Cuisine and Its Commercialisation: Indian Raita

Picture taken at ICA--Swedish Walmart...

Raita: Simply a yogurt dish.  Yogurt/milk curd base-made with common spices found in any Indian kitchen and fruits and vegetables.  Mostly vegetables.  The most common one is made with grated cucumber and yogurt.  Add salt, roasted ground cumin, a little amachur (dried mango powder) and top it with fresh coriander leaves.  Simple.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY A PACKET--which in my opinion ultimately tastes bland and stale.  And produces much garbage because of its packaging.  And imagine how many other similar things that are 

Go natural, go simple.  Here are a few recipes for Raita...make it at home, experiment with different spices, create your own version.  DO NOT BUY THESE PRE-MADE PACKETS....They bring no creativity to the kitchen.  The greatest thing about Indian cooking is 'anumaan' --an idea, an estimate.  Unlike western cooking, Indian cooking never relies on 'exact' because, nothing in life is exact...experiment learn and create your own family recipes....and yes, in that follow tradition too. Something created just for the market or just to be innovative are really not good for you. E.g. Tumeric Latte, as sold by Starbucks.  We grew up drinking that --especially in winters.  It should be had in a certain season, cooked with black pepper (which gives a taste that is not for everyone)----don't just copy any old eating habit and absorb it without understanding that foods created for one region may not be the best in another region.  E.g. Mediterranean cooking, hailed for hits light-weight recipes and low calories --is  best for coastal climate...Not recommended for temperate!!  

Here is the recipe.....  I would drop the powdered coriander---just and make sure to roast the cumin before grinding it.  Do not use cumin seeds.  Also, let it stand at least a half hour before serving, so that spices have the time to soften and blend--better for flavour.  This is the simplest and the most common one.  Here is another one, but you have to buy the boondi (fried and crisp, chickpea flour batter)--or make it--and this is the second most common one. Others such as onion raita etc. that are popularised and sometimes sold at Indian restaurants are not that popular...often times onion and milk products are not mixed.  Traditionally, it is not respected. Milk is considered a complete food and even divine food (sorry vegans, more on that later)

Try it and then share your experiences!!