Raita (Yogurt Dipping Sauce)

    

   

A quick and easy meal for me some nights when I am tired is Indian food.  Indian food can be so exotic and inspiring. Eating it makes me think of traveling to far away places: a Hindu temple carved with posing forms on the outside, tropical beaches and fruits, great Raj forts and palaces, a myriad of sites, sounds, colors and tastes.  While I have a beautiful new Indian cookbook I am reading through at the moment, most recipes are far too involved for a quick evening meal.  As a shadow of a substitute, some of the pre-made dishes found at the grocery store are passable.  A coconut curry simmering sauce for chicken or a heat, open and serve dal (lentils); either with rice can make a meal. Many grocery stores are even selling naan bread. What’s lacking for me though is the yogurt dipping sauce that traditionally accompanies these meals. Indians eat some form of yogurt with almost every meal, and a yogurt dipping sauce provides a cool counter to a spicey dish. Here is my recipe for raita, or yogurt dipping sauce, that will do the trick.

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt
½ a cucumber, peeled and diced finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin
up to 2 tbsp water

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except for the water. If the sauce is a little too thick for your tastes, add some or all of the water. Serve.