Take off the pan, wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Oh wait, be sure to taste the first one - more filling? less filling? some salt sprickled on the paratha?
Pahadi Raita
I am married to a Kumaoni - people from Kumaon, a beatiful mountainous region at the foothills of the Himalayas. Now a part of the state of Uttaranchal, the major cities are Nainital, Almora and Ranikhet.
One of the signature dishes of Kumaoni cuisine is this raita. In its authentic version, it is made with hemp/bhaang seeds. Not wanting to get deported on drug charges, I make it with mustard seeds. I absolutely love the unique spiciness that mustard seeds give. Grinding them and letting them soak in the curd/yoghurt, as in this recipe, really brings this out. So beware, dont go nuts, you will fumes coming out of your nose.
2 small Persian cucumber*/half a regular large cucumber
a cup of yoghurt
a teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds
salt, sugar
Grind the cumin/jeera and mustard seed fine. I use my mortar and pestle, it is surprisingly easy.
Grate the cukes and try to get rid of any seeds. Combine the cucumber, spice powder, yoghurt, some salt and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Whisk till smooth. Add water to loosen to your desired consistency. Taste, adjust seasoning and stash in the fridge till your ready to eat. The mustard seeds will develop their pungency gradually. About an hour or so should do it.Variations : Sometimes, I grind a bit of black pepper in. Coriander is a great addition. Grated carrots work fine instead of or in addition to the cucumbers.
1 comment:
For the pahadi raitha my mother alwyas added a dash of turmeric. I have added my own twist to it by adding garlic...and green chillies and it gives the raita a whole different flavor.
Happy cooking.nlul
Kamla Bhattav
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