Cucumber Raita special

Dear Friends,

Just though of sharing a very simple & tasty recipe of Raita with you all.

Ingredients:-

Cucumber- 2-3 (Medium size peeled & Grated)
Curd- 200 to 250 Gm (blended with the help of a spoon)
Salt- As per taste
Black Mustard seeds (Raai) - less then 1 Teaspoon (make a fine paste with the help of water)
Turmeric Powder- less than half a teaspoon.
Red chilly Powder /green chilly finally chopped- As per taste
fresh Coriander leaves finely chopped - half a bowl

Blend the curd first. Now Squeeze the grated Cucumber to remove its water and make it dry. Add salt, turmeric powder and Red chilly to blended curd, and mix it properly to have the color evenly. Now add squeezed cucumber into it and mix properly. (Keep the amount of curd is always more then cucumber so that when you mix, it should look like cucumber blended in curd not vice versa).Now add mustard paste into it and mix properly for 2 to 3 minutes to avoid lumps.

Finally add half of the coriander leafs to the Raita and use the reaming ones for garnishing on the top.

This is a traditional recipe of making Raita in Uttaranchal (where I belong to). According to Ayurveda Cucumber and curd both are considered very cold in nature and most of the people avoid having them during winters or even as part of dinner. Especially in Uttaranchal which is geographically next to Himalayas where winters are very cold :coffeeand nights are in extremes people still enjoy this Raita through out the year because of the mustard paste which is a heating ingredient and removes its VATA (cold) nature. Try this recipe and do let me know your views.

Tip:-:idea You may use the water strained from cucumber for making the dough of chapatti. They would be more soft and fluffy.

 

You can add for sure as per your taste. it tastes good for a change and also help to remove the cold nature of cucumber and curd.

enjoy....