1001 Raitas (Indian Yogurt dips)

Republishing 1001 Raitas for Siri's Frozen Yogurt event...

Anything edible mixed with yogurt would taste good' seems to be the logic behind raitas. Raitas can be prepared in a snap and can used as curry, sauce or dip.

Salad veggies like onion, carrot, cucumber, onion etc are chopped fine and mixed with yogurt to make basic raitas. Vegetables that can't be eaten raw are boiled / grilled/ fried and mixed with yogurt.
Almost enything edible can be and usually is mixed with yogurt to make an endless variety of raitas.

Model Recipes :
Meera's pomegranate Raita
Derek's Banana Raita
Freeland's Raita
Prav's Mixed Raita with great photos
Reshma's Cabbage Raita

The custom of using fried spices ( usually mustard in south India and cumin in North India) for flavouring is unique to Indian Raitas. Skip this flavouring and the raita becomes international and can be safely served to anyone across the world. The raita is now called Yogurt dip and is popular across almost all cuisines.

Though Indian raitas use plain yogurt, our access to world cuisine and advances in food processing have now expanded our choice of raitas.

Thick, strained yogurt, ( also called yogurt cheese) is not normally used in Indian cuisine is used as the base for many delicious yogurt dips across the world like the Turkish Haydari.

A variety of processed yogurt products like low fat yogurt, flavoured yogurt, custard yogurt, soy yogurt and yogurt made from goat/ camel/ mare milk are now found in many supermarket shelves. All these can be used to cook up raitas.

International 'Raitas'
Mix in grated garlic ,mint, olive oil and lemon juice to cucumber raita and you have the Greek Tzatziki.

Mix in grated garlic and black pepper to mint raita and you have Mint- yogurt dip popular in Middle east and Central Asia.

Mix in grated garlic, and lemon juice to mint raita and you have the Lebanese Yogurt dip

Mix in grated garlic, olive oil and crumbled feta cheese to onion raita and you have Turkey's Feta Yogurt dip.

Mix in grated garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt to yogurt and you have the famous African 'raita' ZABAADI BIL-TAHIN