When summer meals start feeling too spicy, oily or heavy, one humble side dish often comes to the rescue: raita. Cool, creamy and endlessly versatile, raita not only balances flavours on the plate but also adds a refreshing touch to everyday meals. Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur recently took to Instagram to share three of his favourite homemade raita recipes that he says he keeps rotating depending on what’s available in his fridge.
“My meals feel incomplete without raita, especially in the summer when everything feels heavy and spicy,” the chef wrote, adding that he experiments with different versions every week. Here are the three easy raita recipes shared by the chef.
Cucumber raita
A classic summer favourite, this version combines cooling cucumber with aromatic spices and kasuri methi for extra flavour.
Ingredients
- Kasuri methi – 2 tbsp
- Water – ½ cup
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Hing – ½ tsp
- Curd – 2 cups
- Green chilli, chopped – 1
- Black salt – to taste
- Fresh coriander, chopped – handful
- Chilli powder – ½ tsp
- Roasted cumin powder – 1½ tsp
- Cucumber – 1 medium
Method
Soak kasuri methi in water for a few minutes. Heat oil and add hing before mixing it into the curd along with chopped green chilli, black salt, coriander, chilli powder and roasted cumin powder. Grate the cucumber and fold it into the mixture. Add the soaked kasuri methi and mix well before serving chilled.
Boondi Raita
Here is a very simple and delicious dish which you can make in minutes, to have a tasty accompaniment with your biryani or parathas.
Ingredients
- Yoghurt or Curd - 1 cup
- Salt - as per requirement
- Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
- Water - ¾ cup
- Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
- Hing - ½ tsp
- Coriander Leaves, Chopped - 1 handful
- Boondi - ½ cup
Method
Mix together the curd, water, salt and chilli powder to get a uniform mixture. Heat the mustard oil, temper it with cumin seeds and hing. Add the tempering to the curd mixture and add coriander leaves and boondi before serving for a crispy taste.
Tomato and Coconut Raita
An amazing South Indian recipe of raita, this dish has lots of flavours of tomato, coconut and curry leaves.
Ingredients
- Oil - 3 tbsp
- Hing - ½ tsp
- Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
- Dry Red Chillies - 2
- Urad Dal - 2 tsp
- Chana Dal - 2 tsp
- Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
- Tomatoes, Chopped - 1½ cups
- Salt - as per requirement
- Coconut (fresh) - ¼ cup
- Cumin - 1 tsp
- Green Chilli - 1
- Water as required
- Curd - 2 cups
- Fresh Coriander, Chopped
Method
Take oil in a pan, add hing, mustard seeds, dry red chillies, urad dal and chana dal. Sauté until fragrant, then add chopped tomatoes and salt. Blend coconut, cumin, green chilli and a little water into a coarse paste. Mix the tomato mixture and coconut paste into the whisked curd. Garnish with fresh coriander before serving.
Also read: This 5-minute cocktail looks fancy but is surprisingly easy to make
