Raita

For other uses, see Raita (disambiguation).

Raita is a side dish and condiment in Indian cuisine made of dahi (yogurt or "curd") together with raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, or pulses. The yogurt may be seasoned with herbs and spices such as coriander, roasted cumin seeds, mint, and cayenne pepper.

Raita

Cucumber and mint raita
Alternative names	रायता, রায়তা
Course	Condiment
Region or state	Indian subcontinent with regional variations
Associated cuisine	India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal
Serving temperature	Cold
Main ingredients	Dahi (yogurt), buttermilk, cucumber, mint
Variations	Dahi chutney, Pachadi
Food energy (per serving)	46 kcal (190 kJ)
Cookbook: Raita   Media: Raita

Raita is served alongside many Indian dishes such as pulao rice, and as a mild cooling accompaniment to spicy curries.

Etymology

The word raita first appeared in print around the 19th century; it comes from the Hindi language.^[1] The word raita in Bengali and Hindi is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit word rajika or the derivative Hindi rai (pronounced "ra-ee") meaning black mustard seed, and tiktaka, meaning sharp or pungent.^[2]

In South India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, traditional raita is called pachadi.^[3]

In Eastern Nepal, the dish is known as dahi kakro (lit. 'yogurt cucumber'), whereas in western regions of Nepal it is known as raito.^[4][5]

Dish

Spices such as cumin (zīrā) and black mustard (rāī) are fried. This tempering is mixed with minced, raw vegetables or fruits (such as cucumber, onion, carrot, beetroot, tomato, pineapple, or pomegranate) and yogurt.^[6]

Raita is served as a side dish to be eaten with main course dishes, from pulao to curries.^[7] It is usually served chilled. It helps to cool the palate when eating spicy Indian dishes.^[8]

Variants

Raitas can be varied by using any of three types of ingredient as its base: vegetables, pulses, or fruits. These are mixed with yogurt and flavoured with a variety of seasonings to make different types of raita.^[7] A commonly made version is cucumber raita.^[7] Seasonal ingredients include goosefoot or lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album), used in wintertime in Haryana to make bathua ka raita.^[9] Among the many regional variants is chukauni, potato raita, made in Nepal. It is flavoured with onion and coriander, and eaten with dishes such as batuk, fritters of black lentils.^[10]

• Raita variants
• 
  Cucumber raita
• 
  Beetroot and carrot raita
• 
  Onion raita
• 
  Chickpea raita
• 
  Pomegranate raita

See also

• Tzatziki, a similar dish found in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine
• List of condiments
• List of dips
• List of yogurt-based dishes and beverages