1 tsp. Arvinda’s Madras Masala
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. Arvinda’s Garam Masala, to garnish

Method: In a small bowl, add yogurt and stir in grated cucumber, tomato, red onion, Arvinda’s Madras Masala and salt.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of Arvinda’s Garam Masala.
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Amazing play by Oakville’s Diana Matheson in the bronze medal soccer match this morning! Oh so proud.

So far, what are your favourite 2012 Olympic moments?

A teaspoon of: Metric. Listening to: Clone.